DISCLAIMERS: in Part 1

Hidden Desires, Part 14

©2002 -Vertigo-

Cayden blew past Jodie and Wade, shouldering her way through the shop. "Of all the stupid..." she grumbled to herself, grabbing a beer on the way out.

Wade took the dog from Jodie, he knew the waitress was going to go after her friend. He looked nervously towards the store room, wanting to go inside, but afraid of what he might find.

***************** "Cayden! Wait up!" Jodie yelled after her tall, fast moving friend.

"Jo, leave me alone."

The tone of Cayden's voice should have warned her off, but this is Jodie, she simply picked up speed and caught Cayden by the arm as she was about to cross the street. "What the hell happened?" she asked, catching her breath.

"You saw what happened." Cayden said bitterly, pulling her arm back.

"And do you always run out on women in the middle of a tongue dance?"

"Jo... that should never have happened." The tall woman said angrily.

"Why not?" Jodie moved Cayden away from the street, and led her to a wall to lean on. Her tall friend had a few too many and she didn't want her getting hurt.

"Because.... it's Brooke for god's sake!"

"Oh, that makes sense." The waitress said rolling her eyes.

Cayden growled in frustration. "You just don't understand."

"So, explain. Is it that she's hotter than hell? Or maybe it's her incredible tits. Oh, I know, its her absolutely edible ass. That's the big turn off."

"Fuck you, Jo. You just don't know." Cayden snarled, walking away.

"No, apparently I don't, and you're no help at all." Jodie turned to walk away then paused. "You know Cayden, if you don't start changing your ways, you will be that mean old spinster lady with 37 cats."

Cayden kept walking.

"Fuck." Jodie stomped her foot in anger and frustration. "Cayden!" she yelled, "At least take a cab!" But Cayden kept walking. Jodie cursed briefly and turned back towards the store. "What is she so freaking afraid of?"

**************************

Wade approached the door cautiously, and tapped lightly.

"Come in?" Brooke said hesitantly.

"Hey, I think this belongs..." Wade looked around and found Brooke sitting on the floor. "...to you." he squatted down and handed Fred to her.

"Thanks." Brooke smiled and hugged her dog.

"Uhm... if you don't mind me asking..." Wade raised a curious eyebrow.

"Oh," Brooke chuckled. "Yeah, Cayden sure is something else isn't she? She kissed me, and the next thing I knew..."

Wade offered is hand and she accepted, hoisting herself off of the floor. "So, she was that good, huh?" he joked.

"Even better." Brooke smiled dreamily. "So, you two are close..."

"Yeah. I know her well enough." he said confidently.

"Okay, then, is she always this impossible?"

"Pretty much."

"Great." Brooke said, then furrowed her brows in thought.

Wade watched the small woman curiously. What happened in here? Why isn't she upset? Cayden sure was....

"She's gonna be one tough nut to crack, but damn, I'd do anything for another one of those kisses."

Wade's eyebrows flew up. "OOO! Determination! I like that in a lesbian!"

"Well, yeah. If I could just convince Cayden of that little detail." She frowned.

"Oh." Wade understood. "It ain't gonna be easy, but she'll eventually come around. I'm sure you'll leave her no doubts."

"I thought I pretty much left her no doubts tonight, but I was wrong."

"Maybe you were too subtle?" he offered

"Subtle?" Brooke snorted. "I was about as subtle as a Mack truck!"

Wade snickered. "Maybe she wasn't thinking clearly, she had a few beers..."

"That's the thing Wade, she knew exactly what she wanted. My bra nearly burst into flames." Brooke said waving at her chest.

He laughed. "Then you got me." Wade shrugged, not knowing what else to say. "Those tits even enticed me."

"Yeah, she's fighting it. I don't know what she's running away from, but I'll find out. I'll haunt her if I have to. I've never felt like this about anyone before and I'm under the impression that she's just a wee bit attracted to me too." Cayden's sultry groan rang in her ears. "Oh yeah." she said with a hard swallow.

"She sure rocked your world, didn't she?" Wade smirked.

Brooke fanned herself. "I didn't expect it at all. She just kissed me out of the blue... it was like nothing I ever experienced, not in my wildest dreams, and believe me, my dreams are pretty wild." She said, then blushed.

Wade smiled. "Oh, do tell." he urged.

"I felt it everywhere. God, it was incredible, her neck smells so good." She said recalling the musky scent.

