Exquisite Perspective Ch. 02

Morgan then read her manuscript. If she thought Amelia had talent before, now she believed her to be a literary genius. The prose was beautifully scripted, the plot rich and engaging. When she came to the end, she was pleasantly surprised with the joy brought by the closure provided. Although she was biased due to sleeping with the author, it felt like perfection in written form.

Amelia cooed in her sleep, stretching a leg out, causing the blanket to slide down her body. Her arms were above her pillow, cradling her head, her long brown hair draped over the edge of the bed. Morgan smiled to herself, letting her hand cup Amelia's face softly, taking in her lover's beauty while she slept. The blankets had fallen back, revealing Amelia's naked hip and she drew a deep breath before rolling onto her stomach, clearly still asleep. She was completely uncovered at that point, her bare bottom and legs on full display for Morgan's viewing pleasure.

Morgan traced a finger down her spine, barely grazing her skin until she opened her palm on Amelia's right cheek. A handful of freckles clustered on said cheek and Morgan ran her thumb over the discolored skin, smiling to herself. This woman is going to be my undoing, she concluded. God help her if Amelia didn't want exclusivity.

****

"So, you're really taking off this weekend? How convenient that it's just in time for me to be back in town," Liz's tone was incredulous as she waited for Amelia to reply. The morning was beautiful, the sun not yet baking the area in the dense July heat, offering the city a short respite before it hit. Amelia hadn't seen Liz O'Neil in almost ten months and was glad she was able to see her best friend.

They had known each other since they were in middle school, immediately becoming friends regardless of their mismatched upbringings. The two couldn't be more different from one another, Liz coming from a stable family living in an affluent neighborhood in northern Ocean City and Amelia from humble beginnings with her mother post-divorce in a quaint one bedroom condo.

Amelia smiled sheepishly. "You're not allowed to guilt trip me. I had no idea you were going to be back so soon and I already made plans with Morgan," she retorted. Her plans for the weekend were set before Morgan left the morning before and she couldn't wait to see her again. She was going up to Philadelphia Friday afternoon and had no intention of coming back until Monday morning. "Besides, it's not like you're leaving right away. You're staying for a bit this time, right?"

After college, Liz had taken over her father's hobby of a traveling art gallery, allowing her the luxury of seeing the world whilst meeting eccentric individuals. However, it was not by Liz's choice, but from the pressure put on her by her parents. The two friends talked as frequently as possible but with Liz's last destination, they hadn't kept in touch.

Liz nodded and leaned back in the chair. "Yep. I'll be here for at least a month or two while the gallery is in Atlantic City and then it's off to New York," she took a sip of her lemonade and regarded Amelia. "So, Morgan, huh? What's with this chick; is it serious?" Liz asked skeptically. Amelia had confided in her friend when Morgan had warned her of the upcoming closure of the flower shop and this led Liz to hold a skewed perspective toward the realtor.

"I'm not sure. It hasn't come up in conversation yet but, I want it to be serious. I guess you could say I'm being cautiously optimistic," Amelia acquiesced, finally admitting out loud that she wanted something more with Morgan.

Amelia met Liz's puzzled emerald eyes, her blond brows drawn together. "Maybe you should talk to her about that. To be honest, I'm just glad you aren't with Becca anymore. God, I hated that bitch," Liz remarked, tossing her curls over her shoulder before taking a bite of the salad in front of her. The woman she referred to had been Amelia's last girlfriend and she had been distraught after the end of their relationship.

After allowing herself a chuckle, Amelia digressed. "So, how is the gallery going?"

Liz grinned. "It's been better lately. You should've seen the work I was able to display in Portland. Some of those artists are, well, interesting. In particular, we showcased a beautiful collection of photographs consisting of flowers. Except, in each angle, the flower looked distinctively like a pussy. When I pointed it out to the photographer, she told me I was an idiot and that was the whole point of the collection."

Amelia and Liz stared at each other for a brief moment before they were both overtaken by a giggling fit. She was ecstatic that Liz found humor and happiness in her work as of late. Her friend was seldom satisfied with the professional aspects of her life, usually being apathetic toward her achievements.

Amelia assumed it was due to her father's push to take over his gallery instead of finishing her degree in art history. Liz had always wanted to be a museum curator rather than a gallery owner. Not to mention her guarded heart put a damper on the rest of her relations.

