Wont You Smile Awhile For Me

Smokey Saga #18:

"Happy Endings II—Won't You Smile Awhile For Me"

*****

Here is the newly edited sequel to my January 2014 story "For Happy Endings It Takes Two." Enjoy.

*****

Saturday, December 14th, 2013, 4:22 p.m.

She had just brought the plate of appetizers into the living room. She set it down and trotted to the window to look outside.

Her date had gotten a little lost on the way to the house, so she'd called a few minutes before for the correct directions. Her arrival was now imminent.

Once having broken out the hors d'oeuvres, consisting of popcorn chicken and shrimp puffs, she still had a couple spare minutes. So she made a quick stop in front of the full-length mirror to check herself out.

She was dressed casual, weather-appropriate, in a long-sleeved tie-dye T-shirt, a pair of tight, ankle-hugging jeans and her kitten-printed pink socks. She gave her sandy-colored hair a few little flips, trying to decide if she should let it part on one side and spill messily, flirtily down the other. She examined her modest layer of makeup and subtle nuance of blush. Then she turned around to see how her bottom looked. She gave it a squeeze, and was pleased and appeased, with the way the jeans framed it. She turned back around, did the same with her breasts, and gave her bra a slight adjustment.

Satisfied with her appearance, she tried on a number of facial expressions and poses to match. Imagining which her date might like best, she went through shy, playful, coy, seductive, funny, sexy, subtle, naughty, and finally returned to her natural, cute smile.

The doorbell rang.

Oh, gosh!

Her date was here. She became just a tiny bit nervous, but mostly happy and enthusiastic. She took a reassuring breath, crossed her fingers, gave her reflection a high-five and thumbs-up, and pranced the seven feet to the front door.

There stood the girl, right outside, a heart-shaped box tucked under one arm and a small bouquet of blue orchids in her hands. She too'd chosen to go easy and cazh, also abiding by the weather—though she was hot-blooded and enjoyed the cold air more than most. So she wasn't completely bundled up, just comfy enough. She was also in jeans (though hers were looser and lighter blue), a pair of magenta jellies, a fuzzy sweater a color between lavender and mauve with a sailboat knitted on it, a solid T-shirt underneath, and her own smile. How fortunate that blue, purple and red were her favorite colors, easily coordinating her outfit with her gifts. Her shoulder-length dark brown hair fell in bangs over her forehead, and curly wisps around her cheeks. It was flipped and tossed by the cold wind.

"Hey!" said Sara. "C'mon, come in, come in; it's freezing out there!"

"Thanks!" said Melleny, eagerly stepping inside and pausing to settle her hair.

Once she was in and Sara shut the door, Melleny gave herself a quick shiver, and Sara the orchids. "I got you these...obviously," she self-explanatorily explained.

"Oh, they're gorgeous!

Thank

you!" Sara exclaimed. She promptly gave Melleny a big hug, both for the flowers and also to warm her up.

"Yeah, I kinda had a feeling you'd like them," said Melleny, slipping off the jellies. She didn't know if Sara preferred she go shod or barefoot in her home, until she saw the humorous sign posted beside the door. "PLEASE REMOVE SHOES...FEEL FREE TO TAKE BETTER ONES ON THE WAY OUT."

"

Like

them?" an already quite pleased Sara repeated. "They're my favorite!" She motioned for Melleny to grace the living room with her presence, as she made a quick trip to put them in some water. "How'd you know?" she called back to her.

"Oh, a, uh...a little birdie told me," Mel replied after a moment.

Sara returned from the kitchen, smiling knowingly at her.

"...A little birdie named Jake?"

Melleny's eyebrows jumped a bit. That was all the answer Sara needed. Oh, that Jake. He just couldn't do enough to help her out.

"I should've known...he prepped you, didn't he?"

Mel feigned surprise. "What?" she chortled guiltily. "Wh—no, of course not!..."

Sara only tilted her head and gazed affectionately. Mel held out for just another second.

"...Kinda, yeah."

Sara nodded. "Leave it to him," she grinned. "So I guess you already know everything about me then, huh?"

"Not really. He just said you wanted to have me over, so when I come, I should..."

She'd written down Jake's helpful hints to memorize them. She counted on her fingers, quoting as advised. "...Bring some chocolate, 'cause she loves chocolate...preferably assorted, 'cause she loves surprises...and definitely get some blue orchids if possible, 'cause she'll auto

matically

be your best friend if you give her blue orchids."

"As he would well know," Sara added.

"Yeah...I'm not even sure how he got my number, though."

