11

Eleven
ADRIENNE tossed her patchwork book bag into the trunk of her very junky Ford Taurus. Rummaging through her lavender knit purse she checked for bare essentials: keys, id, wads of crumpled dollar bills, random prescriptions, Nokia cell phone. Hadassah watched her, resting her hands on her full figured hips accentuated by her low rise jeans. Adrienne looked up from her bag and nodded at Hadassah; Hadassah turned and walked across the parking lot, sauntering seductively. Adrienne smiled to herself. Hadassah automatically unlocked the midnight metallic blue Infiniti Twin Turbo.
Upon entering the driver’s seat she turned on the cd player and began blasting live remixes of Ani Defranco. Adrienne threw her purse in the back seat and put on her seat belt. Hadassah reached over to put the car in reverse and placed her hand on Adrienne’s upper right thigh. Reaching out, Adrienne ran her fingers through Hadassah’s micro-braids and shifted slightly on the seat so that Hadassah’s hand was now on the inside of her thigh. She squeezed Adrienne’s thigh and returned her attention to the gear shift.
The car meandered through well lit main roads as well as half darkened back streets; inconspicuously Adrienne kept her eye on the speedometer. She would be fine as long as Hadassah stayed under 80 mph. she was pushing it with 75. Adrienne kept her mind occupied by perusing Hadassah’s CD’s in the space between the seats as well as the ones above her head in the visor. They seemed to be separated by gender rather than genre. Pink, Ani Defranco, Tori Amos, Alliyah, Ashanti, The Cranberries, Alanis Morrisette, Dar Williams, Fiona Apple, The Indigo Girls, Laryn Hill, Tweet, Natalie Merchant, Rage Against the Machine, Angie Apparo: all predominantly female artists with a large collection of lesbian artists. Adrienne looked up from “The Battle of Los Angeles” as the car halted to a stop to find them in a dark parking lot in front of a half lit bar decorated with ice sickle lights. Hadassah turned to look at her with a glint in her eyes. “You ready?” She asked, her head tilted to one side inquisitively. Adrienne stared into Hadassah’s golden eyes, realizing that she was referring to more than going drinking. “Always,” she said lowly.
Adrienne followed slightly behind Hadassah up the half lit steps to the door, her hand lightly held in Hadassah’s grasp. The aroma of tequila and Newport filled her lungs. Adrienne closed her eyes and counted to five. She silently reminded herself that not everyone who smoked Newport was Jamar. She exhaled and tried to chase away the memory connected with the scent. She ran her fingers through her red curls and covered the still swelling black eye.
She perched herself on a stool next to Hadassah. Hadassah was busy resting her breasts on the counter in an attempt to get the bar tender are attention. It proved quite effective, because the purple haired woman charged her a two for one price for the two Tequila Sunrises and two Sex on the Beach. Hadassah took the drinks and motioned for Adrienne to follow her to a darkly lit booth at the back of the bar.
Adrienne poked the ice of her second Sex on the Beach with the cocktail straw. Hadassah was already on her fourth Tequila Sunrise. “Drink up, Baby, you’re supposed to be keeping up with me.” A swervey Hadassah held her gaze. Except that Adrienne couldn’t tell which one of them was doing the swerving. Hadassah took her hand and led her to the middle of the dance floor. It was less like a dance floor and more like a small par key inlay randomly positioned in the center of the room. Adrienne tripped over her own combat boots. She was definitely the one swerving.
She wrapped her arms around Hadassah’s neck in an effort to hold herself up as Hadassah grinded up against her to the music. Even in combat boots Adrienne stood about six inches shorter than Hadassah. She ran her mouth across Hadassah’s neck, tasting the salt of her sweat. Hadassah’s hands slipped up her shirt and grasped her back. She could feel her head throbbing with the music against Hadassah’s neck. Hadassah licked the salt off Adrienne’s neck and took another tequila shot. A random Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirt collided with Adrienne’s head, and the owner spilled whiskey all over her. All she could smell was Jamar, and she collapsed against Hadassah. Hadassah swept her away and threw her up against the wall, slovenly licking the whiskey off of her neck and her partially exposed chest. Adrienne could hardly get the words out. “I think we need to get out of here.”
Hadassah led Adrienne out the door with her arm around her waist and Adrienne’s arm around her neck. Adrienne continued to trip over her boots. “Can you drive?” She slurred. Hadassah laughed heartily. “You’re the one drunk, baby girl, not me.” Adrienne ran her fingers over Hadassah’s purple lips. “But you had—four tequila shots and some shots.” Her heavy voice trailed off. Hadassah set her down in the passenger seat of the car. “Four tequila sunrises, five tequila shots, and the whiskey off your gorgeous breasts, but who’s counting? I can drink a bottle of Hennessey and still drive.” She smirked and put Adrienne’s seat belt on her. The door slammed and Adrienne drifted off into a drunken sleep.
The car’s momentum woke her. Hadassah wasn’t driving as fast as she had earlier. Adrienne peered at the speedometer, but the numbers washed together. She glanced up at the moon, high in the sky, a night without stars. They passed an office park, the fountain in the middle catching Adrienne’s attention. “Pull over,” she slurred. Hadassah looked at her oddly. “What?” Adrienne turned to face her. “Go back and pull over.” “You are going to throw up? And you’re picky about where?” Adrienne shook her head, and everything swam. “No.” If Adrienne had been driving she would have made a u-turn; but, apparently, that wasn’t Hadassah’s way, because she put the car in reverse and sped up. “Stop,”’ Adrienne gasped, climbing out of the car as soon as it stopped.
