Love: At What Cost

"So Michelle, what kind of pizza do you like?" Tony asked as her opened her car door.

"Chicken, pineapple, and mushroom.... Why?" Michelle answered baffled at his reaction.

"Gross... no fungi for me... So we can get a meat special and one girly fufu thing for you and mom. So, are you guys like serious, or is this just a dating thing?"

"It's serious... does that bother you son?" Linda asked, hoping for acceptance.

"Like I can complain... If I did that... then you'd have the right to get all into my choices of girls and stuff... I'm smarter than that. Plus Mark's sister is like all into girls and I still like her... You know what I mean?" Tony said as he pulled into the pizza place. "So, like who seduced who?" He asked as he opened their doors.

"It was more like spontaneous combustion.... Not that you need to know...." Linda said as Michelle blushed.

"Cool... cool, just wondered.... I knew you'd never settle for that dude.... Anyway it's cool with me... Though I hope Michelle don't mind getting like ogled at by a bunch of my friends... You are totally sexy and they are just guys..." Tony said as they walked up to the counter.

"A carnivore special... and one chicken ranch, with mushrooms and pineapple for the ladies...." Tony told the little girl behind the counter and smiled. The girl blushed, smiled back and placed the order.

"So, do you always say the first thing that pops into your head?" Michelle asked Tony, who was preening for the girl at the counter.

"What? Oh, not really, but I did have all that time you were dealing with Gram to think about it... All I know is that since mom came back from her trip, she's been a lot happier... so if that was because of you... who am I to cast stones? Sissy will pull her head out... She's just got to realize that what other people think doesn't matter that much in the scheme of things." He replied honestly.

Linda had never been so proud of her son. He was showing that he was growing up. She tried to raise her children to have open minds and it looked like with Tony, she achieved it. Then he shoved his foot in his mouth.

"Besides having a super sexy woman around the house all the time can't hurt!"

"Yep, he's all male..." Linda said at the look on Michelle's face.

"Yeah and he has his mother's tendency not to care what other people think... I believe if he survives the testosterone poisoning, he might make one of the good guys." They waited for their pizzas then headed home.

Tony took half of his pizza and disappeared to his room. Michelle and Linda shared theirs at the counter with a glass of wine. After they cleaned up the mess, Linda pulled her reluctant lover to her room. Michelle's overnight case had already been placed on the opposite side of the bed.

"Sugar, are you sure this is a good Idea? What if Tony..." For the first time in as long as she could remember, Michelle was nervous about the sleeping arrangements.

"Tony knows how to knock. I've waited to be able to sleep with you again... Don't be frightened... I've got you." Linda smiled at her lover as she started undressing. "Am I going to need my nightgown?" She asked as she tossed her clothes into the wicker hamper.

"Are you trying to seduce me Sugar?" Michelle giggled at Linda's transparent attempt.

"No, I am seducing you... soon I'm going to be making love to you... want to make a bet...?" Linda pulled down the comforter, and slipped into bed. She pulled off her panties before saying. "I have a surprise for you, but you have to find it."

Michelle licked her lips as she slipped out of her clothes and slid into the big bed next to Linda. "Are you sure this is a good idea, what if Tony hears us?" Her heart was beating hard. Deep down she knew Linda was going to get her way sooner or later.

Linda pulled Michelle into her arms, "Oh, how I've dreamed of getting you here. I might never let you up." She kissed her lover, who was still holding back.

"Maybe we should just cuddle... I don't know if I could be quiet... before we didn't have to worry...."

"Then don't worry now Love. He's already caught us kissing... He has to know we've made love..." Linda said between kisses and nips.

"I just want to hold you Sugar." Michelle said as she sighed at Linda's attention.

Linda pulled Michelle into the middle of the bed then straddled her. "So, you don't want me to do this?" She said as she leaned down and took a plump nipple into her mouth, making her lover gasp. "Or this...?" She continued to kiss and suck her breasts until Michelle was moaning uncontrollably.

Michelle lost, Linda had ignited the fire. She could feel the smooth flesh as it dragged and teased her skin. She felt the hard nipples as they tickled her stomach. Her eyes opened wide when she felt nothing but smooth skin and dampness as Linda's sex rubbed the skin of her leg.

