Lost in Texas Ch. 03

"Listen, it just didn't occur to me. You've never really shown much interest in my previous love life, so I never brought it up."

"Your previous love life? I thought . . . I just never pictured someone like her."

"Listen. I'll tell you the whole story, but you have to relax. And just remember I love you, not her." Laurie glowed with joy, and was pretty much ready to believe anything Heather said.

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Outside in the main room . . .

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"I first met Heather when she was fifteen, though I didn't know that at the time. I was nineteen. I had come down for the last week of the summer to visit grandpa. I always like him more than my folks anyway. Less bullshit," said Liz. Alice had talked her into telling the story of how she knew Heather, mostly to take the pressure off of Alice to make light conversation. It was something she felt incapable of for some reason.

Liz continued. "I didn't see much of her until almost the last day I was there. I was sunbathing nude out in the backyard while Grandpa was at a doctor's appointment . . ."

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Back in the shower . . .

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"I had come over to clean the windows. He didn't feel comfortable getting out on the ledges and cleaning the upper story ones himself," Heather said as Laurie shampooed her hair. "I forgot about his appointment with the doctor. I knocked on the front door and when I didn't get a response, I headed around the side. That's when I saw her. I knew his granddaughter was visiting, but I didn't think anything of it. I peeked around the corner and I saw her lying there, completely nude. She was so bronzed and muscular and . . ." Heather stopped that line of comment when Laurie shot her a glare. "Anyway, I started having all these feelings I had never had towards a woman before. Our eyes met for a moment. Then she smiled. After that, I was obsessed with her. I casually asked Mr. Price about her on and off until the next summer . . ."

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Outside in the main room . . .

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"I decided to come down for the whole summer the next year. Grandpa had gotten Heather to help out around the house, but I figured it might be nice if he had some family around. I didn't know then that Heather had kind of gotten herself adopted by him. Anyway, she was there that first day I showed up. She was sixteen by then but again, I didn't know that. I just know I rode up and there she was, mowing the lawn in Daisy Duke shorts and a white tee shirt. She was hot, even back then. Still, I was only there for the summer, and not lookin' for high school tail. At least that's what I thought."

Liz stopped her narrative and grabbed a cup of coffee before settling back with her feet up on the bed. Alice smiled. She even acted a little like Heather.

"Where was I? Oh yeah. It seemed that she was around all the fuckin' time after that. She and I were in close proximity all the time. We repainted the house, cleaned the gutters . . . you name it. And every time we worked on something, she seemed to want to stand closer and closer and she started looking better and better. Finally . . ."

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Back in the shower . . .

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"We had just finished cleaning out the garage. I went upstairs to wash my hands, and she was in there taking a shower," said Heather as she was scrubbing Laurie's back. "She didn't care that I was looking at her. She's never really had a problem with nudity. I'm not sure why, but I just climbed in there with her. You can guess the rest." Heather turned Laurie around. "Are you okay with this?"

"I guess so. I knew you weren't exactly a virgin when I first saw you," Laurie said with a slight pout, "but I never expected to meet any of . . . well, of THEM."

"Listen," Heather said before giving Laurie a short kiss, "the sexual part only lasted a month or so."

"Why?" asked Laurie.

"Well, first of all she discovered I was only sixteen while she was nineteen. She's kind of is a fuck first, ask questions later type of girl. But that wasn't the big reason. I was pretty damn sure what I wanted, so it wasn't as if she was taking advantage of me."

"So what happened then?" asked Laurie. This question seemed important to her.

"While the sex was great, there wasn't anything else there, and we wound up having . . . different desires regarding sex. I mean, I cared about her and she cared about me, but it was more like being good friends than girlfriends. I wasn't in love with her. We always joked that the only two things she ever taught me was how to fuck and how to fight. I don't regret what happened. And when I had those problems in school, she was SO pissed . . ."

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Outside in the main room . . .

