Emily's Home - Ginger's Out Ch. 08

When I passed George's office he called for me to come in. It was getting late so he just wanted me to know he was going to be spending a good portion of Thursday and Friday with me. He was going to go over the hiring process (my replacement), the budget and the new project our, my, department would be starting. He wanted to go over it with me in person. Friday I would be in charge of explaining the project to, umm, my team.

"It's going to take me some time to get used to calling it 'my team' George." He grinned.

"It's okay Ginger. Think of it like riding a bike or starting as a freshman in a new school. It takes a while to get used to it; then one day, you're okay with it and you really don't even recognize the change."

I asked if I could close the door. He said sure. "There were a couple of people who didn't seem real happy about me getting the promotion."

"Oh don't worry too much about that. Most everyone in the department has been here since I've been in this job. It's a little odd actually to have such little turnover."

"No, I don't think so, not with you as our boss."

George actually blushed. "Well thank you for the compliment. It's pretty normal for people to feel jealous that you were chosen to replace me. It will help, I think, that you and I will be conducting the Friday meeting together."

"I think I might just make Friday pizza day."

"That would be a great idea Ginger. Help break the ice, get the project off on the right foot, and introduce you as the new department head. You and I can meet in the small conference room tomorrow morning at nine."

"I'm going to go sign a lease on a house." I smiled. "Wish me luck"

"Good luck Ginger. A whole lot of good is happening in your life. See you tomorrow."

I went to my desk and called Lily. While I was on the phone with her Reenie called my cell.

"Hi babe; I've got Lily on the other line. I was just going to go out there. Want to meet me and go with?"

"Yeah, actually I would. How about we meet at the motel and go in one car."

"Sounds good; I'll see you at the motel in a few. I love you. Sorry Lily; that was Reenie. She's coming with. We're going to dinner afterward. We'll see you ... well, as soon as we get there I guess." We said our goodbyes.

I hurried to the garage. Traffic was lousy, so it took me a while to get to the motel. I saw Reenie's car. Even with my cramps, the thought of that woman stirs the deepest part of me.

Reenie got up from the chair and came to me. The two of us hugged, kissed, and murmured soft, loving words. There was love in her eyes. I know there is love in my heart. I needed to freshen up. I washed my hands, ran a brush through my hair, and we were off to Lily's office. I made a point of telling Reenie to be nice. The sly smile my minx gave me did little to ease my nerves. At a stop light, my cop made a point of showing me she had her shield on her belt. I chuckled.

We walked into the office hand in hand (by mutual agreement). Lily came out to greet us. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted Reenie. I felt Reenie tense. Please, baby, let's just get through this. Lily led us to the conference room. A folder lay on the desk. I took the checkbook out of my purse. "Do I make the check payable to your firm Lily?" She said yes and gave me the exact wording; her eyes never left Reenie. I could see anger and jealousy in them. I'm sure Reenie met her gaze and gave it right back. She passed me the papers that needed to be signed.

In a tight, thin voice, "Since the bank is local, you ought to be good to go by the weekend. I'll call as soon as I find out. We can meet at the property and I'll give you the keys." She turned her eyes back to Reenie. "I hope you're happy in your new home Ginger." I saw Reenie's eyes go cold even though she smiled. Lily, you're out of your element here!!

"Thank you Lily. I can apply for a mortgage earlier than six months right?"

Her eyes came back to me. "Oh yes, absolutely!" She spat out the words, "Call me when you and your cop are ready." You bitch. I saw Reenie fidget in her chair. She was pissed. I reached for her hand and took it in mine.

"Lily, whatever the hell your problem is you had better get over it." She stared at me. "I mean it. This had better stop and I mean right now."

"How long have you been fucking her? I know you were when you were living in my house. Does she know I took you in after your other girlfriend raped you?" Reenie burst out of her chair. She never said a word, just stood and stared.

I stood, turned to face Reenie and whispered, "Honey, don't. Please sit down." She did, her gaze never leaving Lily. I turned to Lily and said, "You know what, get your Agency Manager." Her eyes widened in shock. "Now!!" She stood and took the file. I grabbed it out of her hands. She turned and looked at me, radiating anger. I felt Reenie begin to stand again. I pushed her back down. "Get the goddamn Manager. The papers and my check stay here." She stalked out of the room. I looked at Reenie. "Please honey. I can do this." I smiled and kissed her. "Why don't you stand up so the Manager can see your shield?" The blues sparkled and a thin smile came to her gorgeous face. We both stood.

