She seemed nonplussed for a second; I shrugged again and pushed through the door, leaving it open behind me.
I hung my coat on the back of a chair and tossed my keys on the table before moving into the living room and turning on the cd player, hastily forwarding it past the cd I knew it was currently playing. Ani DiFranco's Beautiful Face came on, and I smiled - fitting, I thought, and let it play.
I moved back into the kitchen, snagged a beer, and was opening it when Simone finally worked up whatever it was she needed to come in. She looked around curiously, taking in the muted tans and greens, landscape watercolors, fireplace, hardwood floors and Navajo rugs.
She frowned a little when she came to the pencil drawing above the fireplace. It showed a chemical molecule from three different perspectives; a gift from a former roommate who was taking a drafting class at the same time I had taken organic chemistry. He had been so fascinated by the plastic molecule set I used for studying that he had used one of my models in a drafting assignment, and later gave it to me as a gag gift. I had liked it so much that I had it matted and framed and still smiled whenever I looked at it.
"Benzene ring." I said matter-of-factly.
She jumped guiltily at my voice and quickly swung around, glaring at me as though I had startled her on purpose.
"Sorry." I said, not really meaning it. "Want one?" I gestured with my beer and she hesitated then shook her head. I shrugged, leaning back against the counter and crossing my arms. She studied me intently for a few minutes while I casually swigged at my beer.
"Who are you, and how do you know Kim?" She said finally, breaking the silence.
I looked at her.
I'm the idiot who's in love with your girlfriend.
I wanted to say it, but I didn't.
"I'm Darcy, and her parents are friends of mine."
She looked at me suspiciously, like she thought there was no way in hell that Kim's parents would be friends with me. It made me feel better somehow that she obviously didn't know Pam and Ken that well.
"Then what were you doing with Kim the other day?"
Oh, if only you knew....
"Skiing."
"Besides skiing!" she huffed, her frustration showing. "There's something between you two, and I want to know what it is! I want some answers, now!"
I raised an eyebrow. I didn't often have people talk to me in that tone of voice in my own home. Actually, I didn't often have people talk to me in that tone of voice, period. It ticked me off a little. I set my beer down carefully and re-crossed my arms, studying her.
"Well, Simone," I said calmly, but firmly, "you came to the wrong place for answers. If you have an issue with Kim, then you need to take it up with her, not me. Now, I've got things to do so..."
I was interrupted by a knock at the door, and frowned.
Who the hell was that? I didn't get many visitors, and now two in one day?
"Go ahead," Simone said with a smirk as she moved into the living room, "I can wait."
Goddamnit. The more I talked to that woman, the less I liked her. And I hadn't liked her that much to begin with.
"Shit." I mumbled, and stomped to the door, throwing it open with more force than necessary.
"Wha..." my annoyed voice trailed off in surprise.
Another set of blue eyes regarded me warily, and sent me into such a free-fall of emotion that I had to lay a hand against the door jam to steady myself against the momentary vertigo. When my mind righted itself, I had an overwhelming sense of relief - like finding something I didn't even know I'd lost; a piece of me sliding back into place.
"Kim...what are you...ohhhh..."
The last was nearly a groan as she stepped forward without a word and wrapped her arms around me, burying her face in my shoulder. All my anger and any resolve I had left melted away, unable to compete with the complete and utter bliss I felt at that moment. I closed my eyes and sighed in contentment, pulling her to me even tighter.
She smelled of leather and soap, pine trees and snow, and I breathed her in greedily, filling my senses with the heady combination. The cold from outside still clung to her skin and clothes, but the breath on my neck was warm and the lips that fleetingly touched my jaw, scorching.
"God, you feel good," she whispered into my shoulder, and I tightened my arms in response, unable to find the words or the voice to respond, but fully agreeing with the sentiment. "I don't want to let go."
"Then don't..." I whispered back...Please don't... the voice inside me pleaded.
My eyes flew open and I sucked in a breath when her hands slipped under the loose sweater I wore and stroked my bare skin. She hummed her approval - whether at my response or the feel of her hands on me, I didn't know and didn't particularly care, I just knew that the sound made me weak, and I needed to find a chair soon, before I fell down.
"You sure look like someone important from where I'm standing." The voice, bitter and resigned, cut through the haze of euphoria clouding my brain.
Simone.
I'd forgotten about tall, blond and angry.
Kim froze at the sound of Simone's voice, and I sighed, expecting her to jump away guiltily. She pulled away slowly, but to my surprise and delight, only far enough to look over my shoulder. She kept hands resting loosely on my hips, in no more of a hurry to break contact than I was.
"Simone?" she said in confusion, "What are you doing here?"
She looked back at me quizzically, and all I could do was give her a dazzling smile, still amazed by the fact that she was here, with me, touching me...the smile grew even wider, if that was possible, and her lips twitched in response. Her hands tightened on my waist and she leaned in...and kissed me. I front of Simone, not giving a damn, she kissed me, hard.
"God damn, Darcy, I missed you." she said when she was done. I could do no more than blink and nod, my body tingling and my brain trying to wrap itself around what this meant.
Kim smiled at my bemusement, then looked past me at Simone. After another light kiss on the lips and a quick squeeze of my hips, she turned to face the tall blond, sliding her arm around my waist.
Simone looked angrily from me to Kim, then back to me. I tried to tone down the 'I'm so friggin' happy I could sing like Julie Andrews' grin I was sure was plastered across my face, but damn, I was so friggin' happy...
The hills are alive...
I got my face under control, but the emotions running through me needed an outlet, so instead of grinning, I ended up hugging Kim tighter and kissing her hair. And grinning anyway. Definitely not what Simone wanted to see, but the look Kim gave me...
Screw Simone.
I kissed Kim again.
"What's up Kim? Is this why you've been so fucking weird the last week?" Her voice cracked a bit, and I could tell she was angry, and not used to being in this situation. Not that anyone ever gets used to seeing their girlfriend kissing on someone else...
The thought sobered me.
I tried to move away from Kim, but her arm tightened, holding me to her as she responded.
"I haven't been 'fucking weird' Si - I just told you I didn't want to sleep with you anymore. We both agreed when we got back together it was just temporary...shit, you were the one who made sure I knew you were going to keep your options open, and it was just a handy distraction for both of us."
She turned to me shyly and ran the back of her hand down my cheek.
"I don't need a handy distraction anymore."
The gesture was so sweet, the words so sincere, that I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around her, octopus style.
"I love you." The words slipped out before I could stop them; softly but loud enough if she wanted to hear. One part of me was scared to death she heard, the other part hoped beyond hope she did.