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Liz leaned in as if to tell Alice something special. Alice, for her part, was completely captivated by the story. Liz went on. "I found out from Grandpa what happened at the talent show. I had heard her sing, and for anyone to do that to her was just . . ." Liz was obviously still pissed about what had gone down. "Anyway, even though we weren't lovers anymore, she was still like a little sister to me. So when I came down the next summer, I found out who had thrown the egg. I stalked the guy who did it for a week, and even overheard the rich little bastard bragging about it once at a restaurant with his friends. The guy was such a slime that he actually hit on the waitress and was making eyes at me while his ‘girlfriend' was in the bathroom. I also overheard that they were going skinny dipping at a nearby lake that evening. I went up there and waited. When it was dark and they were all out in the water, I threw all their clothes in their bonfire. Then I punctured all their tires so they'd have to walk completely naked all the way back to town. Got most of their spares too."

Alice was giggling outrageously at that point. It was a bit overkill, but it certainly was funny.

"I had actually videotaped them when they were all getting naked. Not for personal use mind you. But I left a copy of the tape and a note on the lead guy's car. I told him that if anyone pestered Heather after that, I was going to make sure that all the girls' parents got copies. Strangely, no one bothered Heather again."

Alice smiled. "You know . . ."

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Back in the shower . . .

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". . . she sounds a lot like you," said Laurie, who was feeling much better about everything.

"How so?"

"Remember what you did for Alice? That thing that you, Mike and Jenny won't tell the rest of us about?"

Heather smiled. "I guess so. That also might have been things didn't really work between us as lovers. We were too much alike in all the wrong ways. I like things the way they are now," she said, moving in closer for another kiss.

"How's that?" whispered Laurie, anticipating the taste of Heather's lips.

"Her back in my life, but you still in my bed." Then the kiss happened, and it felt wonderful.

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Outside in the main room . . .

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Heather and Laurie had dried off and gotten dressed, rejoining the other two. Alice rushed in to take a shower while Liz filled Heather in what had been going on. Apparently, much to Laurie's surprise, Liz was an aeronautical engineer who had graduated with a Bachelors degree from MIT. She had been working for a company that worked on experimental aircraft for the United States military. The company had actually been doing well while other related industries were suffering. The had plans to open a new facility and wanted to have some more management types ready by the time the new plant was on-line. So they picked a few people that had been on the fast track to promotion anyway, such as Liz, and sent them off to get their Masters degrees, all expenses paid. She even was getting a small salary while doing it.

"God I love military contract work!" Liz was saying. "Getting fired is almost impossible and they're PAYING me to go back to school!

Heather had booted Liz off her bed and was lying down with her head in Laurie's lap. Laurie promptly punched her in the arm.

"What the hell was that for?" asked the wounded singer.

"You didn't tell me she was smart too."

"I didn't want to tell you everything at once. Don't want you running off with her or anything like that."

That comment got Heather another punch in the arm. "You wish," said Laurie with a grin. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Liz was looking between the two of them. "You know, that look is good for you," she said fondly to Heather.

"What look?" Heather looked baffled.

"Happy," Liz responded. "Anyway, I'm gonna take off. I've got some stuff to unpack before I can get to sleep. Like blankets. It's fucking cold around here."

"It is winter, silly twit. If you need help unpacking or anything, let me know. I should be out of work by . . ." Heather looked up at Laurie. " When do I work tomorrow?"

"Nine to five all this week for training. Next week we go to part-time hours, just in time for school to start." Laurie gave her a quick kiss. "I just need to remember to wear sensible shoes. I might have one pair that might work until we can go shopping."

Heather sighed. Again. Then she turned back to Liz. "Anyway, you should swing by so we can catch up some more."

Liz looked from Heather to Laurie again. "I think you've got a bit of explaining to do as well," she said. "Say goodbye to your roommate for me. It was nice meeting you," she said to Laurie before wandering out the door.

A few minutes later, Alice emerged from the bathroom. "Where's Liz," she asked. She hoped she didn't sound too eager.

"She had to go, but she'll be back tomorrow, or she might call asking for help unpacking. I'm assuming the movers just unloaded everything."

Alice furrowed her brow. "How do you know she had movers?"

"Well, she certainly didn't move everything down on her motorcycle."

Alice's brain was alive with images of the lean, beautiful woman in her tight jeans and leather chaps astride a motorcycle. She had actually been masturbating in the shower to similar images, sans the motorcycle. She just smiled a little smile and then lay down on the bed, listening to Heather and Laurie chattering between themselves and listening to the coffee machine brewing another pot.