"The photographer was drop dead gorgeous. Too bad she was a pretentious shit," Liz sighed, fixing her gaze on Amelia. "But, enough about me. Tell me more about this girl. How is it she almost shuts down your mom's shop and you still find yourself swooning?"

Amelia feigned offense. "I am not swooning!"

"You're totally swooning. I don't care, but I don't want to clean up the mess if she dumps you."

Amelia rolled her eyes at the remark. "Oh, please. I'm a grown woman and left those post break up moping sessions in my teen years where they belong."

Liz laughed. "Yeah, now you just board yourself up in a room and write for ten days straight. Because that's healthy," she paused when Amelia threw her a faux scowl. "Hey, I'm not judging," her boisterous voice lowered by a few octaves, and her face had taken on a sullen expression as she met Amelia's eyes, "Your way of dealing with heartbreak is far better than my own."

The alluding, albeit lighthearted, of Liz's last breakup was enough to strip the mood down to an awkward silence among the friends. Liz found her lover of three years in a bout of skilled cunnilingus with one of the artists during a showing in Montreal the spring before. It was just a few weeks after their monumental and enthusiastic engagement. Amelia wasn't sure how to rebound after Liz brought it up. Although it had been well over a year, the betrayal and pain were still clear in her best friend's demeanor.

She had halted the gallery showing and flew back home, bursting through Amelia's Cape May condo with a bottle of whiskey. Unfortunately, after a great deal of bawling and the same amount of drinking, the two friends ended up in an embrace on the floor when Becca came over for a spontaneous date with Amelia.

Liz had been heartbroken and morose, and Amelia couldn't let her friend drink away her sorrows. She'd grabbed hold of Liz and let her sob against her, coaxing the usually dispassionate woman to let her pain out. It was a simple gesture of comfort that made Becca livid. It hadn't led to their inevitable break up, but Amelia couldn't say it helped any.

"You know I was kidding, right?" Liz began.

"About what?"

Liz's green eyes were sincere. "I will totally be there for you if you get your heart broken again."

"Liz, I know that. You were there for me when Becca left, even if it was just to tell me that I stunk and to force me to take a break from my pathetic wallowing long enough to shower. That's what best friends are for."

Liz nodded in agreement before she spoke with humor, lifting her glass of lemonade in salutation. "Here's to praying this one is more understanding when it comes to the 'artistic process.'"

Amelia clinked her glass to Liz's and they both laughed.

**

The drive to Philadelphia a few days later was much quicker than expected and Amelia's excitement was building. Along with that excitement was a slight trepidation she'd held since Liz's comment.

Amelia's last relationship had been somewhat serious and the resulting downfall at her fault. She'd been in one of her impulsive creative streaks and her ex, Becca, couldn't understand her process. It had sprung upon her unannounced during a weekend trip to New York City, following her home when they left the Big Apple.

It hadn't been a surprise to Amelia but what did catch her off guard was that it lasted well over a month. She allowed it to consume her world, thankful for the flexibility of her freelance employment as she rode the wave of creativity. Patiently, she constructed one of her best written works and she was still basking in the high royalties.

However, Becca, wasn't too fond of Amelia's sleepless nights, weeks of nonstop writing and editing, and her refusal to leave her bedroom. The combination of these resulted in a swift disconnect. In Amelia's defense, she had tried to incorporate her in the process, but Becca declined the opportunity.

There was also the hanging jealousy of her friendship with Liz. The two friends shared their preference for women but had never taken to each other romantically. Their relationship was akin to a sisterhood and neither wanted to delve into anything further. This didn't stop Becca from becoming uncomfortable with their strong bond.

After Becca and Amelia broke up, Amelia went on another writing binge and would have stayed in the same spot had it not been for Liz dragging Amelia from her laptop and forcing her to eat. It lasted a short ten days and Amelia returned to her normal routine, sans girlfriend. She had fallen into a relationship rut and was fine with that until her mother passed. And then along came Morgan.

By the time Amelia reached the Ben Franklin bridge, the sun was reaching the horizon on the backdrop of Philadelphia. She'd planned on leaving earlier in the day, but an order had gotten misplaced and she had to work out the details of reordering the products before she could leave. Kathy offered to take over for the weekend, but Amelia hadn't wanted to leave the mess for her to fix on a Friday.