"You've shaved... You're so hot and wet... ugggg ooohhhh." She moaned as her lover played with her body.

"Yes, yours felt so nice... I didn't want anything between us... not even hair... so when I did this...!" She hissed as she moved down and latched onto her lover's sex...

"Oh... OH... OOOHHHhhhhh" Michelle breathed as Linda licked and circled her throbbing clit.

"Remember you wanted to be quiet...." Linda teased as she inserted the first finger, looking for Michelle's special spot. Michelle, less than a half hour later, grabbed the closest pillow, as her lover made her scream in climax.

Linda spooned her lover and soothed her to sleep. She knew another time Michelle would please her. She was content to know she took her lover to that special place. She covered her shoulders and back with kisses, as she rubbed her abdomen until she heard the rhythmic breathing, telling her, Michelle slept.

***

Linda was wrapped in a cocoon with her lover, and didn't want to wake up. Michelle on the other hand, woke up worried about what Tony thought of the noise she couldn't help making as Linda made love to her the night before.

Michelle scooted out of bed, having to go pee. She rummaged around her bag, and realized she forgot her robe. She headed to the bathroom, wondering what she was going to do. She didn't want to get dressed, but waned to surprise her lover in bed with the coffee Linda always craved when she woke up.

Finding Linda's robe, she hoped Tony, like other teenagers she's heard about, slept late. She pulled on the short robe, which because of the height difference, barely covered her butt. She pulled it tight around her and crept into the kitchen. She found the stuff she needed and was drinking a glass of water, when Tony came in the back door.

He looked like he just finished a run. Michelle was stunned. She thought.... It didn't matter, she felt overly exposed as she tried to keep the essentials covered. In the back of her mind, she knew he heard them and worried about his reaction. She was doubly concerned by the troubled look on his face.

Tony knew Michelle was there, but his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't figure out girls. One of them he was interested in kept dropping hints that she wanted to... and Tracy was pushing him to go all the way. He really liked Tracy, but he knew that she's made the same offer to other guys. He didn't know if he liked her enough to do that... then if she got pregnant... He knew he didn't want to marry her....

The silence stretched as Michelle and Tony stood less than five feet from each other, lost in their own thoughts. Michelle was worried about what he would say, knowing like his mother, he didn't hold back.

Tony was trying to figure things out in his own head. Like if he wanted to break up with Tracy to go after Susan... Then it dawned on him... Michelle was a girl...! Maybe she could help. Michelle saw the look and knew Tony was going to bust them out.

"Hey Michelle..."

"Yes?" Michelle waited for the shoe to drop.

"You're a girl right?" Tony asked

"The last time I looked....Why?" Wondering at where the conversation headed as the young man veered left.

"Well I have this problem... there are these two girls and..." Tony started laying out his problem.

'Oh... oh, well, if that's all he needs...' She thought, as she tried to focus on the young man.

"And she wants to go all the way and I don't know who's been there... but, Susan won't talk to me if we're in public and I just can't figure them out. So, what do you think?"

"Isn't this something you should be asking your mom?" Said Michelle, relived.

"Eww gross... I can't talk to my mom about girls and sex... Don't think so... not in this lifetime. Besides you might have a different point of view... you know. Like, I know my mom has only been with my dad and now you... you've been around... you know what I mean...? I'm not saying you've spread it around or anything like that but..."

Michelle choked on the water she was drinking as Tony dug himself in deeper. "Okay... okay, I got it... we'll leave it at that I have more experience..." She said trying not to laugh. "Well, um first... I'd have to say for this family, if you don't want to have sex with this girl, then don't... It seems to be a major trigger from what I've learned. Besides, you're only seventeen... there is plenty of time to find someone you really want to share that with. Trust me, it's worth the wait." Michelle tried to give him the best advice she could.

Linda heard their voices and knew if she wanted her coffee, she'd have to get it herself. She walked into the kitchen, stopped behind Michelle, and hugged her good morning. She kissed Tony on the cheek as she grabbed her mug out of the cupboard.

"Then if this other girl won't talk to you in public, then don't talk to her in private. She'll either come to you, or you'll find someone else." Michelle went on as Linda put her head on her shoulder to listen.

