Title: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant - The First Noel

Author: Carla

Email: cmfloresfd@yahoo.com

Part Seventeen

Week Nine: Monday – 12:30 PM
Kennedy HS – Cafeteria

"Hey Nic I have a favor – two favors actually – to ask of you." Brooke McQueen slid into the seat next to Nicole.

"Shoot"

"Cover for me tonight, with the `rents I'm gonna tell them that I'm staying over at your house."

"They watching you like hawks again?"

"You'd swear I was a child molester the way they watch me."

"No Brooke, they just don't want you – their child - to have sex. Certainly after your last fiasco, I can't blame them."

"Granted but I took the medication the doctor prescribed and I've had a clean bill of health since"

"That's not the point Brooke"

"Don't you dare lecture me, I could look around this room and point out at least a dozen guys you've fucked. You've slept with how many men, Nicole? Don't you dare lecture me…Tell me does you `friend', the one you made the promise to, know about all the men you've been with?"

"Yes. All I was saying Brooke is that they worry about you, about your health and you can't blame them for that. You said you had another favor to ask."

"I need some tutoring in math."

"Fine sure yeah no problem when?"

"Whenever you want but I need to start ASAP"

"Mondays work best for me, how about after school today at my house. Then you can stay the night or not as you choose."

"Great, thanks Nic I owe you, big."

"First Rule of Best Friendship: Cover"

"Want to go out with me tonight?"

"Where to?"

"Wet"

"Hmmm… sure I've been wanting to go there anyway."

They stood up, picking up their lunch trays as they did so. As they walked past the table where Sam, Lily and Carmen sat eating lunch and talking, Nicole caught her girlfriend's eye and slyly winked.

"You know what Brooke, I was thinking why don't we start the tutoring Wednesday after practice. I just remembered that I have dinner plans. Tell Mike and Jane I'm tutoring you at my house tonight and that you'll stay the night then we'll go out."

"Works for me. So dinner with your `friend' huh?"

"Yeah" Nicole felt a tingle of excitement at the thought of dinner with Carmen that night, they were going to make lasagna.

"I take it things are going well then?"

"Things are fine" Nicole tried to keep her tone of voice as bland as possible.

"Invite him"

"I thought tonight was just the two of us?"

"Oh okay if you want sure" ((I guess maybe things aren't fine)) "What time should I expect you?"

"I'll meet you at the club say around 11:00"

"Okay"

Carmen's Apartment – 7:30 PM

They had made the lasagna as planned, Carmen showing Nicole how to use a knife to dice an onion evenly and explaining what she was doing as she went along. Dinner over they began to clear the table.

"So you're okay with me going out with Brooke tonight, right?"

"Yeah of course, I trust you Nicole. Go have a good time. Do you think you'll come back here?"

"It depends on Brooke really. If she changes her mind and wants to go home then, Yes I'll come back. However, if she wants to stay the night then, No."

"I meant to tell you, I found someone to cover for me Saturday but I could only get someone to switch with me for Sunday which means I have to be here by 4:00 PM to start the dinner shift."

"We could leave Friday right after school, unless you're up to playing hooky then we could leave Thursday when you're done with work."

"We could do that"

"Good then it's settled we'll leave Thursday night and we'll come back in time for you to work"

"Wash or dry?" Carmen indicated the sink full of plates, pots and pans.

"Dry"

"Try to come home"

"I'll call you if I can't"

"When are you meeting up with Brooke?"

"Eleven…I should probably leave here in about an hour so I have enough time to shower and get dressed"

"Never mind the dishes then" Carmen wrapped her arms around the shorter girl "Come to bed"

Part Eighteen

A/N: Someone, Mel I think, asked for smut. Hopefully they will settle for smut lite.

Week Nine: Friday – 10:00 AM

Nicole woke up to the feel of warm soft lips kissing her shoulder, the soft rasp of Carmen's tongue, as she tasted the salt of Nicole's skin. She could feel Carmen behind her as she moved closer, slipping an arm around Nicole's waist so that she could trace lazy circles on the taut tone stomach under her palm.

