Part One: Ah, I Don't Hardly Know Her
"Not happening, Rick!" Billie shouted into the den at her third biggest big brother as she tossed his dirty jockeys, jeans, and work shirts out of her laundry basket and onto her utility room floor. "As long as you're crashing at my house, you'll wash your own damned clothes. I'm not Cherie."
Billie returned to her hometown after college to accept a loan officer position. After two weeks in her new digs, Rick moved onto her couch because his wife, Cherie, had thrown him out for tomcatting around. Although Cherie likely meant Rick's exile to be a punishment, his sister's house offered pizza, beer, cable, and video games with no responsibilities. Billie knew she was enabling her feckless brother.
Blood runs thick in rural Idaho though, and Billie never considered turning him away. One of her first memories was of Rick threatening to "wallop" Jimmy McGillis if he didn't stop calling Billie names. Ten years later, Frank - their oldest brother - did beat the living shit out of Jimmy when he tried to push a fifteen year old Billie further than she wanted to go in Jimmy's truck. Billie and her brothers remained thick as thieves, despite her four years away at college.
"Okay, okay," Rick answered, "After me and the guys watch the fight tonight, I'll do my own damned washing."
Her other three big brothers - Frank, Tom, and Ed - arrived shortly thereafter with a half-dozen other guys from the sawmill. One of the "guys" was Lena.
Lena wore a black tank, dark jeans, and brown steel-toed work boots. Her dark hair was shaved to a neat brush cut. She allowed herself one affectation; a bright silver belt clasp with the word "POP" etched on it closing her brown leather belt. And she caught Billie cruising her as her friends' little sister brought long necked Coors in the finest tradition of Hygd of
Beowulf
fame.
Though naturally slim, years of work at the sawmill gave Lena hard-packed muscles over her shoulders, arms, back, thighs, and stomach, defying biology to an extent rarely achieved in a gym. Her stunning face would be considered beautiful for a man or handsome for a woman. Billie stared at that face and those shoulders for a second or two longer than would be considered polite.
"Would you like a beer?"
Lena stared back without consideration for politeness. She recognized immediately that the pretty girl offering beer must be the little sister Rick was staying with. The siblings were all stamped with the same features; medium brown hair, hazel eyes, even white teeth, square jaw and forehead, and an open countenance. On Billie, the characteristic family look was softer, more feminine and delicate. Lena's eyes travelled down to note that the siblings did not share a body type.
Billie's full breasts and hips held Lena's gaze. She licked her lips suggestively to avoid any possibility of Billie's misinterpreting the look.
"Yes. Thank you."
Billie smiled back, but with a quick glance at her brothers to see if they noticed the exchange. Lena took that to mean that hitting on the cute brunette in front of them wouldn't be appreciated.
The look could mean more for all Lena knew. The pretty girl could have a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Or worse, she could still be in the closet. Lena recognized that it was not the time and place to find out which, but she was still dismayed when Billie left the den.
"She doesn't like boxing?" Lena turned to ask Frank.
"Who? Billie? Naw, she thinks it's pointless violence. She likes UFC fights. Why?"
"Just making sure that we don't need to make room on the couch." Lena covered quickly.
After the first round, Lena wandered toward the kitchen to find Billie. A pay per view fight is only a few dollars away most nights, but - in a small town - beautiful women obviously attracted to butch women are a much greater rarity. Basic supply and demand.
She found Billie doing her laundry, and making even that mundane chore look sexy.
"Um...do you have any more Coors?" Lena asked, rather blandly.
"Yeah, in the fridge." Billie smiled warmly and pointed directly at the stainless steel, French door refrigerator.
"Right." Lena kicked herself for not thinking of something clever to say, but grabbed another bottle, took a sip, and turned back to the pretty girl. "The one you brought tasted better."
Billie smiled at the silly compliment, but glanced unconsciously in the direction of her den. Lena understood and kept her words innocent enough. She completely laced her tone though.
"So, you have a beautiful house. Or at least you did before we invaded. Is it normally just you here?"
"Yeah, it's just me. I bought a house because no one trusts a loan officer who rents. And thank you."
"Well, I like your style...in décor." Lena raised her eyebrows at a lacy pair of white panties, which an embarrassed Billie quickly tossed in with the load of colors in the wash. "I've been thinking of getting a different futon, but I don't really have an eye for that sort of thing. Maybe you could come over to my place Saturday and give me the benefit of your taste?"
"Of course. I'd love to help out."
Billie's tone was not laced, but Lena took her yes with a victorious grin and a slight toast before returning inconspicuously to watching the rest of the fight in the den.
Billie thought of Lena and her offer as she finished her laundry. Billie herself didn't fall neatly into the butch/femme dichotomy. Her LaCrosse 15", waterproof, -20 Fahrenheit-rated hunting boots sat next to her new L.A.M.B. stiletto heeled, lace up, knee length, black suede boots in her closet. She loved wearing both sets of boots equally, just for very different types of hunting.
She knew decisively the type she wanted for herself though. Her sisters-in-law - excepting maybe Cherie - were sweet, pretty, bubbly women who bored Billie to tears. Billie had been forced to politely endure their gossip and baking tips at family functions, when she'd much rather talk about Madden or Call of Duty. The last thing Billie wanted was a girly girl that she'd need to listen to 24/7 in order to continue getting laid.
She wanted a badass who could hang with her tomboy hobbies, then take her out dancing and bring her home to fuck her to paradise. A woman who caused a visceral reaction with a look, with a touch. Was it so wrong to want someone who was tough, strong, exciting, and maybe just a little dangerous?
She'd go to Lena's Saturday night with an open heart and no firm plans for Sunday morning.
After the fight and some jocularity, all the guys left and Rick set about cleaning up and pulling out the couch to sleep. Lena waited for another glimpse of Billie to say goodnight.
"So my place, Saturday at 8ish?"
"Sounds great. I'll see you then."
