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*** The cafe #1***
….... Then another little bing of the door opening and yet another tall woman. Five foot eleven or so, some kind of reddish brownish brunetteish hair. She, like a bunch of other women, were tag teaming it, always three or four at a time. This one was different, she had something about her that was alluring, and elegant and classy.
Jessica felt a look upon her from somewhere, woman's intuition. It happened a lot, people always looked at the pretty girl in the room.
Lets see who it is ? Girl or not a girl ? Smiling a little she panned her head around and caught the gaze of a fairly good looking man in the corner, one of her favorite spots under the picture of the girl outside a french cafe. Jessica didn't really like guys, but he seemed nice, but protocol, a few moments glance, and look away, make them work for it.
Jessica had studied a lot about modeling, how women should act in public, the right way to sit, walk, present themselves. She loved fashion and Coco-Chanel, Audrey Hepburn movies. Jessica was the quintessential girl out of place in southern Georgia.
She finally got to order her coffee, a white chocolate mocha, then the mandatory three minutes wait on the squish squish machine thingy making all the funny coffee noises.
“Yummy !” she tasted the coffee through a straw so her lipstick didn't get distressed, “Be there in a minute,” she said to her work colleagues and decided to walk over to the man who had taken such as interest in her.
Joe got a little nervous for some reason, the woman was heading his way, and with a purpose in her walk.
Jessica stopped two feet in front of Joe while looking up at the painting.
Without looking down, “You're in my chair,” Jessica said nonchalantly. Then still smiling a little, looked down at Joe.
“Didn't know you owned this chair ? Would you like it ?” Joe said innocently and went to get himself up.
Jessica gently waved her left hand gracefully, “No, that's fine, you can borrow it - For now.”
“You must come here a lot then ?” Joe asked.
“Yes I do, You do not,” she said bluntly but with a smile still.
“How you figure that ?”
“You don't dress local, I have never seen you, you only drink regular coffee, not the specialty ones they do here, and you for some reason have a bunch of empty cups in the trash, you're waiting for something or someone.” Now Jessica was suspicious.
Joe grinned, she 'made' him. He looked down a little and licked his lips before looking back up, “Ya got me.” Joe didn't suspect her at all for some reason, she was too calm for someone that would likely be wanting a low profile, even if she did want coffee.
“What do you do ? Insurance, car salesman or a cop ?”
“HAHA ! Joe laughed, then nodded, “Got me again hun, cop, detective, big apple.”
Jessica maintained her composure, she had an inkling, so had prepared for it.
She deliberately paused to make him talk first.
“You come here everyday ?” Joe asked generally interested in the answer.
“No. Just Monday and Friday.”
“Oh, so not going to see you tomorrow huh ?' Joe smiled a little with disappointment.
Jessica had to think fast, she needed to know why a cop from New York was in her cafe.
“Yes. I'll be here.” She decided Joe needed a carrot, why would a potential suspect willingly come back to the spiders web.
“We're leaving and so is your ride girl,” Called out one of her friends at the door.
Jessica smiled at Joe and turned for the door, she won that round, assuming he was the enemy.
Joe looked down at the carpet with a little smile on his face, then in the spur of the moment decided he'd throw for the end zone from the 40, He looked up at Jessica leaving and raised his voice a little, “What did you say your name was ? Didn't tell me what you did for work ? Doctor maybe ?” Joe threw the hail Mary pass, would the receiver catch it ?
Jessica didn't turn, just kept on walking for the now open door, then without looking back, “I didn't. It's also not Hun.”
She paused a moment while holding the door open for herself.
“Stripper.” She smiled to herself.
*** Cafe #2 ***
It was still a sunny day, so she decided to wear an outfit that was a little more revealing than the previous days. She wanted Joe to be off guard and focused on her, the girl, not her the potential suspect. She knew most men focused on everything from the neck down, likely Joe would be the same. The best she could find that was sexy but not obviously sexy was her red satin deep cut halter top that had built in bra cups and a white very above the knee ruched chiffon skirt. Shoe's, she figured Joe wouldn't get that far, so cute white sandals that were comfortable would be totally fine.
Jessica got her game face on and entered the door of the cafe and looked around. As she guessed, Joe was sitting under the same picture of the girl drinking coffee.
Joe noticed her and smiled. Jessica smiled back, it wasn't forced, neither it seemed was Joe's. She thought it felt funny that their meeting or at least eye contact was comfortable, just the fact that Joe was a he and not a her. Weird. Jessica paused for just a moment and shook it off and walked over and sat down in front of Joe in the spare arm chair. Making sure that in the process he saw enough leg and cleavage by total accident that she could almost feel his internal temperature rise a few degrees.
“Hello, not Hun.” Joe joked from their last encounter.