"Oh wow! You're in big trouble Brooke." Wade warned.

"What on earth gave you that idea?" Brooke replied sarcastically.

"No I mean it. You're in love... with possible the most hard-headed, obnoxious, impossible, temperamental..."

"Enough, I get the picture." Brooke frowned. "What do you suggest I do?"

"I really don't know." he said sadly. "But, you just give me time. I'll think of something." He added deviously. "So, tell me all about these dreams..."

*******************

Cayden was so confused that she had to stop walking and just think. She leaned against the traffic light and finished her beer, then threw it in the trash can. She took a deep breath and looked around. The train station is right up that block, she pointed out to herself. I can be in bed in half an hour.ĘShe started walking with a purpose towards the train station and groaned out loud, she could practically feel Brooke's tits smashed up against her. No... don't think. Just walk. A few steps later, Cayden's lips recalled what it felt like to be engulfed by Brooke's and she immediately started to breathe heavily, her heart pounding furiously. Oh no... go away. She ordered the sensation. Not tonight, I want nothing for tonight. In fact... She took a detour into an all night deli and bought a six pack. I don't want to think at all tonight.

**********************

Brooke walked home slowly, cradling Fred in the crook of her arm, and absently fingering the business card she took on her way out. She wore a devious expression, already thinking up ways to corner the tall sexy woman again. This night took her completely by surprise, she hadn't expected it at all. Of all the scenarios she imagined, sucking on Cayden's neck certainly wasn't in any of them. She hummed happily at the memory, her lips recalling the sensation of Cayden's soft skin. Oh, she wants me alright. I just have to convince her that I'm not playing games. This is not an experiment. I want her. She closed her eyes to savor the feeling of Cayden's tongue sliding against her own. She groaned, shuddered and licked her lips with the memory. "Oh yes, Cayden Riley, I want you. I don't know what demons you are fighting, but I'll find out."

**********************

Mr. Hewitt muted the television when he heard Brooke close the front door. He shared a concerned expression with his wife.

"Hi." Brooke said as she headed for her bedroom.

Harriet looked surprised. "Brooke?"

"Mom?"

"Honey, is everything ok? You've only been gone an hour."

"Yeah," she said from her room.

The older woman shrugged at her husband and got up to follow Brooke. She stood by the closed bedroom door as she spoke. "Sweetheart, what happened?"

"Oh mom!" the door flew open and Brooke stood there in her pajamas looking as if she may explode.

Harriet instantly shared the excitement as she ran over to Brooke's bed. "Tell me!" she insisted "What did you say? What did she say? What happened when she saw you? Was she surprised?"

"Floored."

"I knew that would work!"

"No, you see, she didn't invite me." Brooke said with a wry grin.

"What?" Harriet was confused.

"Let me get a drink and I'll explain."

***************

Bert watched with a great deal of curiosity as his daughter passed back and forth through the room with his wife an inch behind her.

********************

"So?" Harriet asked impatiently.

Brooke drank some water. "You see, according to Cayden, she wouldn't invite me to her party if I was the last woman on earth."

"Oh my! Honey!"

"She's full of hot air, ma, she wants me." Brooke said with a chuckle.

"Well if you ask me, she sounds pretty rude!"

"You know, that'll happen when my mother plays Bond right after my boyfriend threatens her. She's a little skittish. I can work around it." Brooke smiled slyly.

"Sorry. I just had to see her for myself." Harriet confessed with a guilty pout.

"Never mind that. It got me in a bit of trouble, but somehow, trouble seems to work for me."

"What does that mean?"

"She was so pissed off! Wow, she was yelling at me, I was trying to confess and she kept yelling. Suddenly she got all sexy and droopy and I could hardly breathe. Then she kissed me."

"She did? She kissed you? In the middle of yelling?" Harriet smiled to herself, she knew they had passion, but she wasn't sure she liked how Cayden was treating her daughter.

"She stopped yelling as soon as I confessed. Then, she got all syrupy and kept getting closer and closer. By that time, I was babbling like an idiot and she kissed me."

"Was it good?" She just had to know.

"Spectacular. I made her do it again."

"Brooke! I thought you'd be the woman."

Brooke laughed. "Its not like that ma. Not all female couples are stereotypical." Brooke smiled proudly at her knowledge of lesbians, thanks to her long talks with Bev. "She's a bit butch, I'll give you that, but not masculine. In fact, aside form the initial kiss, I was pretty much the aggressor."