A very angry woman came into the conference room with a contrite looking Lily in tow. She introduced herself as Doris Peters. "Would you please explain what's going on here Ms. Butler?" I saw her eyes glance at Reenie's shield.

"Lily and I had a personal relationship for a time. That has ended. Ms. Russo has been extremely unprofessional tonight. I want someone else to handle this. The alternative, since your firm isn't the listing broker, is to find another office to handle the transaction." Lily was trembling with anger. She was staring daggers at Reenie. "Ms. Peters, look at your agent." Her head whipped around to Lily, who could barely control herself.

The Manager looked at me. "Ms. Butler, I think it's in the best interest of everyone involved that we remove ourselves from this situation. With your permission I'll have someone contact you tomorrow. They'll complete the lease and the rest. You take the file." She moved forward, met my eyes, and shook my hand. "I apologize for all of this. I wish you well." I looked at Reenie, whose furious blues were locked on Lily. I gave her hand a squeeze to bring her back to me. I had the folder and my honey. We left.

I drove a couple blocks from the office, pulled the car to the curb, and turned it off. We needed to talk, to let some of the emotion bleed off. We were both angry; I wouldn't let go of my honey's hand while we sat and talked. Reenie was angry with me for intervening. I knew she wanted to pound Lily into dust.

In a quiet voice I said, "That would have cost you the job you love." She turned her head to say something. What she saw in my eyes stopped her. I was near tears. I love her so much. Lily was nothing to me. "I apologize for putting you in the middle of this mess. I should have gone to another broker. I felt some silly, misguided sense of loyalty to Lily. I never expected this to happen." Reenie hugged me. I was glad that ugliness was over. My redhead is my future.

I found a restaurant and turned into the lot. It was a sports bar. We left. Texas Roadhouse! Much better. I whispered in Reenie's ear, she giggled and nodded. We ordered ribs, sides and (wink) extra sauce to go. I'm smiling. Can you guess what the night might be like? We both munched on the french fries on the way back to the motel.

Do you remember the bagel episode? Umm, think about barbeque sauce and onion rings and what we might have done with them Wednesday night. Even on my moon there was more than a little pleasure to be shared between the two of us. Do you keep count of the pleasure you give your lover? The pleasure is given because you love her. So you give her every last bit of what she needs ... and then give her more. She would have her turn with me soon enough.

But that wasn't what was on my mind tonight. What matters is us. "Lover, as soon as the bank gives their okay and I have the key, I want to bring you to see the house. It has to be furnished it from top to bottom and I want your input."

Yeah, implicit in that was that we would live together. Yeah, both of us had leaky eyes. Yeah, we both knew it was more likely than not to happen. Yeah we, umm -- I can't believe I'm blushing this far into the story, with all that I've shared with all of you about us. Think about the last couple of days and all that has happened. Put yourselves in our shoes. (Wink) Maybe you can understand how, after, we were so exhausted we fell asleep in each others arms. Love is a many splendored thing. How hysterical -- mickey soft doesn't like it. Tell Melinda.

I woke Thursday to Reenie nibbling on my neck while her fingers teased my nipples. I sighed luxuriously. My devil's tongue did wonderfully wicked things to my ear as she whispered her intentions. I giggled and shivered, not so easy to do. The shower left me a quivering, shivering, completely satisfied mess. For the squeamish -- my periods tend to be awful for a couple of days and dry up pretty quickly thereafter. Yes, I still padded up after the rest of the bathroom routine. The mirror showed my eyes - soft, warm, and wanting more. We had to hurry to get Reenie to work on time. I was glad my time in this cubby hole would be coming to an end. I would rather sleep on a carpeted floor, sans mattress, than in this dump, though it had served its purpose. As long as my redheaded beauty was in my life where I woke up didn't matter. She had to get to work. The goodbye kiss was hot; she was the only one fully clothed.

I dressed and stopped for breakfast. I thought about Lily. Was it ever anything more than just wanton lust? Were my feelings and words of love simply me doing too much too soon? I shivered as I lingered over my breakfast. She had a carry permit. Reenie is a cop and each knew what the other had. Worried? No, I really wasn't. Lily had a lifestyle and a career to tend to. Reenie? The badge means so much to her. The irony of Lily wanting me to go to the range, get a permit, and buy a gun wasn't lost on me. I finished, paid, and headed to work.