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The next evening . . .

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Heather got a call the following evening from Liz, asking if she was still willing to help unpack. With the promise of free pizza thrown into the mix, the three girls got in Heather's car and headed to Liz's place. Liz had rented one half of a nice-sized duplex. Everything was still in boxes, which were scattered all over the place. Liz looked exhausted. Apparently, she had been going non-stop all day dealing with the miscellaneous utilities and getting internet service hooked up and dealing with the cable people, so she had just gotten around to unpacking. She looked haggard and slightly overheated. She had a cold beer in her hand as she pushed some boxes labeled "private" into her bedroom.

The other girls went to work, starting on the kitchen. They managed to get all the dishes unpacked. Alice was surprised how nice they all were. She had almost expected everything to be made of plastic or have pictures of sports teams on them. It was all rather . . . tasteful.

At one point, Liz sat down on the couch, looking awfully pale for someone with a tan.

"Are you okay?" asked Heather.

"Yeah," Liz said, staring blankly in front of her. "Hey, if someone unpacks the phone, I can call about that . . . that pizza . . ." Without further warning, Liz hurtled into the bathroom and knelt on the floor, throwing up into the toilet. Heather rushed in after her while Alice and Laurie stood in the doorway.

Heather knelt beside her friend. "Okay Liz, what all have you had to eat today?" she asked, as there seemed to be very little coming out of the woman's mouth. Liz glanced over her shoulder at beer which Laurie had picked up. Heather looked exasperated. "Don't tell me the only thing you've had is that one beer. Have you at least been drinking water . . . something else . . . anything else?" Liz shook her head before a series of dry-heaves overtook her. "Shit. No wonder you're sick." Heather looked up at Laurie. "Love, mind running to a grocery store for me?"

"Sure," said Laurie, looking concerned. "What all do you want?"

"Tap water here sucks. I haven't found her water filter yet, so could you pick up some bottled water? And maybe some stuff for sandwiches. Those go down easy. And some chicken noodle soup. I don't know if it's accurate, but I'm under the impression that chicken noodle soup pretty helps with everything."

"I'm SO sorry guys," groaned Liz. "This was supposed to be fun."

Alice decided to weigh in with her deadpan voice, "Well, I think this is fun. All we need to do is stick a quarter up your butt and we can call you a video game." Everyone there, including Liz, slowly turned to look at her. "What? Just trying to make the best of a bad situation."

Liz turned her face back towards the toilet. "I'd laugh but my stomach hurts."

Laurie was snickering as she took Heather's keys. She came back inside when she remembered that she couldn't drive stick.

"That's a lesbian for you," joked Liz. "Put a stick in her hand and she has no idea what to do."

Heather shook her head. "Just be glad I'm bisexual. It means I can drive standard OR automatic. C'mon sweets." Then she looked at Alice.

"I'll stay," Alice said calmly. Heather smiled at her and drug Laurie out the door. Alice stopped and looked at Liz, and couldn't help admiring the woman's muscular back and tight ass. ‘Great,' Alice thought. ‘I'm so desperate that I'm checking out a girl's butt while she's got dry heaves. How romantic.' She knelt beside Liz, pulling that pale blonde hair away from her face. ‘Her hair is so soft,' she thought. Then she placed on hand on Liz's shoulder, trying to provide some comfort.

Liz looked up again for a moment. "I like you," she said with a smile, then turned and heaved again.

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Later that evening . . .

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By the time Laurie and Heather returned, Liz had been feeling good enough to be moved to the couch, though she kept a trash can nearby just in case. She managed to get some water down, which settled her stomach a bit. Then they fed her bits of bread to see if she could keep them down. Laurie and Heather kept unpacking while Alice oversaw Liz's recovery. They all chatted away, telling Liz the story of what had happened over the summer. Liz was impressed by Laurie's tenacity. She asked why she had pursued Heather for so long. Laurie grinned and grabbed a handful of her girlfriend's perfect ass. Heather stormed off to the kitchen in a huff, complaining about how she was treated like a peace of meat. That got everyone laughing again, and Laurie went after Heather in order to ‘console' her. The story continued, but by the time they were talking about the trip home, Liz had fallen asleep. They all understood. Getting sick like that had exhausted every muscle in Liz's body. Alice volunteered to stay behind and look after the girl, but Heather and Laurie assured her that Liz would be fine.