At a stop light after the bridge, she stole a quick glance at the address she had pulled up on the maps app on her phone to Morgan's place. She wasn't familiar with the area but did find the location with ease ten minutes later. The building looked rather upscale and Amelia felt an insecurity of her own home, although Morgan never passed judgement upon her.

She parked her car in the garage and rode the elevator to Morgan's floor, finding her door and knocking. Morgan let her in, shutting the door behind her. Amelia couldn't help but notice how amazing Morgan looked in a tight black tee shirt and blue jeans.

"Wow. Those are beautiful," Amelia marveled at the framed art as she followed Morgan through a short hall into a living room, taking in the space. Magnificent paintings hung on the walls, each one abstract in some form, some vibrantly hued, others holding a faint pastel shade.

Morgan smiled, pulling her close. "Thank you. Now, what were you thinking for dinner?"

"Hmm, you?"

Morgan chuckled heartedly. "That's dessert. How do you feel about going out? I know it's late so we could order in."

"I think that's a good idea," Amelia mused, kissing Morgan's neck tenderly.

After a healthy dose of Chinese take-out, Morgan told Amelia to turn on music of her choice. She connected her phone to the small portable speaker Morgan handed her and opened her music app. With a grin, she chose Closer by Tegan and Sara. "Who's this?" Morgan asked sincerely when the song began to play.

Amelia whipped her head around to stare at Morgan as the twins chanted through the speaker about coming closer. "Uh, Tegan and Sara," she raised an eyebrow.

"I've never heard of them," Morgan replied, and Amelia gaped, shaking her head in mock disappointment. Then, she noticed Morgan wasn't joking.

"Oh, my God, you're serious. In that case, let me introduce you to their music," after turning up the volume, Amelia moved her hips to the rhythm, smirking at Morgan and humming to the music. Stepping toward Morgan, she looked up at her and batted her eyelashes, attempting a wistful glance but feeling like an idiot.

She continued her little cavort while the song belted on about getting underneath someone and Morgan secured a grip of both Amelia's hips, pulling her back to her chest. Evidently, she was taking to the music.

Morgan's breasts pressed into Amelia's back and the sensation was enchanting. "How in the world have you never heard of them?" she ranted to the living room, Morgan's chuckles rumbling her back. "They're a super cool indie band from Canada who happen to be queer and twin sisters. It's like a lesbian right of passage to fight over which is hotter!"

Amelia was still rocking to the music against her as Morgan laughed again and kissed the top of her head from behind. "You are so goddamn cute when you get all serious about something," Morgan remarked, a hand sliding from her hips to brush her fingers over Amelia's stomach.

Her other hand tentatively pulled Amelia's hair from where it lay around her neck. When Morgan's warm lips made contact with her skin, Amelia couldn't halt her long moan. "Oooh," she whimpered as Morgan's kisses trailed her neck, Morgan tugging at the collar of her shirt to expose more skin.

How did she know how to ignite the fire within Amelia so quickly? It was as if the woman could read Amelia's body in stark detail, guided only by the physical reactions elicited by her touch. She was correct when she assumed Morgan to be intuitive as she felt the woman behind her kiss up her neck and her tongue lash at an earlobe. "Morgan," she hissed, her backside pressed to Morgan's pelvis. Morgan's hand on her stomach skirted the edge of Amelia's jeans, taunting the skin below her navel with a light caress, her teeth catching Amelia's earlobe.

Amelia jerked away from her, needing to kiss those tantalizing lips. She faced her lover, meeting her hungry gaze and Morgan's eyes were dark as she peered down at her. "I want you so bad," Amelia admitted. Morgan's hand came back up to cup her cheek before they met in a ravenous kiss. Amelia placed her hands on Morgan's back, yanking her closer, causing Morgan's thigh to meet her dampening core.

Morgan's dark eyebrow lifted as her lips quirked into a smile. "If you keep that up, we're going to have to take this to my bedroom."

"That's hardly a threat," Amelia quipped and the thought of devouring her lover was quickly clouding her consciousness. Morgan captured her lips again fiercely, her hands on Amelia's lower back, her thigh pressing even harder against her apex. Amelia melted into Morgan's embrace, her need making itself known as she was overcome with an unrelenting blaze.

