Fonder Hearts 1

Chapter 2: Fonder Hearts

Beads of sweat ran from my brow as I pulled a pie from the massive oven. The aroma of apples and cinnamon penetrated the kitchen within in seconds, making me breathe in satisfaction. I placed the steaming pie on a cooling rack on a nearby counter. As I took more pies out from the oven, the scrumptious smell increased. I was kicking culinary butt and the customers of Ms. Murphy's Bakery would pleased with my efforts. Business was booming and with the wedding season around the corner, I was going to be one busy queen bee. The smell of fresh apple pie triggered a wonderful memory, involving the other passion in my life besides owning and running a bakery: Rachel Wallace.

***

"Try it, I insisted, setting the plate of hot apple pie in front of her.

"I hate apple pie," Rachel said, shoving the plate away.

"You haven't had mine yet, it's good, I swear."

"You said the same thing about your corned beef and cabbage. I love you but your taste in food sucks."

"Come on, Coca Puff, just one bite? Please?"

"I'm telling you, I don't like apple pie."

"Stop being a baby and try some already!"

"Nope."

"Okay, if you don't eat my apple pie, then there's no 'cherry pie' for you tonight." I gestured my hands along my torso.

"You're evil, I tell you, so, so very evil." Rachel sighed, speared some of the pie on her fork and took a small bite. She chewed for a few seconds and hummed.

"This is the best apple pie I've ever had."

"I told ya, you need to stop being so damn stubborn all the time. It tastes even better with vanilla ice cream."

"Thank you, for making me see the light."

I snorted. "You only tried it to get some of my goodies."

"But it worked, though, didn't it? The pie is really great." She placed a tender kiss my cheek.

"That's the best food review I will ever get."

The memory of Rachel eating apple pie flooded me with deep sadness. In fact every time the gorgeous chocolate hued woman entered my mind, it felt like there was a golf ball in my throat. Rachel was out of town on business of her own. She was an attorney who was moving up very quick up the ranks of Sawyer, Hamilton and Craft, one of our city's biggest law firms. She was in Texas at the moment, working on a high profile patent case. She had been gone for 3 weeks, 4 days 6 hours and 14 minutes. The icing on top of my missing her cake was the fact that it was our one year anniversary of being a couple and she wasn't even in the same time zone as I was! Stupid legal proceedings, why did they have to be so long?

"It will only be a few days, a week or two at the most. I'll be back before you know it, Cherry Pie", she said at the airport as she embraced me, stroking my back.

"Don't blow up the apartment with any crazy cooking experiments while I'm gone, you hear?"'

"I won't, I'm a professional chef." I said with reassurance.

"Yeah but anything can happen."

"Don't be such a worry wart, I'll be fine."

"Flight 182 to Huston is now boarding," bellowed the loud speaker.

"That's me." Rachel gave me a quick squeeze and readjusted the strap of her bag.

"Bye, Melissa, I love you."

"Bye Rachel. I love you too. Take care of yourself."

I kissed her on the forehead. As she strolled away she flashed me her best smile and waved. When I saw the plane take off, I finally released the tears I had been holding back all morning.

***

"Hey Kelly," I called to my assistant, swallowing back my tears, "can you help me pack up these pies?"

"Sure thing, Melissa."

Kelly, who was using a pastry bag to pipe flowers on a two tier wedding cake, put down her bag and went to the backroom to grab boxes. Ugh, wedding cake. Rachel and I had our first official date at a wedding.

"Let's dance," Rachel said, tugging me by my wrists onto the dance floor.

She flung her arms around my neck and my arms went around her waist. The music was ideal for a wedding, slow and romantic. We swayed back and forth without any fan fare for a while; after all this wedding had two brides.

One of them, Michelle, finally turned away from her new wife, strolled up to us and said, "A- ha! I knew it; I knew you two would get together one day! A blind man in space could have seen the heat between the two of you. Congrats girls!"

"Thank you Michelle," I said.

"Thanks Michelle!" Rachel smiled

"How did it happen?" Michelle asked.

"In the dressing room at Macy's", Rachel said with devious smirk.

"What's going on?" Kathy said, walking up to Michelle and wrapping her arms around Michelle from behind.

"Rachel and Melissa hooked up." Michelle informed.

"Really? About damn time!" Kathy said.

"You too?" I said. "Why didn't we see it?"

"Better late than never, Missy," Rachel said, stroking my hand with her thumb.

"Did you say it happened in the dressing room at Macy's? Michelle said.

"Yeah," I said, "Rachel was helping me zip the dress was trying on and she just planted one on me."

"She looked too good in that dress, in fact she's wearing it now." "Rachel's dress took my breath away and she's wearing it now too. We got a bit... er, carried away in there."

"Yeah, I'll say, your hands were getting frisky. If it wasn't for that saleswoman knocking on the door..."

"It would have been on like Donkey Kong."

"Wow," Michelle said, "sounds hot."

"Was it ever?" Rachel said. We looked at each other and began to laugh.

***

"You got to get it together, Murphy." I breathed, wiping away my tears at the memory. Kelly was back with boxes for the pies. I took a deep breath and forced myself focus back on the present.

