Chapter Six

Abby invited the O'Connors for a kind of working dinner, thinking she'd kill the proverbial two birds. After an enjoyable meal they made their way to the patio to continue the discussion. Abby, Clancy and John got right down to business, with John pulling out some design suggestions for the pool deck. Hayley looked at Margaret and asked, "Would you like to see the rest of the house? We didn't have time for a tour before dinner."

Relieved, the older woman agreed. "I'd love to. This technical talk goes right over my head."

They examined the house in some detail, Margaret's innate sense of design leading her to exclaim over many details of the house. She, like her daughter, was drawn to the living room, and she and Hayley sat down on the matching, leather-covered sofas to soak up some of the ambiance. The pair spent a good, long time together, chatting about nothing in particular.

"This is so nice for me," Margaret said. "I don't get to see Clancy in her work environment very often, and it's very reassuring to know she's spending her days with such nice people."

Hayley smiled and said, "It's not only her days, Mrs. O'Connor. We have dinner together almost every night."

The older woman blinked in surprise. "You do?"

"Sure. We changed our schedule around so that we take a three-hour break in the middle of the day. It's hot then, so we swim or nap, then have some lunch. We don't finish until 6:00 or 7:00 - until my mom makes us come in for dinner."

Margaret did her best not to gape. Naps? They take naps together? Dear Lord, don't tell me this girl is what's keeping Clancy so busy! Yes she's attractive, but she can't be twenty years old!. As the girl continued to speak, Margaret had to admit that except for her age, Hayley was exactly the kind of person she could picture Clancy with. She was remarkably attractive, poised, and very friendly and outgoing. Her mind seemed quick and agile, and her enthusiasm for nearly everything was contagious. I don't care if she's a good match! Clancy can't start dating a girl! It's bad enough that she wants a woman! I have to talk to John about this! He'll know how to talk some sense into her.

John O'Connor sat at the table, proudly watching his daughter explain her series of beautifully rendered drawings. He'd consulted with her before, but he'd never seen her interact with a client on a social level, and he was impressed. She seems so comfortable, he thought. I feel like a big lug when I'm at a client meeting, but Clancy acts like she was born into this kind of money. He snuck another look at Abby, thinking, Course, having a client like this one would sure make me wanna spend a long time meeting. She's one fine-looking woman. And she's so nice to Clance! He was pulled from his thoughts when Clancy started explaining how she was going to have the hill drain. He looked at her elevation drawing, glad to find it so well thought out. "I think you did a very smart thing to have the water collect into a French drain at the bottom of the slope." He tapped the paper, indicating the expanse of lawn next to the hill. "Good idea to loosen up this soil, too."

"Yeah," Clancy said. "In a bad storm, the French drain could be overwhelmed. I thought that putting a healthy depth of pea gravel under the lawn would take care of any overflow."

"I didn't know you were going to remove the sod," Abby said, looking concerned.

Clancy reached over and touched her hand, and the older woman looked into the reassuring gray eyes. "It's impossible to bring in the kind of equipment we're gonna need and not make a mess of your lawn. As long as we have to re-sod, we might as well do it right." She gave her a smile and said, "Don't worry. It's all included in my estimate."

Abby smiled back at her and said, "Oh, like I'd worry about that." She leaned over and nudged Clancy with her shoulder, grinning at John. "I have to force her to bill me for everything. This is the first time I've hired someone who I feel like I'm taking advantage of."

John looked from one woman to the other, wondering what in the hell was going on. He'd been in the business for a long time, and he'd never had a client touch him and tease him like Abby was doing. Not that I'd mind, he thought to himself. But there's something more than business going on here, and if I know my girl - she's got her eye on Abby!

As soon as they were in the car, John gave his wife his most superior smile and said, "Well, that's one mystery solved."

"Not so fast," she said, not wanting him to get the jump on her again. "I figured this one out, too."

"Oh, did you now?"

"I certainly did, John O'Connor. And I'm nearly sick over it!"

"Oh, Margaret, give the kid a break."

"Break nothing! It's not normal, and if she doesn't snap out of it, you're gonna have to do it!"

"How do we know we're talking about the same thing?"

She took out a piece of paper and jotted a few words down. Handing her husband a similar scrap, she said, "Write down what you think is going on." He smirked at her, but did it. She folded both pieces of paper, then initialed and dated his and had him do the same to hers. "I'm gonna put these away and wait for the mystery to be revealed. I'll bet you twenty bucks that I'm right."

"You're on, big spender. I can already count the money!"