“Jessica.” She revealed softly.
“You are ? Officer Dibble ?” She smiled remembering a cartoon from the 1960s.
Joe smiled, “Well, I was a beat cop for sure, now a detective, but I am looking for a cat in a way.”
“Really ? New York would send a detective all the way out here to find a cat lost in a tree.”
Joe laughed a little, “No, a woman. You probably saw on television the attempt on the Presidents life ?”
“Oh, I read about it, I don't watch the news much, too depressing.”
“Hear ya.” Joe replied nodding.
“So you are here in town looking for that someone then ?” Jessica casually asked.
“We are, we have a task force nearby.”
“Considering the hammering you gave me for not getting the special coffee here, it sounds like you are questioning me ?” Joe gave her a straight and serious look.
Jessica was for a moment locked in thought at how to respond.
Joe cracked a smile again, “Who's got ya now !”, he laughed. Jessica smiled back but was thinking other words about Joe's prank.
Jessica looked around at one of the girls at the counter and waved to signal she wanted a coffee made. Usually the staff didn't do requests from a table, but Jessica knew everyone, they knew her coffee, Jessica tipped well too. It's one thing she knew. Treat people well, life becomes easier, they also respect you.
Looking back at Joe, “So, any leads ? That's what they say right ? Leads ?”
“Yes Ma'am, leads, and we have precisely nada.” Joe came from a Spanish neighborhood so Latino slang words crept in to conversion from time to time.
Jessica was happy about that, but feigned a frown, “Oh pity.”
“Why are you hanging out here anyway ? Don't you have to be like on duty ?” Jessica questioned.
“I am on duty, in a way. I figured I may be able to cross paths with her somehow by chance, last ditched effort.”
Jessica nodded, she decided she had enough information to not be too worried. After some mundane chit-chat, Jessica decided her coffee was done verses pretending to drink from an empty cup.
“Well, I have to get back to work now, busy day.”
Joe was a little sad to see her leaving, but got up out of his seat when she stood to leave and dispose of her coffee cup.
“Will I see you tomorrow ?” Joe asked inquisitively but not trying to be to needy.
“No, maybe Friday.”
“What about dinner tonight ?” Joe interjected.
Jessica thought a moment, “Well, I have daycare later, that is tiring.” Jessica had her turn at the local daycare where Isabella stayed sometimes, money saving effort.
“Daycare ?” Joe asked.
“Yes, I volunteer at my child's daycare center every so often to get discounts.”
Joe smiled, he liked the fact she took time out to help.
“Then a rain check ?”
Jessica couldn't get passed the persistence, he was nice and polite, plus free food. She often imagined what some guys would be like if they were female, just soften features a little, small voice change, it helped her sometimes be open to having more guy friends if she could make the jump from male to female, even if it was her imagination doing the work.
Jessica looked up at the ceiling, “Okay, fine, Italian, Friday, seven.”
“Great ! Where ?” Joe was a little ecstatic.
“Easy. Google Italian restaurant, there is only one in town.”
Jessica grinned and shook her head a little causing her Auburn hair to bounce like it was in slow motion. It caught the light just perfectly. Joe for a moment was under her spell, like medusa turning him to stone.
Jessica waved a little to get his attention, “Bye then.”, with which she turned to leave the cafe. Joe watched her walk away. Fuck, she looks like something else, he thought. He watched Jessica place one foot in front of the other, a little bounce in her step. It wasn't a walk, it was art in motion.
The door closed behind her. He saw another man sitting against the wall watching the exact same thing and they made eye contact, his expression said it all.
*** Restaurant ***
She shook her head, “Must be nuts, that's it, I gotta be nuts,” Jessica told herself sitting in her car outside of the little Italian restaurant. She didn't even like guys, but this was free dinner and maybe gather more information about the case they were building about her, or lack there of.
She did admit, if Joe was a Josephine, maybe Jessica would be interested, but Joe wasn't, he was nice enough, but no warm and fuzzies happened, well, not like when she was with Natalie. When they were together, it was like rubbing feet on a nylon carpet. This was like just little hairs on her arms when she rubbed a balloon.
With a little trepidation, Jessica walked in to the little Italian restaurant, it was quaint, nicely styled like a real Italian restaurant she had been to many times just outside of Milan. The décor looked more like a country side kitchen than a restaurant, but that was it's charm.
Joe had chosen a discrete table over in the corner, this seemed to be a cop thing probably, can't sneak up on someone when their back is against the wall. He was dressed a little more classy than his usual undercover self, a real white shirt and simple pattern blue tie, black slacks that looked ironed when he stood to greet Jessica. She decided to wear a simple white floral above the knee summer dress with a sweetheart neckline and matching white sandals. She loved her white sandals.
