Love in Disguise

Saturday, May 3 I slowly floated toward consciousness. My eyes fluttered open. Sunlight streamed through the partially opened blinds. As my other senses came alive, I heard movement in the kitchen and smelled something cooking. I got up and decided to throw on my panties and a T-shirt. After using the bathroom and splashing water on my face, I shuffled toward the kitchen. Kya, who was at the stove, glanced over at me. “Well, hello there, sunshine. Sleep well?” “Sure did. I was afraid, though, that I’d wake to find this was all a dream and I’d be back in my own bed listening to the neighbors bopping around.” She laughed. “Don’t worry, sweet stuff, I’m every bit as real as these omelets I’m making.” “It smells great. Can I help?” “No, thanks. I’m just about done, but you can put the butter away for me if you wouldn’t mind.” “Not at all.” “I was going to surprise you and bring this to you in bed, but now that you’re up, I guess we can eat at the table.” That morning I was treated to a fabulous breakfast, then further spoiled with a backrub and another round of wonderful lovemaking before we showered together and dressed in shorts and T-shirts. “You don’t work on weekends?” I asked as we sat outside on her plush swinging bench chair, gazing at the distant mountains around us. “Not usually.” She swung us gently back and forth with one of her long legs as I huddled close to her. One of her arms rested behind me on the back of the chair. The other held her cup of iced tea, which she sipped from. “I suppose I should get out of your hair by Monday. Besides, I don’t want to wear out my welcome, and I need to start making and selling dolls real soon if I want to pay next month’s rent.” She suddenly looked at me as if I’d said the most absurd thing she’d ever heard. “You could never be in my hair or wear out your welcome. Don’t be silly. I love every minute you’re around.” I looked at her and smiled. Then I leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Aww,” she said, nuzzling my cheek with hers. “Where are your dolls anyway? I didn’t see any in the apartment.” “There’s no way I’d keep such expensive dolls in such a shabby neighborhood. The ones that are mine are at Mary’s place.” “She’s a writer, huh?” I nodded. “Straight?” I nodded again. “She’s married with two kids, a five-year-old girl and a ten-year-old boy.” “What’s Andy do?” “Not much, I’m afraid. If he could kick his pot addiction, then maybe he’d be more reliable and make a bit more of himself. Until then, he may very well always be getting fired from one low-class job after another and barely making ends meet.” “So your only friends are Mary and Andy?” “Yeah. What about you?” “It’s pretty much just Kelly and her girl. I have a lot of acquaintances, but not a lot of friends. I don’t like to hang with too many people.” “I hear you, Kya, I really do. The more people, the more trouble.” “Yes, that’s the way it works most of the time. Let’s get back to that upcoming rent.” “What about it?” I asked, gazing into her face just inches from mine. “There’s a way out of it, you know.” My heart quickened. I sat up straighter. “You’re kidding.” “Nope,” she said, shaking her head. “Are you really suggesting what I think you are?” She nodded. “I understand it may be an awfully premature thing to suggest, but I know how I feel about you. I’m sure of my feelings, and I’d love to have you move in with me.” “Oh, Kya!” I exclaimed with breathless delight. “I love you, Sativa,” she said, gazing into my eyes, which were now brimming with tears of joy. “I love you too, Kya.” I threw my arms around her and we kissed passionately for a few minutes before she pulled back. “If you get me going now, I won’t get the burning done.” “The burning?” “Yeah. With a place this remote, you almost never have garbage services available, so we burn our trash out here.” “Oh. How about mail? You get any out here?” “Nope. Gotta go into town where I have a post office box.” After a few more moments of conversation, it was decided that we’d move me in using the large silver pickup she had in addition to her car. We wouldn’t be moving any furniture since the furniture in the studio belonged to the apartment complex. Still, it would take a few trips between the stuff in the studio and the stuff Mary was holding for me. “What about the rats?” “If having you here with me means I have to put up with a couple of rats included in the package, so be it.” She burned the trash in a metal drum while I tidied up inside.