I won't bore you with my Thursday. George and I spent most of the day in the conference room. He talked me through the budget, filling out HR specs for a new hire, and gave me all the details of the new project. Since I'm writing this long after the fact all I can say is if you see our brand in stores you're looking at our work (well some of it anyway).

Oh yeah, I mentioned to George that I needed to go to Social Security and BMV (Bureau of Motor Vehicles) for my name change. He smiled. "Tell Jodi; you're her boss." Duh! I shrugged. It would take a while.

I did and mentioned the meeting tomorrow. "I'll send emails to everyone and order pizza. You pay for the food and I'll submit a voucher for reimbursement. That's how it works." I was sure my face registered my confusion. She smiled; we would be fine. I would go to BMV first; that would take less time (I hoped).

I did get a phone call from a realtor. I didn't realize it but the firm Lily worked for had a number of branches in the area. I was passed off to one that was in Huber Heights, which was very convenient. Rita Cutler, the realtor, asked if I could come in and do the paperwork. I had taken the folder so I asked for her fax number.

"I'll fax the documents so you can have fresh ones ready." She thanked me. "I'm bringing a personal check; it's from the same bank that holds the title to the house." Rita said she would press them to accept the check as quickly as possible. We set a late afternoon appointment at five. She was looking forward to meeting me.

Reenie knew that Kathy was coming tonight; the realtor wouldn't take too much time. We would try and have dinner before Kathy's appointment at seven. Reenie's call came when I was on the way to the realtor. Uh oh, it had been a tough day on the streets for my honey. She wanted to crash at her place. I was disappointed; I offered to meet her at the club. It must really have been a bad day.

"Thanks Ginger but I don't think I'd be good company tonight."

I gently reminded her, "That's one of the reasons we're a couple." She asked what time Kathy was coming. I told her. Could she call me afterwards? "Of course you can baby." She promised she would. Words of love were exchanged.

I thought about it. We had not had a disagreement yet. No screaming matches. A temper? Yeesh, I knew she had one. Athlete, soldier, cop -- you aren't any of those without having some backbone and some toughness. I suppose it was a good idea for us not to spend every night together yet. Anyway, I arrived at the realtor's office.

Rita, a pretty blonde, was well and professionally dressed with a winsome smile. She had a nice handshake and led me to a warmly decorated conference room. I handed her the folder I'd taken last night. She asked if she could call me Ginger.

"Ginger, I'm really sorry about what happened last night. As it's been explained to me there was some sort of personal component to all this but that's no excuse for what happened."

I shook my head. "I don't want any further dealings with Lily. In fact, I want the realty company to have the locks changed, immediately, at your expense." Rita asked if she could be excused.

A few minutes later she came back with a man in tow. She introduced him as Dallas Miller, one of the managers. "Mr. Miller has assured me we will have a trusted locksmith change the locks. He thinks it's a good idea on your part, given what happened." I stood, shook his hand, and thanked him. He smiled warmly, thanked me for my business, and left.

"I suppose the lock thing is a bit of paranoia on my part, Rita, but I'm not taking any chances. Lily has a very successful career and won't jeopardize it. Let's get this finished shall we?" I signed the new documents and we were finished. Rita asked about the six months.

"I'm dating a Dayton police officer. She and I have agreed that it's too soon for us to live together. The six months is just me buying time." I was completely comfortable with it of course, but it was getting rather amusing to watch people's reactions. The professional smile faded for just a blink, her eyes widened a bit, and then she was back to normal. Yup, we look just like the rest of you. Me: snickering. "Rita, I'm very excited to get into the home and very overwhelmed with the task of furnishing the place from scratch."

She furrowed her brow. "Sorry Ginger, but I'm confused. Why would you have to furnish your home from scratch?" Isn't it odd? I hadn't given any thought to the reaction of others to what was, sadly, my world. I nodded my head and described how my marriage ended. Her reaction was shown through her eyes -- some surprise and lots of sadness. I wasn't sure if it was because I had been married or about how asshole had locked me out of our house.

I needed to go. I thanked Rita for her help. "I'll call you when the keys are available." She thanked me, genuinely, for my business. I had a feeling that, if I wanted to make a stink, the blow-back on Lily would have been toxic.