Jessica sat down in the cloth padded wooden chair and Joe hurried around to push her chair in. She started getting a little nervous being treated like a princess on a pedestal for once, Joe for a New York cop at least seemed to know some manners. But she thought it was nice to be appreciated none the less.
Nearly as Joe had taken his chair the waiter showed up with the menu's.
“Interest you in the house wine ?” addressing Jessica and Joe.
“Sure, what'da have ?” asked Joe with his thick New York accent.
“We have a nice light-bodied Sangiovese this week Sir.”
Joe made a slightly confused face, before he could try and ask, Jessica jumped in, “Yes, that would be nice. Is it the same one you had last week ?”
“Yes Ma'am it is.”
“Good, we are both driving, so maybe just a glass each.” Jessica didn't want Joe having too much and then have to deal with driving him somewhere, like her house.
“Very well,” the waiter politely acknowledged, “I'll give you a few minutes with the menus.”
“You seem to know what is good here,” Joe smiled, looking at Jessica, “So what is good here ?”
Jessica looked at Joe smiling and then glanced down at the menu.
“I figure you like real meat verses chicken ?” She asked.
“Darn straight.” Joe chuckled.
Jessica waved to the waiter who quickly rushed over.
“Can we get Bruschetta and the Ossobuco ?”
“Yes Ma'am, for both ?” the waiter asked.
Jessica nodded and the waiter picked up the menus while transferring two wine glasses from a side tray. Jessica didn't see the point in having Joe flustered and embarrassed about not being able to order basic food and wine, so she decided to just handle it.
“So what am I eating ?” inquired Joe.
“Basically toasted bread with garlic and tomatoes. The Ossobuco is veal with vegetables and some other little things. It's not chicken.” She giggled a little.
They both sipped their wine while they waited for the kitchen.
Joe's face lit up a little, “That's good wine, much better than the corner liquor store near my apartment.
“I am sure it is,” she replied.
Joe started talking about his early days as a beat cop on the upper west side, partly to impress his date and partly because he liked reminiscing about the old days, even though those were really not that old relatively speaking, not compared to a lot of the detectives still working cases. He decided to not go in to his stint in the military, unlike a lot of the guys he deployed with, he wasn't gun-ho and while being deployed was interesting, it brought back some intense memories. He had been in a few state-side 'gun fights' with suspects, but there was always the feeling of it being a scenario you'd walk away from and then deal with paperwork. Being deployed was different. A firefight back in Iraq, there was no concept of letting the bad guy run, they were at your toes and not going away. You engaged them until they killed you or you killed them, preferably the later. There was no easy out, that was the stresser, the every day out on patrol, fire fight or no fire fight, having to shoot at another person was something Joe never liked, it happened many times. He was lucky he didn't get much C-PSTD from the time he served.
So, Joe focused on the life he liked, being a cop.
Jessica was semi interested, it at least had Joe talking about that verses his current work, although, she actually wanted to get some snippets of information about the case. She actually started to re-think the wine limit for Joe, may make him talk more.
*** The bedroom ***
Jessica checked the clock, steak was done, potatoes done, veg done. She had started dinner about an hour late as she knew Natalie would be late. Then a chime rang in the kitchen.
“Izzy ! Door !”
Izzy ran down the stairs as fast as she could and swung it open with more enthusiasm than a giant Christmas present.
“Aunt Natalie !”
“Pumpkin pie !” Natalie joked back.
“Where is mommy ?”
“She's in the kitchen, dinner is just ready, Mommy said Natalie is always late, so started it late.”
Natalie smiled, “I am sure she did.”
Nat walked in to the kitchen, even blindfolded she could find it, the smell was almost enough to give her weight gain.
Natalie and Jessica took a few cute steps towards each other and gave each other a little kiss on the lips with a little of Jessica's strawberry lip gloss getting left behind.
“Ready to eat or come back in another hour ?” smiled Jessica.
“Starvin' girl, make way !” cried Nat as she hurried to the kitchen table which Jessica and Isabella had already laid out.
They all sat down and Isabella asked if she could say grace. Jessica nodded.
Izzy closed her eyes and thought, “Thank you baby Jesus for our din dins and for me have mommies and for my doll Amy. Momma where is Amy ?”
Jessica spoke softly, “Behind you baby.”
Izzy turned and opened one eye a little, checking she was there, smiling she faced front again, “And my doll Amy, Amen baby Jesus.”
Everyone opened their eyes and started eating.
Izzy was far too busy eating to notice Natalie and Jessica looking at each other from each end of the table. Their eyes connected their souls, both wanting each other, Jessica knew what Natalie was thinking and smiled a little, breaking the gaze. Jessica had only felt this way about one other person, Claire. Sometimes it felt like she was betraying her memory in some way, but she knew Claire would have wanted her to continue with her life and find a new love. Dinner time flew by and it was getting late, Jessica and Natalie put Isabella to bed after letting her stay up and watch a movie with her and Natalie.