On Friday afternoon, Clancy paid her young laborer, giving her cash so she didn't have to go to the bank. "You did a very good job clearing the hill, Hayley. If you're interested, I'll find something else for you to do."

"You're on," Hayley said. "I've gotta go - I'm going out with my friends tonight. But I'll be ready on Monday morning!" They shook hands, and the girl took off, negotiating the steep hill easily after two weeks of practice.

Abby got home just as Clancy was packing her truck. "Hi," the landscaper said. "Have a nice day?"

"I did not," Abby said. "My retractable roof wouldn't come up, and I had to drive home from Beverly Hills in this heat with the sun baking down on my head."

"Your new car!" Clancy walked over and took a look. "This is a pretty complex system. Having the roof slide into the trunk is no easy feat." She stuck her hand down on the side of the cowl and rooted around for a moment. With a grunt, she pulled her hand out, revealing a jewel case. "Nelly Furtado," she said. "Must be Hayley's."

Abby ground her teeth together. "Where is she?"

"Luckily for her, one of her friends picked her up a few minutes ago."

"Lucky, indeed. I have a headache that would kill a lesser woman. My dear girl also managed to make off with my sunglasses the last time she drove the car. All of the glare sure didn't help this headache."

"Damn, Abby, you'd better go put your suit on and float in the pool after you take some aspirin."

"Sounds good, but only if you'll join me."

"You're on, boss. I can't think of a better way to end the week."

Client and architect floated along on their rafts in a drowsy silence until Abby said, "So, tell me how my baby did during the last two weeks. Was she any help at all?"

"Oh, yeah, absolutely. She's a great kid, Abby. You should be proud of her."

"I am," she sighed. "As much as I complain, I love everything about her. She's like a little tornado around the house - but she's the cutest little tornado in the whole world."

"She's a lot of fun to be around," Clancy agreed. "We talk a lot on our breaks. It reminds me of just how young a seventeen-year-old is."

"Her birthday is in July. I'm sure she'll be happy to finally be eighteen. It sounds much older, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess it does. She is in a hurry to grow up, but I guess I was, too."

The older woman slipped off her raft and said, "I need to swim a bit. Do you mind?"

"No, not at all. Have at it."

Clancy's idea of a swim was to lie in one spot and let the water cool her fevered body. Abby, however, meant that she wanted to exercise. She staked out her half of the pool and started to churn out laps, slicing through the water with a smooth economy of motion. She was obviously used to swimming regularly, and Clancy wondered if she'd been a competitive swimmer when she was younger. The architect lay on her raft, watching Abby's body glide through the water, her strokes never hesitating, each one identical, measured, rhythmic and smooth. Clancy had been keeping a rough count, but she eventually lost track and just watched, mesmerized - her eyes drifting time and again to Abby's round ass which just peeked out of the water as she moved.

She could tell when Abby was nearly finished because her pace slowed, and then, gradually, she stopped. Turning onto her back, Abby kicked through a pair of laps and floated over to Clancy.

"I have a feeling this isn't your first time in a pool," the landscaper said.

"No. If I'm not playing golf or running, I usually go up to the aquatics center at the Rose Bowl and peel off fifty or so laps. It clears my head."

"It keeps you in great shape, too," Clancy said, unable to keep her eyes off the sleek body that floated next to her.

"Yeah, I do all right for an old lady."

"Uh-huh. That act might work on some people, but I'm not buying it."

Abby grabbed a raft and hoisted herself onto it. She lay down, her chest moving noticeably from her exertion. She still had a small frown on her face, and Clancy said, "Headache still there?"

"No. I feel all right now. Why?"

"You look like something's bothering you. Are you mad at Hayley for screwing up your car?"

"Oh, God, no!" She laughed. "If I got mad at her every time she or her friends did something thoughtless …" She slipped off her raft and started to tread water so she could stay upright and face Clancy. "I'm not angry, but I'm frustrated with her. We've talked a lot in the last two weeks, and she seems to have missed some of the most important lessons that Will and I tried to impart."

"Commitment?" Clancy asked.

"Yes, commitment is part of it, but I thought we modeled how rewarding it can be to find a partner and work on your relationship. She seems to think that sex is fulfilling with or without love - or even deep attraction! I don't know where she got that idea!"

"That's probably what she sees at school and on TV. Her peers are more influential than you are right now."

"I know, I know," Abby said, clearly frustrated. "That's been true for years. I just thought that my influence would have gotten in by now."

"Now you know how my mom felt," Clancy said, making a face.

Abby looked at her for a moment, then shook her head. "Because of your lesbianism?" Clancy nodded and Abby said, "That's not the same thing at all. I'd much rather have Hayley fall in love with a woman than have indiscriminate sex with a man."