"Hmmm good morning"

"Good morning indeed"

"What a nice way to wake up" the blonde cheerleader stretched making sure to arch into the warmth behind her. "How long have you been up?"

"About an hour maybe a little less" Carmen continued kissing her way across tanned shoulders as she talked "I love you, love waking up next to you, love watching you sleep, love holding you in my arms like this." Full red lips closed over Nicole's earlobe gently sucking. "The way you smell, the feel of your skin under my hands" at this, Carmen slipped her hand under Nicole's sleeping shirt. Her voice thick, low pitched with desire caught as her fingertips grazed the underside of Nicole's breast "Warm, soft like silk…turn over"

Nicole turned in the brunette's embrace till she was on her back Carmen above her. She reached up linking her hands behind Carmen's neck pulling her down for a kiss. Their tongues battled as Carmen nudged her lover's legs apart with her knee; Nicole moaning as Carmen's thigh slid between her own applying pressure to the blonde's aching core. It felt like Carmen's hands were everywhere on Nicole's body, her touch like fire on the blonde's skin. They broke apart panting, the bigger girl sitting back on her heels, her hands tugged at the hem of the blonde's shirt.

"Take your shirt off"

Nicole rose up slightly so that Carmen could pull the shirt over her head "I want to see you too"

"You are so perfect" it was a reverent whisper.

Small hands reached up, unbuttoned Carmen's sleeping shirt, pushed it off of her shoulders and then slid down the panting brunette's chest to cup her breasts.

"Touch me" Carmen groaned reaching out to graze her fingertips over the blonde's aching hard nipples eliciting a deep throaty moan from the girl beneath her.

"Ohhhh"

"So beautiful…you are so beautiful" Nicole's eyes closed in pleasure as Carmen bent over her. Ebon hair brushed the blonde's abdomen as Carmen rained kisses on Nicole's breast. "Is this okay?"

"Yessss" Nicole arched her back offering more of herself to her lover. "God yes"

The phone rang as Carmen drew one erect nipple into her mouth she stiffened. Nicole gasped out "Ignore that" and the brunette resumed sucking gently, her tongue circling the erect pebbled nub.

** RING **

Nicole lightly ran her nails down Carmen's back stopping at the waistband of the boxers the brunette had slept in.

"Please?"

** RING **

Carmen released Nicole's breast with a small pop.

"Yes"

** RING **

Small hands slid further down. Clasping the rich flesh of the other girl's hips, Nicole thrust her own hips upward.

"You feel so good"

** RING **

They kissed deeply as their bodies moved together, hips grinding into each other.

** Click **

"Nicole this is your mother. I know you're there. I will be upstairs in approximately 5 minutes I would appreciate it if you could have whomever is warming your bed gone by then."

** Click **

"Shit"

"Oh God"

"Shit…look let me get dressed. I'll try to get rid of her ASAP."

"How'd she know you were here?"

"Fuck if I know"

"Should I leave?"

"No! Stay" Nicole zipped her jeans.

"Well she said…"

"It'll never occur to her. Trust me. Why don't you go shower? Come out when you're done."

The doorbell chimed softly.

"She's here" Nicole gave Carmen a quick peck on the cheek "Remember join us when you're done. Wear that black shirt, the one with the V-neck."

The doorbell chimed once again.

"Go. You don't want her to get mad"

Part Nineteen

Week Ten: Sunday – 5:00 PM
Julian Mansion – Nicole's Room

Nicole's Journal

We had a wonderful weekend in spite of mother's unexpected visit. I could have killed her though. She seemed to sense that something was up though. The look of relief on her face when Carm came out of the bedroom was priceless. She's funny that way…on the one hand she actively encourages me to flirt and string guys along, hell sleep with them even, if it gets me or her to point A from point B, but then she doesn't want to be faced with it. It never even occurred to her that Carmen is the person who was sharing my bed, who I was almost FINALLY having sex with. Not sex, making love to / with.

