Maeve blanched noticeably, as she said, "You want to lend me one of these gorgeous things?"
"No, I want to give you a dress to wear to your wedding," she said, her eyes locked upon her friend's. "I would be honored if you would do me that favor."
The green eyes were dancing with delight, but Maeve felt duty-bound to try to refuse. "Oh, Catherine," she said, "that's really not necessary. I have a perfectly serviceable…"
"Maeve," Catherine interrupted softly, "no woman wants to get married in a serviceable dress. Some of these dresses would look positively wonderful on you. Will you at least try a few on?"
Giving Catherine a nearly giddy smile she said, "Well, it couldn't hurt to just try a few, now could it?"
"That's the spirit!" Catherine enthused, running her eyes down the long racks, trying to pick the dress that would allow Maeve to stand out as the lovely woman that she was.
Jamie noticed her mother's absence, and after a half-hour she went to search for her. She was a bit surprised to find Maeve standing in her mother's closet, wearing only a full slip, but when the task was explained she immediately pitched in to help.
Another half-hour later, both Jamie and Mia were sitting on the floor of the big closet, giving their expert opinions on the fashion show. They had been trying to focus on the colors that would go best with Maeve's hair, the auburn clashing badly with much of Catherine's wardrobe, which tended towards the colors that highlighted her light blonde hair.
Mia finally jumped up from the floor and went to an untapped source, pulling out a sterling silver silk shantung two-piece suit that immediately caused Maeve's eyes to light up. "Oh my goodness," she said as she lightly touched the fabric. "I don't think I've ever seen anything so gorgeous!"
"Give it a whirl, Maeve," Mia insisted, having warmed up to the delightful woman immediately.
She did so, fastening the tiny covered buttons and twitching the jacket into place. The skirt was a little shorter than she was used to wearing, hitting her a little above her knees, but she had very shapely legs, and the look was extremely flattering. As she gazed at herself in the three-way mirror, she shook her head slowly as three other heads nodded in tandem. "I hardly look like myself," she mused, wondering who the sophisticated woman was who looked back at her.
"We have a winner!" Mia declared, settling the issue to everyone's satisfaction.
At around eleven, Jim had had enough of making small talk with the O'Flahertys, so he excused himself to Jamie by saying, "I need to get up early and go in to the office for a few hours. You don't mind if I say goodnight, do you?"
"No, but are you sure we won't disturb you?"
"No, no, I'm sleeping in a guest room in the front of the house. I won't hear a thing."
"Okay, goodnight, Daddy. And thanks for trying so hard tonight. I really appreciate it."
"Anything for you, Cupcake," he said automatically, before he realized that he really meant it.
It was after midnight when they finally were able to pluck the tiring baby from her 15 babysitters and get her back into her clothes. All of the O'Flahertys thanked Catherine profusely for her generosity as they slowly departed. The team finally got squared away with dry Tshirts and their warm-ups, and they took off shortly thereafter. As Coach Placer got ready to leave he took Ryan aside and said, "The luckiest day of my year was when you walked into my office. It has been a pleasure to be your coach, Ryan."
"Well, given that volleyball was my least favorite team sport, I have to thank you for elevating it significantly in my estimation," she teased.
"I don't know what your favorite is, but I'd switch to be able to coach you in something you really love," he said fondly as he patted her back.
One of the things that the O'Flahertys had trouble with was refraining from cleaning up after a party at Catherine's. "We can't just leave this mess," Martin wailed as he surveyed the damage.
But even as he spoke, Marta, Helena, and Helena's son, Antonio, came out to attack the mess. Antonio did not work for Catherine regularly, but the 19-year-old college student helped out on an hourly basis when Marta thought they needed an extra pair of hands.
"It's okay, Da," Ryan assured him. "Jamie and I will help out. You guys head on home. It's late, and I know the boys have had a long day."
"All right, Darlin'. But it just doesn't feel right to expect other people to clean up after us."
"I know, Da," she said indulgently. "But things are different down here."