"Well, Jake knows people everywhere. He's in PR. I'm sure there's a connection somewhere. Also, you gave

me

your number, so..."

Sara Kelton and Melleny Hayes had briefly met a few weeks ago, on Sara's birthday. They both attended a concert by an extremely popular singing star called Velette Voxe—one of Melleny's all-time favorite artists, but for Sara nothing less than an absolute idol of worship. The concert was Sara's birthday surprise, from Jake Davis, her best buddy. It was the greatest night of her life, on several different levels, one of which was spiritual. Sara had never been a very religious person before, and now she knew why—she'd had her own religion all along: Velet-theism, as she lovingly alluded to it.

The concert proved more than Sara could handle—particularly after her seven-year dream came true, as Velette actually pulled her up on stage and did a song especially for her. When it was over, and Sara'd been dizzied into a whirlwind of happy tears, Melleny—who was there with a friend of her own—came down front to introduce herself.

"Oh my God, that was so freaking

awesome!

" said Mel, pretty pumped herself, as were most of their fellow showgoers. "I can't believe you were on stage with Ve

lette VOXE!

And she

touched

you! And she

sang

to you! Oh, my,

God

, I am so totally jealous!"

Sara remained so giddy she couldn't talk yet. But she did notice this girl had pretty dark hair, tendrils down her cheeks, and bright cobalt blue eyes that really stood out with her brown locks. Her eyes were just about the same shade as Sara's beautiful beloved orchids. She struck the brunette-loving Sara as appealingly Deschanelish.

"Mm, I think she's got you beat in the 'can't believe it' department," Jake had told Mel.

"Well, listen, we can't really stay, but, I just wanted to say Happy Birthday, and, uh...well, I don't know if you're...y'know, eh...going with anybody or what, but, uh..." She gave Sara a folded sliver of paper on which she'd scribbled down her name, number and E-mail. "Just...y'know, if you want," she concluded with a smile.

Sara waited a while before deciding to call. She didn't want to seem too eager, but once December got underway, she started worrying Mel'd think she forgot about her. And so on Saturday the 7th, one week before today, she'd mustered her courage, picked up the phone and dialed. Her heartbeat hastened as it rang on the other end. Preferring in-person contact or E-mail to the phone, quite frankly, Sara was anxious. But Melleny was delighted to hear from her, and after a little schedule coordinating, they agreed that the following Saturday evening would be the best first date for...well, for just that.

They briefly resumed touch a few times during the week, just to be sure no roadblocks had arisen. They never did make concrete plans, but Sara said, "Well, why don't you just come over and we'll figure it out then? Y'know, that way we can get to know each other uninterrupted, and find something we'd both like to do." So Mel acquiesced, and here they were. And she didn't know if Melleny was hoping to go out to dinner or a movie...but for right now, Sara was pretty darn content enjoying the company of this attractive girl in the privacy of her cushy, comfy, cozy home, with no one else around.

Melleny'd also given herself an enhancement. She'd applied a touch of indigo eyeshadow. Her lips weren't exactly maroon, and not pure red either, but a hue just in between, again exercising her favorite colors. Her half-wavy, half-curly hair and bangs slunk all about her head and shoulders, except right in the middle. Sara liked the way her face peeked out from her hair's frizzy zigzag form. It seemed to highlight her sapphire Sapphic eyes, straight-edged nose and plushy lips.

Sara giggled. "Well, let's see, what can I tell you about me..." she pondered, putting the orchids in water beside the appetizers. She offered Melleny the adjacent table seat and the hors d'oeuvres. "Well, obviously, you know who my favorite singer is..." she said as they sat with a mutual smile and nod. "...My favorite color's any shade of blue...my favorite food's any kind of chicken, my favorite TV show is absolutely

anything

—I mean it, literally, anything at

all

; Jake and I watch all sorts of...everything on TV together."

"You seem like a pretty agreeable person," Mel smiled, flirtatiously batting her eyes.

"Heh! There

are

things I'm a little more particular with," returned Sara. "Like...my favorite sport's softball, my favorite movie star's Sandra Bullock—super-hottie—um...I just turned 28...oh, right, you already knew that too. So you know when my birthday is...and you know I'm sensitive, emotional, and I

do

cry when something affects me really heavy...hm...I'm an only child, don't smoke, usually don't drink...uh...the only things I don't like about myself—well, my body—are my knees and ears...and nose. Don't ask me why, they've just always kinda bugged me...and, I've only been on about a dozen dates in my life, but never had a serious, steady girlfriend, and..." She shrugged. "...I'm also...kinda...a virgin.