Clancy was obviously surprised by her friend's answer. "I'm stunned," she said. "Do you really feel that way?"

"Of course. There's nothing wrong with lesbianism."

"Boy, I wish my mom felt that way. She still thinks it's unnatural."

Abby nodded. "Maybe I feel this way because I understand the attraction." She stared up at the hill while Clancy waited for her to continue. "There's something very … organic about loving someone of your own sex. I mean, I don't think of my friends sexually, but I can see how easy it might be to breach the friend barrier and become lovers - given the right circumstances."

Clancy smiled at her friend, her heart beating rapidly as she considered how open Abby seemed to the idea of making love to another woman. "Wow."

"That surprises you?" Abby looked pleased.

"Yeah. Very much. The way you talk about Will …"

"I loved Will with my whole heart, but if things had been different back at UCLA, I could have wound up with a woman. Circumstances can make a huge difference in a life."

Clancy nodded, still tingling all over. "I don't think I had much choice in the matter. Really … my mom wasn't paying attention."

"Your mom?" Abby asked.

"Yeah. I acted like a baby dyke from the time I was a little girl. I dressed like my dad, I imitated everything he did. Heck, I had a little metal shovel when I was three! I used to go with him to job sites and dig little holes while he was excavating for a pool." She laughed, thinking back to those pleasant memories.

"I was a little tomboy myself," Abby told her. "That doesn't make you gay."

"No, of course it doesn't," Clancy agreed, "but my tomboy period never ended. I was dreaming about other little girls as early as I can remember, and I've never stopped. I wasn't very forthcoming with my thoughts, but my mom should have noticed something when I never had a boyfriend. I think she was trying to ignore the signals."

"You could be right," Abby said. "It's hard to face things about your children that make you uncomfortable."

"Hayley'll come around. I predict she goes through a lot of phases before she figures out who she is."

After they'd floated a while longer, Clancy saw Abby repeatedly press against her temples with her fingertips. "Now your headache's back, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Must be the glare. I think I'll take a nap - that usually helps."

Clancy looked at her friend and saw the lines of tension around her eyes and the tight, drawn set of her mouth. She wasn't sure why she offered, but something told her that Abby didn't want to be alone. "You know, Michael sometimes gets a lot of tension in his neck and shoulders. He's taught me how to give a great shoulder massage. How about it?"

A tiny sparkle flickered to life, and Clancy saw the longing in Abby's eyes. "I would be eternally grateful for that, Clancy. Are you sure you don't mind?"

"I wouldn't offer if I did."

They got out of the pool and dried off quickly. It was such a beautiful afternoon now that the sun had cleared the back of the house that Clancy suggested they stay outside. She knew that nothing filled Abby's soul as much as sitting on her patio, listening to the birds chirp, so she made a simple request. "I can't bear to put those grimy, wet clothes back on, but it might get cool soon. Could I borrow one of Hayley's T-shirts?"

"Sure. I'll get you one." Abby came back with a T-shirt for Clancy and a sky-blue tank top for herself. She also had a bottle of vanilla-scented massage lotion in her hand. "I'm ready for you," she said, smiling tentatively.

Clancy sat on one of the cushioned lounge chairs and scooted around until she was snug against the back. She dropped her feet to the sides and motioned for Abby to sit between her legs. "Come on down," she said, smiling up at her.

The older woman did, sitting rather stiffly until Clancy began to knead her shoulders. "Oh, my God," she moaned after just a few minutes. "Those hands are lethal weapons."

Clancy chuckled. "Manual labor gives you nice, strong hands. This isn't too hard, is it?"

"Ooh, right on the edge of pain," Abby sighed. "Just perfect."

They were both quiet for a few minutes, with Clancy's powerful hands digging deep into the tense muscles. After a while, Abby's head began to move with the pressure, and soon after that it began to loll back and forth. "Someone's starting to relax," Clancy murmured softly.

"I'm nearly unconscious."

Clancy stopped her massage. "Let me get up for a sec." Abby leaned forward and watched as Clancy extracted herself from the lounge chair, then brought another one to face in the opposite direction. She scooted it next to Abby's chair and then sat down, facing her friend. Stretching her legs out, she patted her thigh and urged, "Come rest your head on my lap. I've got a good nap waiting for you right here."

Abby's eyes lit up in surprise with a good measure of hesitation thrown in. "Really?"

"Sure. You really look like you need a little loving care, Abby. Let me help." She patted her lap again and gave her friend a warm smile.