“What the hell are you doing?” Hadassah stood by the car with her hands on her hips as she had earlier. Adrienne was running toward the fountain, half swerving, and half tripping over herself. She stood beneath the falling water, letting it soak through her clothes and saturate her scarlet hair. She leaned her head back and let the icy water run over her face and down her neck. Her mind cleared a little. She was brought back to herself by splashing. Hadassah stood next to her, just as soaked, attempting to splash large amounts of water on Adrienne. Giggling, Adrienne splashed her back, this time coming closer.
Hadassah’s breasts were extra perky in the wet tank top, the cotton material fitting like a second skin and conforming to the concave of each hip. Adrienne involuntarily ran her hands across her hips. Hadassah ran her mouth along the side of Adrienne’s face, stopping at the edge of her mouth. She ran her fingers through scarlet curl, down her back, and up Adrienne’s purple tank top that was plastered to her. Abruptly she stopped when a light flashed in her eyes. She turned her head away from Adrienne to face the owner of the flashlight.
The security guard stood about 5’11, only five inches taller than Hadassah. She raised her eyebrows. “You want something?” she challenged. Adrienne continued to stare at Hadassah. “As much as I would love to watch, ladies, you should really take this somewhere else,” he replied curtly. Hadassah smirked. “What’s the matter? Mad because you can’t join in?” Adrienne covered her face with her hands, suppressing a giggle. The security guard smirked. “As much as I would love to, I don’t think it would be good for me to get caught on tape.” He pointed to a small red light protruding from the mouth of the sculpted lion by the fountain. Hadassah kicked water in his direction.
She grasped Adrienne’s had and led her back to the car, Adrienne continuing to stumble over herself. Adrienne could no longer suppress her laughter. Together they burst out laughing uncontrollably. Suddenly composed, Hadassah pinned Adrienne up against the car. She leaned inward, caressing Adrienne’s lips with her tongue. Adrienne parted her lips and allowed herself to be consumed by Hadassah’s mouth. She reached up and ran her hand down Hadassah’s back and up her shirt, wrapping her right leg around Hadassah’s waist. Hadassah slipped her hand down the back of Adrienne’s pants and popped her purple thong. She slid her mouth across Adrienne’s face and over her ear. “Want to go home?” she whispered. The musky scent of vanilla wafted of her and floated through Adrienne’s head. She was so consumed by Hadassah’s scent that all she could do was nod.

ADRIENNE stood in the doorway while Hadassah moved about the livening room lighting blue candles, the room filling up with the scent of blueberry. In the dim light of the flame she allowed her eyes to wander around the two bedroom apartment. Blue curtains, blue candles, a low glass coffee table with an artificial blue flower arrangement, couch pillows on the floor, a 27 inch TV that sat on the floor across from the pillows that served as a couch. Half a bottle of Jack Daniels sat on the coffee table, surrounded by at least half a dozen half smoked Black and Mild. “They’re my brother’s,” she said matter of factly, as if reading Adrienne’s mind. Adrienne came farther in and sat down on the floor next to Hadassah in front of the table. She reached out and caressed Hadassah’s face with the tips of her fingers; Hadassah ran her mouth across Adrienne’s lips, answering her caress. Adrienne caressed her shoulders, slipping the spaghetti straps of her still soaked tank top down her arms. Hadassah’s skin burned against her touch, contrasting with the ice of the wet cotton. Adrienne slid her mouth down Hadassah’s throat. Gently, she pushed Hadassah over onto her back.
She ran her hands up the sides of Hadassah’s body, slipping the wet shirt over her head and casting it aside. Adrienne gazed intently at the way the candle light cast shadows across Hadassah’s face. She ran her mouth down Hadassah’s stomach and stopped at her navel piercing. She began to play with the silver rod with her tongue. Hadassah grasped Adrienne’s hair; without warning, Hadassah threw Adrienne forward, causing her to sit up. Adrienne barely caught her balance, a little thrown off. Hadassah stood, towering over Adrienne by at least half a foot. Leaning down, she slipped her arms around Adrienne’s waist and pulled her to her feet. Abruptly, she hurled Adrienne against the wall. Adrienne gasped slightly, the wind partially knocked out of her; Hadassah ran her mouth along the hollow of Adrienne’s neck. She cast her tequila breath across Adrienne’s face, and the heat made Adrienne’s knees buckle out from underneath her.
Hadassah caught her with one arm and slid the other hand up Adrienne’s tank top. She caught the fabric of Adrienne’s shirt and lifted it over her head. Her face traveled down Adrienne’s stomach, her lips resting right below her navel. She bit her suddenly, and Adrienne would have slid down the wall to the floor were it not for Hadassah’s arm around her waist. Hadassah pushed her harder against the wall; she removed her arm from Adrienne’s waist and began fumbling with the buttons of Adrienne’s jeans. Hadassah pulled them down slowly, allowing the heat from her hands to penetrate Adrienne’s thighs. She ran her mouth along the waistband of Adrienne’s purple thong, her tongue wandering over the little flowers with rhinestones for centers. Adrienne grasped Hadassah’s shoulders as she pulled the thong back with her teeth and let it snap back. She slipped her arms around Adrienne’s waist and threw her over her shoulder. Heading for the bedroom just off the living room, she threw Adrienne onto the bed and jump kicked the door shut.