"Oh, yeah, and one other thing." She held up a single finger and rose from the table. "I'll be right back—don't go anywhere!" She bounded to her room and returned a few moments later with a vinyl LP. "I have this on CD, but I will

never

get rid of this record. My parents got me this when I was

one year

old," she told Melleny proudly. "See, their favorite band was Jefferson Airplane, in the '60s, but when I was—well, when you

and

I were born, their name changed. It was Jefferson Starship in the '70s, then just Starship in the '80s. And, this..." She showed it to her. "...Is the album they put out in '85—the year I was born—and right here, see?...That's the song my Mom and Dad named me after, right there. The same song Velette sang to me at the concert. Track number two."

"No kidding?"

"Yeah, and not only that, this same band, a couple years before that, around...'80, '81, I think, they had another hit with a girl's name, 'Jane.' So Mom and Dad made

that

my middle name. I think they

were

gonna name me Jane, but once 'Sara' came along..."

Melleny nodded, taking it all in. "...Wow," she finally said. "...Okay, well, my turn then, I guess, huh? Uh...I'm 29, my birthday's April 6th...I like blue a lot too...and purple, and red...actually, there aren't any colors I don't like. I have a giant rainbow flag in my room. I...guess my favorite food's always been pizza...and I like Sandra Bullock, too, but I have a

major

crush on Kate Hudson.

And

her Mom, too, actually."

"Mm, they're cute," Sara agreed. "But, I'd have to say I'm more partial to brunettes."

"Ooh," said Mel, pleased to hear that. With her wily hair and eyes, she was in luck. She played with her locks, feigning idleness but really reminding Sara she herself was a comely brunette. "And I guess I, conversely, like blondes. And other non-brunettes."

"Well, I may not exactly be blonde myself, but I can understand. Jake, my pal, 's got this blonde girlfriend, this

smokin'

hot chick from Copenhagen, and...

damn

, those Scandinavian girls," she chuckled. "Lucky son of a gun."

"

Really?

...Just how far away

is

Copenhagen?" Melleny joked. They shared a giggle.

"Well...I don't smoke either," Mel went on. "Sometimes I'll have a drink if it's a party or something...and I'm

not

an only child, but I've often kinda wished I was. Believe it or not, I have

seven

sisters."

"Good golly Miss Molly!" exclaimed Sara.

"That's one of them," nodded Mel. "We're all 'M's. I'm number four. Molly's the baby."

"

Wow!

I always thought it'd be cool to have a sister, but not

that

many!"

"Tell me about it."

"Any brothers?"

"No, thank God. I'd feel so sorry for him. We would've made his life a living hell."

They paused for a few hors d'oeuvres.

"...And, uh, if I may..." Melleny hesitated just a little, "I might not be able to see those other parts of your body, but...I think you have a beautiful nose."

"Aw!" Sara smiled gratefully. "Thanks. I'm a little touchy about it, so that means a lot."

"Me too."

"You're touchy about my nose too?"

Melleny laughed. "Mine."

"Oh, yours is

super

-pretty! No need to worry about that!

"So, let me ask you something," Sara said after another beat. "You said your favorite food's probably pizza?...What do you like on it?"

"Oh, pretty much everything: pepperoni, sausage—"

"Whew!" said Sara, cutting her off there. "

Girl

, am I glad to hear that. Last chick I dated was a

total

vegan. Unbelievable; she thought I was a bar

bari

an 'cause I love chicken!"

"Well, God help her," said Melleny. "I could

never

be a vegan, or vegetarian. I

am

, on the other hand, a '

vag

-etarian;' I

do

eat..." She lowered her voice to a whisper.

"...

Pussy

."

Sara blushed, laughing reflexively from her gut. "Oh my

gosh!

Melleny, how raunchy!"

She smiled, took Mel's hands and kissed one. "Well, if you love actual meat—

and

'girl-meat'—then you and I are gonna get along just

fine

. I know lesbians often stay friends with our exes—or, we're '

supposed

' to—but I had to make an exception in that case."

Mel smiled back. "Well...yeah, I'm no vegan, and I'm not a virgin, either; I lost it to this woman named Gail, but now I kinda regret it. I could do without seeing her again too. I don't wanna go into all the details, but...well, y'know, I have an emotional side just as much as the next lesbi, but

this

girl...oh, my,

GOD

. You look up 'drama queen' in the dictionary, there she is. After we, uh...y'know...she-she just flipped! It was like she turned into a completely different person! Suddenly she's calling me every day, has to know where our relationship's going, what it's all working towards, and...eventually it just really started to freak me out. So, finally—and I felt so bad about it, but it was driving me crazy—finally, I just had to tell her it was over. And boy, did

that

get ugly."