The rest of the weekend went without a hitch. They all worked together on the backyard. Tony like talking to Michelle and would only shake his head when his mom would kiss her, or he would catch them holding hands. He knew she was the same way with his father. They never cared where or when they showed their affection.

He still missed his father, but he was happy to see his mother return to her old self. He got a kick out of the look Michelle would get sometimes. If he was a betting man, he would put everything he owned on the fact that she wasn't used to how easy his mother showed her love. The only problem was when Kim came home right before his mom was going to take Michelle home.

Kim, in her best drama queen roll, came into the house like nothing happened until she saw Michelle. Then she said.

"Oh, you're still here. I'd thought you'd be gone by now..." She tossed her head, flipping her newly tinted hair behind her, and headed up to her room with the obligatory door slam. Linda rolled her eyes at her daughter's antics, knowing she wasn't as bad as she made out.

"I'll talk to her later." She told Michelle as they headed to the car, thinking she could get her daughter to see reason. It was the first big fight between mother and daughter, but Linda and Kim both refused to budge.

***

Michelle and Linda first big fight came a week later. They were getting into the habit of Michelle coming over to Linda's work so they could at least spend lunch together. They had already figured out that Sheryl would handle Kim's dress fittings, to avoid any issues there. But Linda was getting tired of waiting until they were in the car before Michelle would kiss her. So, being action orientated, she waited for Michelle to come pick her up.

She thought she'd deal with two problems at once. She knew Peter would be in the office with Bill when Michelle picked her up. She felt the flutters as soon as her lover came in view. It was the same way with her husband Tim. Stuck on the phone, she waved Michelle to sit by her desk as she finished her call. Michelle felt that something was up. Getting to know her lover, she felt it, but still didn't expect it.

Linda hung up the phone, turned, and kissed Michelle before she could move. This wasn't a chaste hello peck.... No, Linda put her heart and soul into the kiss, making Michelle gasped in surprise and suppressed emotion.

"Hi Babe..., what do you want for lunch?" Linda asked as she watched the office go still. She really appreciated the look on Peter and Bill's faces as the stood there gaping like fish out of water. She knew her lover was shocked, and being so, her next reaction would be anger.

"We'll talk in the car!" Michelle hissed, red faced.

"Remember that I love you..." She whispered to her peeved lover. "Bill, I'll be back in about two hours... I have a listing to go check out." Linda told her stunned boss.

"Um, I'll need to talk to you when you get back." Bill said with a confused look on his face, as Linda and Michelle walked out of the office.

When they were in the car, Michelle unloaded. "And what in the hell was that all about? Did you ever think I might have a reason for not kissing you in public?" Michelle shouted at the unconcerned Linda, who fired back with.

"If it's for any other reason than you're ashamed of me..."

"I didn't say that!"

"Well. Then why wouldn't you want to kiss me? It's the first thing I want to do when I see you!"

"Damn it Linda, I was trying to protect you from becoming the office freak show. I've been there..." Michelle tried to reason with Linda.

"Michelle Elisabeth... I'm a big girl, and I'm more than capable of dealing with the small minded people of the world... as long as I have you... we can face anything together." Linda humbled her lover.

"Who told you my middle name...? Daddy...? I'll kill him... Sugar, I've lived this lifestyle a lot longer than you.... I know how people can react."

"Is that all I am to you... a lifestyle? I thought we were lovers and soon to be partners... I guess I should have warned you, there is no middle ground for me. That day on the beach, when you said you wanted sex with that bubble headed blond... I was so jealous I couldn't see straight. That's when I knew I loved you... That's why I risked everything to see if you loved me too." Linda knew this argument had been building for days.

"Linda Marie... I do love you... I can't help it! But public displays like that can ruin your professional life... I've seen it before. I'm trying to protect you, you silly bitch!" Michelle didn't know how to stop the fight; both of their emotions were too close to the surface. So, taking a risk of her own, she allowed herself to let them loose.

"I don't want half of you... I want... no, I need all of you... Don't you get it?" Linda argued back.

"What if they fire you? What then?" Michelle tried to reason with her bull headed mate.

"So what if they do? It's not like I need that job... I can retire anytime I want. Sweetie, I'm not poor... Besides, I'm the best at what I do... I can always take my listings to somewhere else." Linda said, finally starting the car.