Dinner, then Kathy. My dinner plans changed now that I was eating alone. Maybe just get a sandwich and take it back to the room. No, I would eat it at the restaurant. I wanted stability in my life. I had to laugh; okay, my new stability. The house was part of that. I thought of the word I had used with George -- nomad. That's how I felt. Even the stay at Lily's, while necessary, wasn't natural. Yes, I would have argued strenuously if you had tried to tell me that back then. I like my sandwiches like I like my ... oh god, you would laugh if you knew how my mind works. Geez, I don't understand how my mind works. I laughed out loud; others stared. Oh well. I smiled as I munched on my sandwich. I ate half and went back to the cubbyhole to change into my workout clothes. I smiled at the knock on the door at exactly seven!

The tornado was still gorgeous. I pointed to a chair. We needed to talk. "Kathy, we're good. I don't know and I don't care about the details. I'm completely comfortable with my decision. You're good at what you do and I want to work with you. My girlfriend wanted to meet you but she had a tough day at work." I smiled. "You may remember Officer Henry." Kathy's eyes got real wide. "We've been seeing each other for a while now." I knew my smile was brilliant.

"Okay Ginger. Thank you." She couldn't meet my eyes. "I'm so embarrassed about what happened. I let myself get seduced." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "The whole time - all I thought of was that I wanted it to be you." Oh my lord! Hmm, if she let Lily seduce her she might find a way to have me as well. Odd, but it made some sort of sense. I sat back in my chair. How do I respond? She was very vulnerable, having shared what she did.

"Kathy, I remember the kiss. I'll be honest. I wrestled with what happened. The shock of seeing you and Lily ... it was horrific. I needed a vacation to get away and try to get some resolution on a bunch of things. You were one of them. I value you and the work you do too much to let the other get in the way." My gaze was steady; so was my voice. "There's no way anything will happen between us." No anger, just tell her the ground rules. I smiled. "My address will change again soon." She smiled. "I have a house rented with an option to buy about five minutes from here. Are we clear about our relationship and are you ready to get started?"

"Yes and yes." We stood. She started me back into it all. It was fabulous. We only had time to do two of the sets. I'd lost some of the tone but she told me I was still ahead of where I had started. I trusted her completely. I let her guide me through the sets, including all the little details that I messed up. I was ecstatic to have her back and get into the routine of the exercises. You may shake your head but, before she left, I gave her a little hug as an expression of my joy at having her back. Her eyes were a little wet, but I think she was both grateful and surprised.

After finishing the other half of the sandwich I called my honey. "Hello beautiful. How's my girl?"

The response was devoid of any emotion. "I'm okay." Hmm.

"Reenie, do you want company tonight? I can change and meet you if you'd like."

"Okay. Yeah, I guess. See you in a little while." She hung up. What on earth? This felt like more than the job. She was okay when she left this morning. It couldn't be us. There were bad days on the job, but I'd never heard her like this before. I hurried to change and headed to the L Room.

I saw her car, I saw her at our table and I saw Candy. She shrugged and shook her head. I headed to the table. I lifted Reenie's chin and gave her a kiss. Her eyes were flat, the kiss was alarming. Something was very wrong here. I needed my cop to tell me what it was. It was late enough that the crowd was beginning to build. We ... I ... needed a place a lot more private and a lot less noisy. I whispered in Reenie's ear that I would be right back.

Candy met me at the corner of the bar. "Is there a quiet room where Reenie and I could talk?" She smiled. She took my hand, led me to Reenie, and motioned to her. Reenie rolled her eyes, grabbed her coat and purse and followed. There was a room in the back for that was away from everything and everyone. I hugged Candy. She nodded and left us alone.

There were chairs. We each took one. Even as I started to ask the tears started. I fell to my knees in front of her and hugged her while she cried. The tears were a prelude; I would wait. When the words came, they came in gasps, between sobs. I held her and listened.

"Someone found out about me ... us. It was ugly and vicious." I thought about the hospital emergency room. I didn't even remember his name but I didn't see him as the type. Lily? She knew everybody and she was so angry nothing that had to do with her could be ignored. "As angry as I was at Lily last night, I'm that frustrated and upset tonight Ginger. This job is everything to me." I know lover. If this has to do with Lily I'd have her job. "I'm sorry Ginger. I know you were upset about Lily last night. I was too. This won't go away easily. I want my gold shield (detective). I want out of the bag (the uniform) and off the beat. I want a life with you. F U C K!!" That was a shriek of frustration. My tears were hot on my cheeks. "I'm hardly the only gay cop on the force. You met one the other day." Yeah, the brunette, kind of a butch, whatever. You're all that matters Reenie. I leaned in for a soft, sweet kiss. She gave it back to me. Good.