"You can say that again," he muttered so that only she could hear. "The nerve of that sorry excuse of a man to root for Stanford! And then to leave in the middle of his own party! I'll tell you one thing,
Siobhan
, wealth doesn't assure good manners!"
"That's for sure," she agreed, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
By the time the mess was cleared away it was nearly one a.m., and Catherine decreed that the dishes should be washed in the morning. The staff gratefully retired to their quarters, exhausted from the rare flurry of activity that the day had brought.
"It's awfully late, Mia," Catherine said. "Would you like to stay over so you don't disturb your parents?"
"Gee…I guess I could do that," she said, thinking,
My bag's already in Jordan's room.
"I'll have Helena prepare an extra room for you, Honey," Catherine said, starting off in the direction of the servants' wing.
"No, don't bother, Mom," Jamie insisted. "We'll set Mia up. Helena's already in bed."
"All right," Catherine agreed. "Just let me know if you need anything, Mia."
The grinning brunette smiled at the older woman.
I've got everything I need, all wrapped up in one big, tall package, Catherine.
Catherine kissed the girls goodnight and headed straight for bed, one o'clock being close to her normal bedtime. Jamie looked at her partner with very alert eyes and said, "I'm still keyed up."
"Yeah, I am too. I should be exhausted, but I just have a surplus of nervous energy bubbling out of me."
"Let's hop in the spa," Jamie suggested. "Maybe that will relax us." Turning to their friends she asked, "You guys wanna come?"
Mia batted her eyes at her friend and said, "I haven't been able to touch Jordan all night long. I think I need to make up for lost time."
"I'd hate to disappoint Mia," Jordan smiled as she took her friend's hand and led her into the house. "'Night, girls," she said over her shoulder. "Don't do anything we wouldn't do."
Ryan looked down at Jamie and said, "I'm not sure what that would preclude at this point. The house feels like it's gonna shake off its foundation some nights!"
"Jordan's making up for lost time, Hon." She gave Ryan a smirk and said, "Mia just loves sex."
"I think she loves more than sex, Jamie. I think she loves Jordan."
"You could be right, Buffy," the smaller woman agreed, grinning up at Ryan. "It's easy to fall in love with a big, sexy volleyball player. I know I have."
"Flattery will get you everywhere," Ryan joked, taking Jamie's hand to lead her to the spa. They spent a good 15 minutes soaking in the warm water and were both beginning to relax a little as the water worked its magic.
As she always did when she was relaxed, Jamie started to get a little frisky and she asked, "Wanna burn off a few more calories, Boomer? I'd really like to get you onto that chaise over there," she indicated the extra-wide piece, "and have my way with you."
"Ohh…I like your way," Ryan agreed, "but I think it would be nice if we went upstairs."
"You know," Jamie purred as she slid onto Ryan's lap and started to nibble on her neck, "I think you're right about my exhibitionistic tendencies. There's something so totally erotic about making love outside." She shivered as she tried to describe the sensations. "I love the cool air that flows over my hot skin, and the little goose bumps you get when I touch you. I love the contrast between your hot skin and the cool breeze as it glides over my body." Her head dipped as she started to work on Ryan's sensitive ears with a focused intensity. "What do you say, Baby?" she asked seductively as she rubbed her breasts against Ryan's, intentionally trying to influence her vote.
"But people can see us," Ryan protested weakly, her resolve easily swayed when Jamie put her mind to it.
"No, they can't," the smaller woman insisted as she wrapped her arms around Ryan's neck and twitched her hips in a slow, sexy beat, making her partner's eyes roll back in her head. "The servants' quarters windows face the street, not the pool," she added, bending to kiss Ryan's full lips tenderly. "Daddy is in a front guest room, so the only person who could possibly see us is mother, and that's only if she went to the window and really tried to focus. There is a lot of foliage between the upstairs and the pool, so it would be hard even if she tried."
"But you can see from the kitchen," Ryan protested, knowing full well that she could see the pool area while she was eating breakfast.