They traveled in silence for a few minutes and then Linda put it all on the line. "Babe... I love you, and only you. I'm not going to hide that from anyone... You need to decide if you can deal with that... I love you enough to give you the space to figure it out. But, the bottom line is, I'm an all or nothing kind of girl. I'm ready to make a commitment to you for the rest of my life. You need to know if you want the same things. I won't be your girl Friday... For me it has to be all or nothing!"

"Damn... when I see my father, he's a dead man... I don't know what I'm going to do with you? I knew from that first day that if you cared for me that I could love you forever... I guess it's time to put up or shut up...." Michelle looked out the window "Can you drop me off at my shop Sugar? I've got some thinking to do." Michelle knew she had lost. She just needed to find a way to admit it to Linda gracefully.

"If that's what you want...? Remember, I do love you... I'll be waiting for you at home... you'll know where to find me." Linda said holding back tears. She pulled in front of the dress shop and pulled over. She kissed Michelle softly. "I'll talk to you later." She let her get out and drove away to her appointment.

The pain in Linda's eyes tore Michelle's heart in two. Dashing tears out of her own eyes, as she stalked into the shop and went into the back. Seeing Sheryl, she told the girl to watch the front.

Sheryl, seeing her boss's tears, instantly asked. "What happened? Is Linda okay? Who's hurt?"

"What am I going to do with her?" Michelle screamed out her frustration "I try and protect her and she throws a fit. Doesn't she know what can happen if they label her gay or lesbian?"

"Wow, what happened?" Sheryl had never seen her boss out of control before.

"I went to get her for lunch... What does she do? She blasts all my attempts to protect her out of the water... Doesn't she know some people will never understand...?"

"Oh, wow... Um, Michelle, I don't think she cares... I mean I know what I saw that first day. She was a woman who knew what she wanted and was willing to do whatever it took to get it."

"Even if it's in public and people will talk about her behind her back?" Michelle asked the sky.

"Well Duh...! She didn't know or care that you could close the blinds. She wouldn't have stopped unless you said you didn't love her. I heard that much. I don't think she knows how.... That's my take on her." Sheryl wondered what it was about love that made people so stupid. "You just have to figure out if you can stand that much love. I know there are a lot of people who'd kill to have someone love them that deeply."

***

Across town, Linda was facing her boss. He called her into the office as soon as she walked in. Linda knew she was going to have to face the music, but she knew she was in control.

"Yes Bill?" She asked politely, as she sat down.

"Linda, you've been a good employee for years.... Why would you put your job at risk by that inappropriate display of affection?"

"What display? You mean kissing my girlfriend hello when she picked me up for lunch? I didn't know there was a policy against that." Linda asked confused.

"You know what I mean... We are a public business... That kind of behavior will not be tolerated." Bill said sternly.

"Excuse me?" Linda got up and went to the file cabinet. She pulled out a piece of paper and stormed back into Bill's office leaving the door open. Slapping the document down in front of her boss, she stated.

"According to this document, that everyone has to sign, this business is an equal opportunity employer. That means you cannot discriminate against anyone for their race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation." She waited until Bill closed the door before going on.

"Go ahead and fire me... I'm sure I can take my listings somewhere else. I know Happy Homes, or any of them that have tried to get me to switch, would love to hire me. I have three of my listings in escrow... You'd still have to pay me, and all my listings leave with me. Then I'll tell your wife about you and Denise... You know the slut you've been fucking for the last year, who couldn't sell a house to save her life. Don't threaten me Bill!"

Bill was shocked. He never expected Linda to show so much determination. She had been a quiet, productive worker since he hired her. He knew over half of his income came from her listings. And, she wasn't done.

"I'm going home... Take a few days to figure out if you really want to fire me... I have a girlfriend... Get over it! I found someone who makes me happy. She is much better for me than you trying to pimp me out to that sleaze-ball Peter. If he looks cross eyed in my direction again, I'll file a sexual harassment complaint. Talk it over with the lawyers and we can meet again. Hopefully you'll have regained your composure by then. As long as Michelle and I are together, I will kiss her hello just like any of the married people in this office. We are doing nothing wrong and I won't be intimidated!" She didn't wait for an answer as she grabbed her stuff and headed home.