Now it was time for the adults to sleep too.
“So do I get the couch ?” Laughed Natalie, knowing full well, she wasn't sleeping on the couch.
“Only if you want.” joked Jessica. She noticed Nat's nose wiggling a little as she picked up Jessica's perfume.
Jessica noticed Natalie's facial expression change, “And what ? You don't like my $400 scent I bought ?” Smiled Jessica.
“Oh I was wondering about that, I was going to ask what big box store you bought it from and how much change out of a twenty you got back.” Natalie was always poking fun at Jessica. She immediately grabbed Natalie's waist and tickled her while pulling her in to the master bedroom kicking the door closed behind them.
Jessica slowly stopped the tickling and looked at Natalie, moved her face close to hers and gently kissed. The kissing got more intimate, Jessica stopped kissing and stepped back and pulled her tank top over her head to reveal an unlined light blue balconette, her nipples clearly visible through the lace mesh. While still gazing at Natalie, she pulled down the white satin elasticated skater style skirt. Jessica usually wasn't the one to be so much in control, it was Natalie, but maybe with the recent going's on, Jessica had new found confidence.
“I knew you would match your bra and panties !” Natalie grinned at Jessica as she stood upright.
“I am that predictable ?”
“Yes of course, that's why I love you.”
“My turn ...” Said Natalie as she undid her distressed high waist jeans, slid them off her legs and feet, then took off a satin cami.
Natalie stood naked before Jessica. Natalie often skipped underwear, she wore it now and then, but liked the freedom and feeling. Natalie was always the bohemian eclectic woman, spiritual, the eternal Janis Joplin.
Jessica let her arms drop beside her body, “Looks like I am a little overdressed for the occasion huh ?”
Natalie nodded, “Reckon so babes.” and stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around Jessica and unclasped her bra, slowly pulling the straps off her shoulders letting it drop to the carpet. Natalie didn't need to see her breasts, she could draw them from memory.
Putting her hands on Jessica's hips, Nat slowly pulled down her light blue mesh lacy panties which slid down to her ankles.
They both looked at each other and embraced, kissing once more, breasts pushing together, Natalie's hands finding Jessica's butt cheeks, gently squeezing them.
Both lovers staggered backwards on to the bed, Jessica broke contact with Natalie's lips, she grinned a little and stared into her eyes, into her heart, her soul.
With a soft voice, Jessica spoke, “Alexa - Lights off.”
*** Trip in the car ***
“So you ready back there ?” talking back to Izzy in the back seat.
“Guess,” Isabella replied nonchalantly.
Kate smiled to herself and raised her eyebrows, guess she couldn't expect much given yesterday. Isabella hadn't wanted to talk to the councilor at all, just sat apparently with her fingers stuffed into her ears.
Kate started the engine and pulled away from the facility and to the address she's been given for an Aunt Natalie.
It was going to be about a forty five minute drive so she switched on the radio to some pop channel from the 2000's.
“You like this music ?” Kate said over her shoulder to Izzy.
“Mommy sometimes lets me play my music in the car.”
“You want me to change the station ?” Kate said enthusiastically now that Izzy was getting more chatty by the minute.
“No, I have phone Mommy gave me, has music on it. She blue toothies it.”
“Oh, not sure how I do that, one sec, we are at a light now.” Kate stopped at the light and fiddled with the infotainment system finding the blue tooth pairing.
“There, see that on the radio, that's it.” Kate pointed for Izzy.
Isabella selected the blue tooth name on her phone and went to her music and found one.
It was a country style song, but also a little pop. Two female singers.
After listening for a little, Kate was liking country music for the first time, “So this is really great, who are they ?”
Isabella rested her head on the arm rest, “It's my Mommies.”
“Your mommies ?” Kate wasn't sure what she meant.
“Yup, my Mommy and Aunt Natalie, they are my Mommies.” Izzy sat up a little and unzipped her bag and took out a little photo, it was the same as the one in their living room cabinet of Jessica and Natalie when they got married, but smaller. Izzy passed it to Kate.
“See. Mommies. They love each other and sing songs.”
Kate now totally understood. A tear started to roll down her cheek.
Isabella clicked replay on her music phone app and the song started over. Jessica and Natalie singing in harmony.
Isabella rested her head on the door again and closed her eyes and smiled in thought, for the first time in two days, she feel asleep.
- - - - -
“ Mary – you are my new doll, meet Amy.
Amy came from my first Mommy,
you came from my second Mommy, Aunt Natalie.
Okay, sit down and I will tell you a story,
It's a story about a little girl and her Mommies … ”
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