Morgan left her lips and Amelia opened her eyes to find her watching her with unshielded amusement. "If they're twins, how can one be more attractive than the other?"

"Hmm? What?" Amelia asked, confused as to why Morgan's hands and strong thigh had ceased their combined activity.

"How can one be more attractive than the other if they're twins?"

Amelia shook her head and giggled. "Because I said so. We'll discuss that more later. Right now, I'm pretty sure we have more important things that need attention. Where's your bedroom?" Amelia didn't wait for an answer from Morgan as she snatched the portable speaker and her phone.

Morgan laced her fingers in Amelia's free hand and led her down the long hall to the master suite, music still pouring from the speaker. When she opened the door, Morgan turned to her, kissing her hand. "I hope you don't mind, but I might have gotten something for us, if you want to try," Morgan said cryptically.

Amelia looked at her with caution. "You might have? What would that something be?" Aw, she bought something for us?She's so sweet!

Morgan ignored her question and moved toward an open door. Amelia seized the opportunity take a peek around the room. It was large, probably larger than half of Amelia's condo, with the dark hardwood from the rest of the unit spread to the master.

The doorway Morgan had gone through appeared to be a walk-in closet and beside it a door to the master bathroom. Amelia could see a massive tub inside along with a shower stall and a long marble counter. Wow, this place is huge, she thought. She knew from the sight of the rest of the place that it was nice but hadn't realized it until she saw the bedroom.

She placed the portable speaker on a dresser along with her phone, taking in the rest of the space. The bed was huge. Amelia guessed it was king size and it was covered with a dark comforter and the pillows were neatly arranged at the head of the bed.

Morgan stepped out of the closet with a small bag in her hand. The corner of her mouth lifted in a crooked smile. "What's that?" Amelia inquired, trying to guess what the package in her hand was. Package. She bought us a strap-on?Her brows lifted in understanding and she grinned at her lover when Morgan removed the item from its bag.

"I thought maybe we could...," Morgan's voice trailed off in hesitation as Amelia pulled her shirt off over her head, determined to make her speechless. She found Morgan's sudden shyness caused by the strap on in her hand endearing.

When her shirt was off and she was in her black bra and jeans, she took Morgan's widened eyes and slack jaw as a success. "Uh, I'll take that as a yes?" Morgan questioned as Amelia slid her jeans down, dropping them to the floor before crawling into Morgan's bed. She stayed on her hands and knees, turning her head to stare at Morgan who was still clothed, standing where she had been. Morgan's eyes appeared obsidian, her lush lips parted as she took a step forward.

Amelia's hair was draped over her back and shoulders, the brown strands spilling on to the bed. She hoped she looked as sexy as she felt and she lifted an eyebrow suggestively, smiling when she heard the opening melody ofStop Desire playing. "Oh, this song couldn't be more perfect," she admitted.

Morgan grinned and shook her head. "Really? How?"

Amelia plopped on her back, the blanket cool on her naked skin. She nuzzled her head into the pile of intricate pillows at the head of the bed, raising her arms above her as waited for Morgan to join her.

"Wait for it," she paused while Morgan hastily removed her own tee shirt over her head and tossed it with Amelia's.

Amelia visually drank in Morgan's beauty. Her short black hair was ruffled from taking her shirt off and cheeks tinged copper. The pale 'nude' fabric of Morgan's bra contrasted against her gorgeous bronze skin and the swell of her breasts was delectably inviting. The curve of her hip bones disappearing beneath her jeans was noticeable and Amelia wanted to run her tongue down the prominences.

She grinned when Morgan swayed her head to the music, the smirk on her face leading Amelia to believe Morgan was noting the words being sung. Amelia blushed before speaking in the most commanding voice she could muster, "Take your pants off."

Morgan obliged, unbuttoning her jeans and kicking them off. Amelia felt bashful as Morgan clambered up the bed, sliding her hands over her naked stomach and planting a strategic kiss directly above her bra. Her body hovered over Amelia's, her legs on either side Amelia's left thigh.

When Morgan looked down at her, Amelia's giggle caught in her throat. "You have no idea how sexy you are," Morgan murmured, her breath hot on Amelia's skin.

"I know how sexy you make me feel," Amelia replied candidly. Morgan kissed her as if she had been starved of affection. Her tongue dipped into her mouth, her hands raking up her body to slide the straps of her bra down her shoulders.