I've never made love before and if those twenty minutes of making out and heavy petting are any indication of what it will be like to be with her then WOW. Wow. Wow. Wow. God everything about her turns me on, her voice, her touch the feel of her skin on mine. Her mouth on my breast…I thought I would die I was so excited, my heart was pounding so hard she had to have heard it even over all the noise I was making and the phone ringing. I knew it would be like that better than I imagined even. I can feel myself getting wet just thinking about it. I wish I could stay with her tonight but good old mom wants to `bond' some more, she actually used that exact word.

God how could she have shown up like that, the first time in four years she tries to have a mother daughter bonding moment and it's at the worst possible time, ever. Something's up with her I know it but I'm not sure just what it is. No doubt I will find out over dinner this evening. I just hope it doesn't involve some guy and his raving hormones. Or me having to go away for Christmas that wouldn't be good either I need to stay in town for the semester break.

I had hoped to pick up where we left off but NO. Mom had a meeting in the afternoon and then that was it for the weekend so she just decided to hang out with us. She was pretty nice to Carmen, though she pissed me off with the whole `you have such a pretty face' crap. I know she didn't mean to but now Carmen's all completely down on herself again. I hate that she feels that way. I hate that I helped make her feel that way before. God how cruel was I? I am lucky she even looks twice at me much less actually want to be with me. How did I get so lucky?

Maybe I can get out of here after dinner. I need to be with her. I need her touch, the feel of her hand in mine as I fall asleep. I need to wrap my arms around her in the middle of the night and I need to wake up to her kiss. I need to go home to her.

** KNOCK KNOCK **

"Yes"

Your mother wishes to speak with you Miss Nicole"

"Thank you. Please tell her I shall be there shortly" she resumed writing in her journal.

It scares me how much I need her. Even scarier is how much I want her to need me.

Week Ten: Monday – 12:15 AM

Nicole eased the front door open, slipped inside and tried to close the door as quietly as possible.

"Nikki…" Carmen called out "is that you?"

"Sorry. I tried to be quiet."

"No it's okay. I couldn't sleep really. I was hoping you would come home."

"Everything okay?"

"It will be as soon as you come to bed"

"Let me change"

"How did it go with your mom?"

"Well she may have inadvertently solved the whole `you need an escort for society functions' issue, which apparently she expects me to attend more of in the upcoming year."

"Great. You'll love that I'm sure"

"Yeah well…in less than two years I start getting a monthly stipend from Nana's trust and then I won't be dependent on my mother's money. In the meantime I can make nice. Anyway this guy is the ticket I tell you…Timothy Heath Anderton IV. Funny, gorgeous, well read, good conversationalist and into blonde men in chauffeurs uniforms. He let that last one slip in the first half an hour. Seems he didn't want to be there either and he wanted to be clear on where things stood in case I thought that this was supposed to be something else."

"Funny" Carmen lifted the sheet so that Nicole could slide into bed. Nicole did so, snuggling up to the brunette as she lay her head in the crook of her lover's shoulder.

"Yeah. I liked him. It was the best time I've had at one of these things in a long, long time. I volunteered to be his beard and he volunteered to cover for me if ever I needed to go on a `illicit rendezvous' as he put it."

"Did you tell him about us?"

"No, but I might soon. With the holiday season coming up and the New Year there are always the sort of parties our parents expect us to show up for. With appropriate escort. At least with him I don't have to worry about offending some junior grade Romeo whose Daddy does business with my mother."

"I'm glad you came home to me"

"I told you I would if I could"

Silence.

Nicole kissed and nuzzled the side of Carmen's neck. She bit down slightly on the carotid pulse point feeling the strong steady beat with the flat of her tongue as Carmen ran her fingers through Nicole's hair.

Silence.