I somehow kept it together enough to get through the rest of the work day. I filled donuts and Danishes, baked cookies and worked with Kelly to finish that damn wedding cake. When I was done I was exhausted and covered in flour. All I wanted was to go home, take a hot shower, heat up some leftover lasagna, and call my baby; if she even had the time or energy to speak to me. When I reached the apartment, I unlocked the door, and stepped in. I went right to the couch.

"Whew, what a day," I said, thinking out loud, rubbing my eyes like a sleepy 5 year old.

I rested my head on the arm of the couch and shut my eyes. I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew I felt a light stroke on my cheek. I opened my eyes and an all too familiar face was looking back at me.

"Honey I'm home!" Rachel said in a sweet, musical voice.

"Oh my God, Rachel!" Now fully awake, I sat up and pulled her into a huge hug.

"When did you get back?"

"Just about half an hour ago, I bought dinner and flowers."

"Your timing is perfect!"

"There was no way in hell I was going to be in Huston for our anniversary. I used every legal trick I knew to argue that case as quickly as I could. I won by the way!"

"That's great! Beauty and brains, I'm soooo keeping you." I kissed her lips.

"I'm not going anywhere." She moved a piece of hair away from my face.

"I wish you didn't have to travel so much. I missed you so much today. Everything reminded me of you."

"I was the same way, Cherry Pie. So as soon as the judge made the ruling, I was on the first flight back here."

"What did you bring for dinner?"

"I grabbed some steak and potatoes from the local steak house."

"Yum, but that's not the only thing in here that I would like to eat." I winked at her.

"You naughty little thing." She kissed me, her slick tongue sliding into my mouth.

"You're gonna need your strength for that so I suggest you eat the steak first."

"Yes ma'am."

She took my hand and led me to our little dining room. She had the table all ready set with the food dished out on plates. In the middle of the dining room table was a large vase of red roses and a bottle of our favorite wine.

"It looks awesome, thank you, Coca Puff."

"Only the best for you, Cherry Pie. Have a seat."

She pulled out a chair for me and I sat down. She pushed me in, sat down across from me. She grabbed the wine bottle, twisted off the cork with a cork screw and poured each of us a glass.

I raised my glass. "This year has been amazing and I hope we have many, many more together."

Rachel followed my lead. "And that our love will continue to blossom and change along with us."

"Here, here!"

We clicked our glasses together and dug into our food. While we ate, we got caught up with each other. Talked about work, how our friends and family were doing. It felt so incredible to be in her presence again, to see her laugh, smile and goof around.

"Absence really does make the heart grow fonder." I said, as we got to dessert which was vanilla ice cream and a spare apple pie from my bakery.

"Doesn't it though?" Rachel scooped up some ice cream and pie. "The longer I was away, the more I thought about and missed you."

"Ditto, mi amor."

"Don't start with the Spanish, I'm already dying for you, Spanish is going to make it worse."

"Yo quiero hacerte el amor toda la noche."

"Entonces, ven aquí, mi amor."

Rachel dropped her spoon and pulled me into a passionate embrace. She captured my mouth with hers and soon our tongues were battling for dominance. I tore away from her to gasp out two words, "Bed, now."

Rachel made a dash for the bedroom but I caught her around the waist and picked her up. She looped her arms around my neck.

"Showing off for me?" Rachel said with a giggle.

"No", I said, cradling her in my arms, "I just don't want to let you go tonight."

"Melissa, I would hold you forever if I could."

Not wanting to waste a second, I carried her right to our bedroom and pushed the door shut with my foot. I laid her on the bed. She took out my jaw clip and I shook my hair lose.

"I love your hair," Rachel said with adoration in her voice as she caressed my long tresses.

"I love your legs, I murmured, reaching underneath her skirt suit and tugging off her pantyhose. I ran a hand along her muscular and shapely calves.

"They're so smooth and sexy."

Soon our work clothes were thrown in various directions around the room. When Rachel's dark purple bikini cut panties were off, I crawled on top her and began to kiss her everywhere I could reach: her lips, her neck, her shoulders. As we kissed, Rachel's thigh slid up against mine.

"Spread your legs," I said, her movement giving me inspiration.

She did as I instructed and I readjusted my legs so our crotches were right on top of each other, in the classic scissoring position. I rubbed my pussy against hers.

"Oh God, yes grind that pussy, baby!" Rachel cried.

Happy to oblige, I ground into her again this time with more pressure. She mimicked my movements, and I placed my hands on her hips. We found a nice rhythm, the friction and heat between us increasing by the second. The grinding became faster and frantic. It felt so incredible, and all we were able to do grunt, sweat and rub against each other as if as it was the last thing we would ever do.

"Melissa, I'm.... gonna come," Rachel squeaked, sweat running from her temples, several minutes into the intense tribbing.

"So, am I!" yelped and within seconds, we came the same time, our moans and cries a muffled symphony into our pillows.

"I love you" I breathed, collapsing onto her chest.

"I love you more," Rachel panted, kissing my forehead.

"Must you always be a brat?"

"But I'm your brat." Rachel batted her eyelashes.

"Happy Anniversary Melissa."

"Happy Anniversary, Rachel."

We cuddled up next to each other, wrapping our limp and tired arms around each other. Soon we fell asleep, our fonder hearts finally beating next to each once more.