"You were?" Harriet was shocked. Brooke had been so submissive with Grant, that she forgot all about her daughter's stubborn streak. She chuckled at her daughter's admission of aggression. Wait a minute, just what did she instigate? "There was more than a kiss?" Harriet wondered what Brooke meant.

"No, not really." The blonde blushed.

"I don't want to know that anyway." Mrs. Hewitt picked at her dress nervously. "So, what happens now? Do you date? Does she call you?"

"Well, there's a little problem. She's confused about what happened. She insists that I'm straight, she freaked out a bit over everything." Brooke said with her brows furrowed.

"Honey, I'm sorry. I know how much you like her." Mrs. Hewitt said sweetly, rubbing her daughters back for comfort, but secretly relieved that Brooke wouldn't be chasing after this problematic woman.

"No, it's okay. I can work around that. She had a few beers, she was a little tipsy, She may not have been thinking clearly."

Harriet frowned. "It sounds to me like your making excuses for her."

"That's because I am. I know she probably thinks this is some sort of straight girl conquest, an experiment. Bev said it may happen and I half expected it, but not so soon. I figured all I was going to do tonight was see if she was attracted to me, if she was, I would take it from there. I certainly didn't expect what happened. I'm guessing she didn't either."

Like it or not, Brooke was going to do this and Harriet promised her support. "Well, you got your answer, she is attracted to you." The older woman thought a second before voicing her concern. "Brooke, are you sure pursuing this is wise?"

"Absolutely not. I'm not sure of anything right now except I have to kiss her again. I don't care what I have to do."

"Think about it sweetheart. I don't want you getting hurt and there's great potential for that here. Can we at least meet her first?"

"Oh no. I'm not letting daddy anywhere near her."

"You'll never be able to pull that off. He'll go and find her himself."

"NO! Please! I'm in enough trouble already. Let me work on her a little. I'll get her here eventually."

****************

By the time Wade and Jodie cleaned, closed up the shop and parted ways it was pretty late. Wade got home, fully expecting a Cayden-sized tantrum, instead, he was surprised to find her asleep on the couch. Squinting in the dark, he noticed she was fully clothed. Shaking his head in disbelief, he decided to take off her boots and when he neared the couch, tripped over empty beer bottles. "Fucking Cayden, you're gonna feel that in the morning," he said, puling off her boot,. While working on the second one, Cayden squirmed and groaned loudly. Fearing a puke, he quickly turned her onto her side, where she groaned again and reached out for something.

"Brooke..."

Wade chuckled. "You are so fucked my big, stupid, friend."

**********************

Jodie was happily ensconced in her role as shopkeeper. She arranged everything on the shelves perfectly, windexed the hell out of the windows and shelves and even faced all the money in the register the same way. It was pushing noon and she was getting hungry, and wondered where Cayden was. The last she heard from her, the tall woman was getting into the shower. Recalling the quiet, hoarse voice Cayden used made her wince. Her usually cranky friend was hung over, and probably felt miserable. Cayden was going to be a world of fun. However, the brunette never let anyone know when she was sick, she hated to appear weak. Jodie figured she'd tiptoe lightly into the shop and pretend everything was okay, even if she was dying. Wade told her how he found Cayden passed out on the couch with visions of Brooke dancing in her head. If memory served her right, the last time Jodie fell asleep on that couch, her neck hurt her for a week. Yep, she's gonna be a pit bull, a very quiet pit bull. Jodie snickered to herself, thinking about maybe taking advantage of the situation.

**************

Cayden was absolutely certain that her eyeballs were throbbing, she could feel it clearly when she closed her eyes. The subway ride was longer than it ever was. She kept both hands on the strap, positive that the engineer was taunting her personally with his jerkier than usual braking. At her stop, she stumbled off of the train and forewent the urge to lay on the bench and nap. She'd wind up without her shoes, or worse, when she woke up and that would make her angry, and then for sure, her eyeballs would explode. It would be embarrassing at the very least.

The tall woman followed her nose up the stairs and onto the street where the coffee cart was calling to her. She bought the largest cup possible and prepared herself to face Jodie with a slight jerk of her chin. She would have stood taller and thrust out her chin, but she didn't have the strength.