"Besides," said Heather, "she's not a particularly friendly morning person." They left Liz a note telling her they would be over the next evening and to call if she needed anything.

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The next day . . .

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The girls swung by Liz's apartment again. The striking woman seemed to be moving around all right, and Heather was happy to see her friend with a glass of water nearby at all times. Apparently Liz had gotten the bedroom completely unpacked and was in the process of assembling her weight bench. She looked a bit embarrassed.

"Sorry about yesterday guys. I normally take better care of myself than that," Liz said. Alice was looking the tall girl over, and had to agree. ‘You don't get a body like that on accident,' she mused, the averted her gaze when Liz looked her way. "I'll order the pizza in a bit, and there's some filtered water in the fridge. There's some beer too, but you're all too young," Liz joked.

Heather, being the only girl besides Liz who had any knowledge of electronics, was assigned to put the entertainment center together. Laurie unpacked living room stuff while Alice put the CD and DVD cases together. She wasn't the most mechanically inclined person, so she paid very close attention to the instructions and took her time. Luckily Heather was done getting Liz's monster television connected to the DVD player and VCR and had just completed setting up the speakers and surround sound when the pizza arrived. The whole crew gathered out in the living room, and Liz asked Alice to look through the movie box for something to watch. Alice was delighted with the selection.

"How about ‘Army of Darkness'? Ooh ooh, ‘Seven'!"

Laurie visibly blanched. "Are there any movies in there that aren't scary?"

Alice looked a little further. And a little further. "How abut ‘Scary Movie'?" Laurie glared at Alice, and the shy girl felt a need to defend the choice. "It's actually a comedy that makes FUN of scary movies."

Heather wrapped her arm around Laurie's shoulders and pulled her girlfriend close. "She's telling the truth," she said with a kiss on the cheek. "I've heard it's really funny." Laurie nestled her head just between Heather's shoulder and neck and wrapped her arms around Heather's waist.

Liz leaned in and whispered to Alice, "Are they always this . . . cute?"

Alice grinned and rolled her eyes. "You have NO idea." Alice also realized that the feel of Liz's breath on her ear was sending tingles down her spine.

The pizza was pretty much gone by the time the movie ended, and it was late enough by the time they were done that the girls decided to go home. Liz thanked them again, but she would be able to finish everything up on her own. As Alice and Laurie headed out to the car, Liz grabbed Heather by the arm.

"Got a sec?"

"Sure," said Heather.

"So what's with that Alice chick? Does she play for our side or what?" Liz had a mischievous look on her face as she stared after the retreating young woman. The look on Heather's face told Liz that things were about to get complicated.

"Listen," Heather started with a stern look, "I know about you, the kind of person you are and what you're into. But be careful with Alice. Yes, she's gay. She figured it out and came out about eight months ago, but she's had a bit of a rocky road so far. I'm not going to tell you not to pursue her. That's not my place. You're both big girls." She glanced over her shoulder at her waiting friends. "Listen, just don't do anything until I've had a chance to explain. Promise?" Heather saw an almost offended look play across Liz's face. "Promise?" Heather reiterated.

"Okay, okay. I promise. When did you get all ‘big-brother-ish'?"

"When I got friends that needed one. Who couldn't take care of themselves, I mean," she added to soothe Liz's ego.

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A few days later (Friday evening) . . .

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Things were busy for everyone the next few days. Heather, Alice and Laurie were all finishing up their training week and Liz was spending a lot of time at the Engineering Department trying to get set up for being a mid-year addition to the graduate college. Thursday night was devoted to band practice over at the garage in Mike's house, so the entire crew got together on Friday at O'Malley's. Strangely, none of the girls that worked there seemed to mind spending their free time there as well. It just kind of felt familiar to all of them. Mike was working so they all got at a table next to the bar. Their bass player, Mary, had brought her boy-toy of the week, Jenny went and talked with Mike whenever he wasn't too busy, Heather and Laurie sat next to each other while Liz sat next to a very bashful Alice.