"I had a wonderful weekend, thank you for taking me to the opera"

"Your welcome. I had a great time too. I'm sorry about my mother…"

"Shhh…she wasn't so bad"

"I'm sorry about what she said"

"About what…me needing to lose weight?"

"Yeah"

"Do you think I need to?"

"No…do you want to?"

"I don't know"

"I think you're the most amazing, most beautiful woman in the world."

"You do?" insecurity crept into Carmen's voice.

"I SO do"

"I love you, you know that?"

"I do. Really I do."

Part Twenty

Week Ten: Wednesday– 3:00 PM
Nicole's Bedroom

"Thanks for doing this Nic. I owe you big time."

"Not a problem. You want anything to drink, a snack maybe before we start?"

"Some soda would be great"

"Okay I'll be right back. Why don't you start going over the material, figure out what you really need help with?"

Alone in Nicole's room, Brooke took the opportunity to look around. As usual the room was neat and ordered, there were some new magazines on the desk and Brooke rifled through them. (( Newsweek, Time, Entertainment Weekly, Vogue, Elle, Cosmo, The New Republic …I don't get her sometimes. Oh what have we here…These must be pictures from that party her mom had Sunday night. ))

"What are you looking at?" Brooke whirled around at the sound of Nicole's voice.

"Jesus Nic you scared me. I was checking out the magazines and I found these pictures. The guy with you, is he the new man in your life?" Brooke held out a photo of Nicole with a guy she had never seen before. "He's hot what's his name?"

"Tim"

"Tim what?"

"Timothy Heath Anderton IV"

"How'd you meet?"

"My mother and his father do business"

"Now how come my father can't fix me up with someone like him, instead of the pathetic losers he usually chooses?"

"I lucked out I guess"

"I'll say…so tell me about him"

"We really should get started Brooke."

"We've got plenty of time."

"Brooke…"

"How old is he? Where does he go to school?"

"He's 20 and he's a junior at Claremont College. Now can we get down to business here?"

"So how is he?"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh c'mon you know perfectly well what I'm getting at…is he as good in bed as he looks?"

"I'm not going to dignify that with an answer"

"So he is!" Brooke crowed with delight as Nicole scowled at her.

"I wouldn't know"

Brooke stopped.

"You're kidding right?"

"No I'm not"

"Is he some sort of religious freak or is it something else?"

"He's a gentleman is what he is"

"What is that some sort of new slang for `he's gay'?"

"No it means we talk about books, music, current events things like that. Now I'm not going to talk about it any more. It's between me and him." Nicole snapped out. "End of story"

(( Oh God. I don't want to lie to her. I guess I haven't really. I mean we did do that on Sunday and technically he `is' the newest man in my life. Please God let her drop this. ))

"Fine…fine. Sorry"

(( Thank you God ))

Nicole's Journal

Crap I so didn't want to have that conversation. I panicked though. I could have told her, sure sometimes she's shallow, who isn't, but she is a genuinely sweet person. She cares about me and loves me. She would be okay with it. But I just couldn't. How do I explain about Carmen in light of how I've been in the past? I just want to put it all behind me. High school can't end fast enough for me.

I feel trapped in this persona I've created for school and the only two people who know differently are Brooke and Carmen. Of the two of them, Carmen is the one who truly knows me, understands me. God she so gets me, all of me and she accepts me for who I am. She makes me feel safe, safe enough to show her everything about me. I trust her to take care of me. I love her so much I just want to shout it out loud for the whole world to hear.

So why didn't I say anything to Brooke? In part because I'm scared I mean I'm sure Brooke would be fine with it, but what if she isn't? What if she isn't and she tells the whole school. Things would get back to my mother and then I really am up shit's creek without the proverbial paddle. And as much as I think Carmen's efficiency unit is cute I'd die if I had to actually live there all the time. I like the life I have now. I'm not ashamed to admit that I like money I like it a lot. Mother would cut me off in an instant, either that or send me away.

God why does it have to be so complicated?