Abby turned around and moved her torso onto Clancy's chair, then settled her head onto her lap. She was a little hesitant to accept such an intimate touch from her friend, but she was concurrently so ridiculously grateful to have someone soothe her that she pushed down her discomfort and tried to relax. Clancy's hands moved through her hair, making row after row of the short strands stand up straight and then fall gently. "Do you like to feel my nails?" she asked softly.

"Yes," Abby hissed, finding herself hypnotized by the sure, confident touch. "Good lord!"

"Feels nice, doesn't it?" Clancy's calm, soothing voice sounded like it was miles away, and Abby felt herself sink into the half-conscious state that a good head rub carried her to. She was awake enough to feel the strong, defined muscles in the younger woman's thighs, to detect her clean, chlorine smell, to feel the warmth of her skin against her cheek, but she was too blissful to comment on any of it. Nor was she able to thank her friend for the nicest gift she could remember receiving in quite a while.

As Abby's body relaxed further, a surprising thought came unbidden to the very edge of her conscious mind. Mmm … was I lying before, or do I think of my friends in a sexual way? She snapped out of her tranquil state, unable to push the thought aside. I don't know where this is coming from, but I feel like I could jump the friendship barrier with Clancy. Something about her touch is so soothing - but so stimulating. Pressing her thighs together, Abby acknowledged, She's stimulating a lot more than my emotions, too. Damn, no one has made me throb like this in five years! She tried to control her physical response - to reassure herself that having someone, anyone, touch her in such a gentle way would arouse her. But she was unable to disabuse herself of the surprising depth of her feelings for the woman who caressed her so lovingly. Will you stop worrying? You're not a dog! You don't have to give in to every passing impulse - and that's what this is. Just relax and enjoy it. You might not get another head rub for five more years!

Clancy had a hard time telling whether Abby was awake or asleep. Her breathing was slow and rhythmic, but her eyes were still under her lids and her face bore some faint lines of tension. She kept up the gentle rub, mixing in delicate little scalp scratches, never letting her hands still. Finally, after a very long time, she heard Abby's breathing grow deeper and saw her jaw drop open just a little, and she knew she was asleep.

She spent the next two hours merely observing the sleeping woman, relishing the closeness and the feel of the head in her lap. It was more moving than thrilling - Clancy having bundled away her romantic feelings for the afternoon. She had banished all such thoughts, caring only that she could provide some comfort for a friend who needed a little support.

Even though she had her lust firmly in check, Clancy couldn't hide her love for the gentle creature that she held. Her heart swelled with affection and warmth for the lovely woman, made even lovelier by sleep. When she was fully asleep, Abby's face softened, and the years melted away. She actually looked a good ten years younger, and though part of Abby's appeal was her age, Clancy liked seeing some of the youthful charm back on the beautiful face - if only to remind her that it was still there, just waiting to be tapped.

The blue eyes, now tightly shuttered, moved quickly beneath their lids, Abby obviously deep in a dream. The sun had nearly set, and though both women were dry, the evening breeze was a little cool on Clancy's bare skin. Thinking that Abby might be cold too, she reached as far as she could and just managed to snag a dry towel. She shook it out and laid it lengthwise along Abby's long body, now curled up tight on the chair next to her. Running her hands down the cool skin of the sleeping woman's arm, Clancy let herself enjoy the sensation of being able to calm and soothe her friend, and she decided right then that if this was all they were ever able to share, she would consider herself very lucky. Abby was such a generous, loving soul that Clancy was determined to accept whatever she was able to give - and be completely grateful for it.

By the time Abby stirred, Artemis was lying on the end of her lounge chair, curled up against her legs and providing needed warmth. Athena was lying on Clancy's chair, providing the same for her. Abby let out a small groan and wiped lazily at her eyes. Her eyes shot open after a moment, and she gasped, "Why is it dark?"

"Uhm … science wasn't my best subject, but I think it's because the sun's on the other side of the earth for half of every day."

Summoning up all the energy she could, Abby slapped weakly at Clancy's bare thigh. Her hand lingered there for a moment, then she rotated her head and met the architect's eyes. "You're freezing!"

"No, I'm not," Clancy assured her. "I've got your nice warm head on my lap, and Athena's nice warm body against my shins. There's about six inches of cold skin - your hand just happened to land on it."

Abby rolled over and said, "I don't really believe you, but I'm going to act like I do." She directed a grateful look at her friend and said, "Thank you for this. I haven't felt this cared for in years."

Clancy was still idly playing with the short, stiff hair at the back of Abby's head. "I'm surprised you and Hayley don't trade head rubs."