Sara chuckle-scoffed with a roll of the eyes. "Women."

"I know, right?!" Mel laughed.

It went without saying Sara was very pleased at how well they were getting on so far. "Well, I'd love to tell you I'm not like that, but honestly, I really don't know," mused Sara. "'S something I've never had the opportunity to find out about myself. I'd have to have an actual relationship, and see how it goes.

"I mean, I'm just so happy Velette came to town so we could meet," Sara chuckled. "It's hard for girls to meet each other. I know we have bars and clubs, but that's not really my thing. And I don't wanna get down on us or anything, but at least from what I've heard, a lot of those girls aren't interested in too much other than...one thing."

Mel nodded. Sara took a breath, and went on.

"I mean, mayb—...maybe I shouldn't be saying this; I know it's only our first date, but, from the way my dates've gone in the past, I've learned that I don't wanna be anyone's fling. Or bridge girl. I...believe I really want a long-term relationship. You know Jake, at the concert? My lesbro? I've known him 22 years, and if just suddenly one day, for whatever reason, he just wasn't my friend anymore...I'd be heartbroken. So...just like with a romantic relationship—again, not that I'm trying to get ahead of things here," she quickly added, "I'd be looking for long-term. I'm-I'm not saying anything about you or me, but in the little experience I have, some lesbians seem very afraid of commitment."

She popped one of the chicken pieces. "But I didn't mean to bog the conversation down saying all that stuff, just, eh..." She let it trail off.

"It's okay," Melleny told her gently. "It's good to know what you want. I'm not trying to get ahead of ourselves either, but I think we should just let whatever happens happen, and if we decide to see each other again after this, just do the same thing."

She paused, then became philosophical. "Y'know, I think if you overanalyze or try to 'make' things happen, it becomes less...'real,' you know what I mean? It's like then it's less genuine, and things start to feel artificial. And sooner or later, someone'll get hurt."

"Omigosh, that's just how I feel!" Sara exclaimed, gesturing to herself with surprised delight, and a mouthful of chicken. "You can't pretend to be something you're not. If you change yourself just to please someone else, neither person can be truly happy."

"Exactly," said Mel. Helping herself to another hors d'oeuvre, she shifted the subject.

"My gosh, 'dyou make these?"

"Yup," Sara said proudly.

"They're amazing."

"Well, I'm overjoyed you like 'em."

"I very much fancy a gal who's also a chef," Mel commented. "And someone who can make me laugh."

"Never underestimate the power of a good sense of humor," Sara concurred. "And again," she continued, "Hypothetically, even if things end up

not

working out—not that I'm superstitious—but if not, maybe we can get Velette to come back on

your

birthday!"

Mel nodded excitedly. "Hey, let's do that anyway!"

They both laughed, after which letting the conversation fade for a minute. They looked down at the same time to see they were still holding hands: Sara's left, Melleny's right. When Sara'd taken her hands after the 'vag-etarian' portion of their meet-greet, she'd kissed Mel's left and let it go. But the other two remained absentmindedly connected.

"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry," Sara murmured, a bit embarrassed. She placed her hand on the table. To her surprise, Melleny put hers right back on top of Sara's, curling her fingers.

"I'm not," she remarked. "I enjoyed the way that felt."

Sara wasn't sure what to say. She hadn't been on that many dates, and wasn't sure how "well" she was doing so far on this one. And presented with such a situation, her immediate and only reaction was to coyly shut her eyes, smile, turn her face away and blush again. Her cheeks reddened visibly, even with her makeup on. They relinked hands, thumb-stroking one another's palms. Sara felt a chill of happiness ride her body. She suddenly had a feeling she was going to really like this girl.

"But then again, of course," Mel added, "Some people are creeped out by physical contact, just touching someone else's skin. I can't relate to that, though. Just the opposite; I actually prefer it. I guess that's one of the reasons I became a masseuse."

"You're a masseuse?" Sara asked, this being new information to her.

Mel nodded. Sara's first instinct hearing this, as would be many's, was obviously to ask her for a massage. But whether kidding or serious, she refrained. For several reasons. They were only in stage one of their first date. So asking for something like this right off the bat seemed, well, a

little

forward to say the least. For another, she thought Mel must've heard that request all the time when telling someone what she did. And third, being a professional, she probably didn't just give away her expert massages for free. And fourth, Melleny was now asking her another question.