******************

Jodie looked up at the bell tinkling and tried to conceal her mirth as Cayden took two steps, tripped over her own feet and made a show of inspecting at the spot on the floor.

"Stupid carpet"

"Yeah, I just hate when it jumps up and bites my ankle."

Cayden almost wasted good energy on a glare, but realized Jodie wouldn't get the full effect until she took off her sunglasses, and that may not happen for a week.

"So, did you puke?" Jodie asked cheerfully.

"No." Cayden sat down carefully.

"Oh," Jodie said, amused by her friends apparent hangover.

"You sound disappointed." the shopkeeper barely whispered into her coffee cup.

"Nah, just smug." The waitress began lightly rubbing Cayden's shoulders.

"Oh Jo..."

"There, there, I'll make it all better." Jodie hummed softly.

Cayden tried to narrow her eyes but they kept going and closed. "What are you doing?" she asked nervously.

"Just making my friend feel better," Jo replied innocently.

Cayden slunk away from Jodie's hands. "There's an agenda. There always is," she said skeptically.

"Well, now that you mention Brooke."

Cayden moaned. "Now, I may just puke."

"What happened last night?"

"We kissed, that's it." Cayden said, feigning exaspiration.

"There's more. Kissing shouldn't have been so damned traumatic that you had to drink yourself into a stupor."

Cayden rolled her eyes,"Ow." It hurt. "I really don't feel like talking about the "B" word right now."

"Oh no, you are completely at my mercy. I'm not letting this opportunity pass. Drink that coffee and talk to me."

"Jo..." Cayden groaned. "My head is splitting. Please." she begged.

Jodie stood over her friend and breathed on the top of her head, "No visible fissures. I think you're safe for now."

Cayden swivelled her chair so her back was facing Jodie.

"Brooke, kissing, spill it."

"Sounds like a good idea, maybe I will puke."

Jodie turned the chair back to face her and straddled Cayden's lap. "Talk to me stud. Did you know that Brooke lost the ability to walk, you wild woman?"

Cayden couldn't help the corner of her mouth from lifting.

"Miracle lips, sizzle kiss, magic tongue."

"Okay, I get the hint Jo, Jeez."

"Is that a blush?" Jodie inspected Cayden's cheek. "You have a clogged pore, lemme squeeze it?"

"God Jo, you're gross. No." She attempted to buck her hips, which took all of her strength. "You wanna get off?"

"Ooo, it starts with a kiss in the store room and now she thinks everyone wants her. Sure, what did you have in mind, sweet lips?"

"My lap, get off my lap." The tall woman sighed heavily. "Jo, I'm hung over." she finally admitted.

"No shit." the waitress climbed off. "It will be much less painful if you whisper but you will talk."

Cayden closed her throbbing eyes and sighed out a groan of defeat. "Okay, what do you want to know?"

"Goody!" Jodie clapped her hands and laughed maniacally until she saw her friend practically fold herself into a ball. "OOo, shh... sorry," she whispered. "So, how'd it start? What happened afterwards? Did you touch her ass?"

Jodie had already heard Brooke's side of the story from Wade, but she really wanted Cayden's version.

The brunette squirmed uncomfortably. "We were yelling. No, actually, first she was yelling, then I was yelling, then her tits provoked me, then her lips..." Cayden drank some coffee and purred as it went down. "Before I knew it, I was kissing her. it was like I had no control over myself. I tried to stop, but she made me come back. Did you know she has freckles on her nose?" Cayden's head fell heavily onto the back of the chair, she was exhausted.

"You're in love with Brooke." Jodie stated.

The tall woman's stomach flipped. "Okay, now I really am gonna heave."

"Admit it. Its so freaking obvious, you two are made for each other. You want her. I can see it now. Brooke and Cayden, I now pronounce you bitter, cranky, mean head and wife."

"No, Jo, I mean it, I'm gonna puke."

"No you won't, you'll never do that here in front of me. Admit it, you love her."

"I do not, you're being ridiculous. Insane!"

"Then you very much like her." Jodie tried with a smirk.

"I hate her."

"I knew it! Woohoo!"

The tall woman groaned and slumped her shoulders. "I don't know what I feel."

********************

Jodie continued to prod and annoy Cayden until she did, indeed, throw up. Feeling really awful about it, she sent Cayden home in a cab, with the shop keeper complaining about a waste of perfectly good caffeine. Immediately after Cayden left, Jodie called Wade, they had a lot to talk about.

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