Shaking her head gently, Abby said, "No, we don't. I still rub her head or give her a backrub when she's having trouble relaxing, but I don't ever ask for one for myself." She looked at Clancy and said, "I'm always cognizant that I'm her mother - I'm here to provide for her not to ask her to do the same."

"Don't you think that changes over time?" Clancy asked. "Didn't it change with your mom?"

Abby stretched languidly, getting out the kinks that her position had created. "Yes, I suppose it started to change when I was in my thirties and has gotten much more pronounced in the last few years," she mused. "I feel more like my mother's friend now. But that comes at a price, too. I would never ask her for a head rub, even though I'm sure she would happily give me one. Our dynamic has changed, and I think we've lost that physical connection for good."

"I guess things have just started to change with my mom and me," Clancy decided. "I suppose Hayley is a little young to think of you as a friend."

"She is," Abby agreed. "She's gonna need a mom for quite a few more years." She groaned and said, "I hope she realizes that." She sat up slowly, then reached down and patted Clancy's warm, sleep-creased thigh. "Thank you again for this. It really helped."

"You're welcome. I know it can be hard being a mom, Abby. I know my mom was at the end of her rope with me many, many times."

"Really?" Abby asked, surprised. "You seem so level-headed."

"Well, I am now, but my mom and I had many tests of will."

"Like?"

"Well, my tattoo is a good example," Clancy said, reflexively rubbing her arm. "I was going to get a nice laurel wreath around my ankle, but my mother forbade me to. So, of course, I had to get a much bigger tattoo in a much more visible place. Thank God I like it, or I'd be kicking myself every time I wore a sleeveless shirt."

Abby reached out and traced one of the small ivy leaves. "I like it, too. It suits you."

Now that Abby was fully awake and exhibiting her more playful side, Clancy allowed her libido to return in full force. Her skin felt hot as the cool digit traced along it - like Abby's finger was a red-hot branding iron. She shivered from the sensation, and Abby read the shiver, but misinterpreted it. "You're getting chilled. Let's go inside."

Following meekly along, Clancy stood in the kitchen feeling a little uncomfortable. She was still in her swimsuit, and the T-shirt didn't quite cover her. The air conditioner had been on and the house was very cool, making Clancy's nipples pop out. Abby gave her a quick glance and said, "Let me get you something to put on. We can put your clothes into the washer so you can bear to put them on again."

"Are you sure?" Clancy asked. "I don't want to put you out."

"How is doing a tiny load of laundry going to put me out? Now hand 'em over."

"I just thought you might have something you'd rather do this evening," Clancy persisted.

"If you weren't here, I'd probably lie on the couch and watch TV," she said. "Having you here is very nice." She gazed at her for a second and quickly added, "But if you're ready to go home …"

"No. I'd much rather stay here with you. I really enjoy your company, Abby."

"I do, too," Abby smiled warmly. "Now give me your clothes, and we can have a nice evening doing laundry together."

The pair watched a DVD while Clancy's clothes were in the washer. Neither woman talked much, but Clancy was hyper-alert for any more clues as to how Abby felt about her. She didn't learn much, to her displeasure, because Abby was her usual self: upbeat, witty, polite, and very hard to read.

When the clothes were in the dryer, the architect recalled that she'd forgotten to share some news with her client. "I got a good lead on some well-worn boulders and rocks not far from the Merced River," she announced. "It'll take about four hours to get there, but driving is the only way to go since it's three hours from the closest airport. Do you still want to take a road-trip?"

"What's your feeling about this? I don't mind going, but I really don't want to waste that long in the car if these aren't what we're looking for."

Giving her a long look, Clancy said, "I think we'll like them, but I can't be sure until I see 'em. Tell you what - I'll drive up this Saturday. If I like 'em, I'll take some pictures. Then you can decide."

"No, no, we decided to make this into a little getaway. I still want to do that. Would we go up and back in the same day?"

"Well, we could. How do you feel about eight hours in the car?"

"Not very good. Are there any nice places to stay?"

"Nice? I doubt it. Rustic, bucolic, pastoral - I might be able to arrange."

"Rustic, huh?" Abby asked speculatively. "Oh, what the hell. It's not like my social calendar is so full. Could we go next Saturday morning?"

"Yeah. That could work out great. I'll make the arrangements."

"Find us someplace nice if possible," Abby said. "A roaring fire, a big, redwood hot-tub. We might as well mix as much fun in as we can, right?"

Clancy almost had to pinch herself to stop her mind's eye from dwelling on an image of Abby, completely naked, playing footsie with her in a big, bubbling hot-tub, a sky full of twinkling stars forming a canopy over their heads. "Right," she said. "Fun is definitely on the agenda."