"Yeah, you can, but no one is in the kitchen, Honey. It's after one a.m."
"Jordan and Mia?"
"Yes, they have a good view of the pool. Now tell me, what are the odds of them going to the window to watch us?" She raised one eyebrow, reminding Ryan of where their friends' priorities lay.
"Uhh…" Ryan's head had dropped back against her shoulders as Jamie escalated her attack, working on her neck with a relentless enthusiasm. "I guess I'm out of excuses," the tall woman murmured, nearly forgetting what they were discussing.
Backing off for a moment, Jamie sat upright and grasped Ryan's face in her hands. "If you want to go inside, that's what we'll do," she said. "I never want to make you uncomfortable."
"Jamie, I've had sex in a phone booth," Ryan reminded her. "You know I'm a shameless hussy," she laughed. "I'm only concerned for you."
"I can take care of myself, Ryan," she reminded her. "I wouldn't ask for things I didn't want."
The time out for discussion had allowed Ryan's mind to focus again, and she discovered that she was having as much fun playing the game as she expected to have when she gave in. "I like it when you try to seduce me," she whispered, drawing Jamie's ear close so that she could give it several long swipes with her warm tongue. "I really love it when you act like you're dying to have me."
"I like it too," the smaller woman agreed. "It's different for me-but really nice."
"You're not finished, are you?" Ryan asked, batting her big blue eyes at her partner. "I'm not thoroughly seduced yet."
"Oh, I'll seduce you, Tough Stuff. And if my charms don't work, I'll drag you out of here with brute strength and have you on the pool deck."
Ryan chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in her throat. "You'll have to call for reinforcements, Love," she said, laying down the challenge. "If I don't want to get out-you can't make me."
"And I suppose that you could make me?" the blonde asked archly. "You think I can't defend myself?"
Ryan crossed her arms against her chest, narrowing her eyes as she surveyed her opponent. "That's exactly what I think," she said. "You can't touch me."
Unable to resist a challenge, Jamie spent a moment looking for a weakness, deciding to launch a full-scale attack in the hope of catching Ryan off guard with her ferocity. She hurled herself at the taller woman, tickling every spot she could sneak a hand. Ryan fended her off pretty well, finally dunking herself under the water to escape the questing fingers. When she emerged, Jamie was draped over her shoulder, the smaller woman slapping at Ryan's back, the blows sounding much worse than they were on her partner's wet skin.
"I want some privacy," Ryan declared. "We're going into the pool house."
"I don't want to!" Jamie cried, her laughter mingling with her outrage at being handled so effortlessly. She continued to slap at Ryan, demanding, "Put me down right here! I want to make love to you under the stars!"
"Nope. You'll see stars all right," Ryan promised, "but they won't be in the sky. I'm gonna make you scream," she growled, "and no one will hear you. No one will rescue you tonight, Jamie. You're mine-all mine."
"Put me down, you brute! I don't want to go in there!" She was slapping furiously now, the sharp sounds echoing off the stucco walls that surrounded the yard.
"Quiet!" Ryan cautioned, becoming afraid that Catherine might get up and look out.
Jamie complied, knowing that she had been a little loud. Instead of complaining verbally, she contented herself with trying to wriggle out of Ryan's grasp, finding her efforts largely futile. Ryan had a very firm hold on the backs of her thighs, using one of her tricks of letting Jamie dangle far down her back to render her largely helpless. All the smaller woman could do was slap at Ryan, or tickle her, and the infuriating woman had the capacity to convince herself that she wasn't ticklish when the situation warranted it. It seemed as though Jamie had to either go along or utter her safe word, and it would be a cold day in hell before she voluntarily said, "Ryan rules."
After tossing and turning in the unfamiliar bed for over two hours, Jim finally decided that he needed a drink. Slipping into his slacks, he stumbled downstairs and found the Scotch, but he couldn't really stomach hard liquor without ice so he poured two fingers worth and went into the kitchen to fetch a few cubes.
What in the hell?
He thought when he heard muffled voices and splashing.