Without A Pail Read online

  Without

  A

  Pail

  Michelle Marra

  September 2017

  ISBN: 978-1-5323-5468-7

  Without A Pail

  Author: Michelle Marra

  Copyright ~ Michelle Marra

  Cover Artist: Traci Marra

  Published by: Amazon Kindle

  This book is a work of fiction. All names and characters as well as all incidents within this book are created by the author’s creative mind and are completely fictitious. Any similarities to real events, names, etc. would be a coincidence.

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  About the Author

  Other Books by the Author

  Dedication

  I would like to dedicate this book to an avid reader, especially in the Lesbian Fiction genre. I’ve known her for the majority of my life, she became my stepmother in 1987 and was the first one to download my debut novel to her Kindle. She was a huge fan of my “Hell Hath No Fury” series and was anxiously awaiting my first work in Lesbian Romance. Unfortunately, she is not here today to enjoy my newest work.

  Having fans is always an inspiration…especially when they are family!

  So I dedicate this book to Bonnie J. Reeder…thank you for your enthusiasm, encouragement and unwavering support.

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to thank God for the gift he has given me. From the time I was a child, my creative mind was always conjuring up worlds inside my head. I’m so thankful He has given me the motivation to pursue this passion.

  I would like to acknowledge my wife Traci Marra. Thank you for your support, encouragement, patience, praise and your tireless efforts to help make this manuscript better than it was. Thank you for the countless hours and numerous re-reads of the book. I love you…such much!!!

  I would also like to thank my editor Sharlie Mello. Thank you for really digging into this manuscript and providing many useful critiques and direction.

  Thank you to my Betas, Pamela Rodger and Wendy Turner. It’s the betas that find the hard stuff. Thank you for your efforts and persistence to help make this a great book.

  Chapter 1

  Sitting on her Wide Glide Harley motorcycle, Jacqueline Erin Evans better known as Jackie stared up at the second-floor balcony of her former apartment as she donned her Aviator sunglasses to hide the glistening in her eyes. While she tied a bandana to keep her blonde hair protected from the harshness of the wind, she swallowed the golf ball-sized lump in her throat trying to quell the emotions threatening to surface. “Four fucking years,” she mumbled while shaking her head in the disbelief that the life she spent in Charlestown, South Carolina; years of happiness and love was over just like that. This was supposed to be forever; she wouldn’t have uprooted herself from New York on a whim. This was the love of her life, or so she thought.

  When she looked up again at the balcony, there stood Suzanne looking down at her making her insides churn. Just say the word, just tell me you didn’t mean it…that you still love me, she thought. Even now with all that was said and all the pain she was feeling, she would take Suzanne back in a heartbeat. But it wasn’t an option, Suzanne made it perfectly clear when she said it was over. Jackie casually wiped the wetness from her cheeks as the words, ‘I’m not in love with you anymore’ drilled through her skull like a lightning bolt and she wondered how it all went wrong. How could she have done things better, differently this time? How could she have kept this woman in love with her?

  Jackie’s chin began to quiver and quickly she looked away from the solemn face staring down at hers with pity. She would be damned if she let Suzanne Brooks see her cry again. “Fuck you,” she yelled when she pressed the ignition button to start up her bike. With one last look at the woman she had loved, she cracked the pipes of her Harley and sped away from the curb, the apartment complex and the woman who had crushed her heart into bits.

  She wasn’t sure if she could go back to New York since that’s where it started, but it was her home and she had nowhere else to go. “This is going to be a long ride home,” she said aloud into the wind that swathed her face enough to dry the tears as the memories came pouring to the forefront of her mind. And as much as the trip down memory lane felt like it was ripping her guts out, Jackie felt like she had to give the pain its due and mourn the loss of the love she thought would last a lifetime.

  She couldn’t help but fall for the woman with auburn hair and giant brown eyes at a club on a misty, damp night in New York City four years earlier. She was supposed to be meeting her sister at the Cubby Hole for a drink, but instead, she literally bumped into a mysterious stranger named Suzanne. As Jackie pulled onto the Interstate, she set her cruise control on seventy and propped her boots onto the highway bar, leaned back into her seat and let the memories invade her mind.

  Jackie had just refilled her beer at the bar when she spun around and slammed right into a woman in a business suit spilling the strawberry margarita all over her suit jacket in the process.

  “Oh shit, I’m so sorry,” Jackie said as she tried to hide a smirk.

  Suzanne was quiet for a moment as she stared down at her designer blazer in amazement as the pink colored ice slowly dripped off the fabric. She raised her eyes to meet the amused woman standing directly in front of her not trying very hard to disguise her grin, “I see that you find this somewhat amusing.”

  Jackie took a long gulp from her glass of beer trying to stifle a laugh before clearing her throat. “Um, no not at all. I’m sorry. Can I help clean that off for you?”

  Suzanne rolled her eyes, “You can’t just clean it off…you’ve ruined my favorite jacket!”

  “Ruined? Nah, we can clean that up. It’s just a little margarita mix; it shouldn’t stain.” She smiled as she pulled a bandana from of her back pocket. “I love your accent…where are you from Texas, Alabama…Oklahoma? Jackie asked as tried to wipe some of it off the lapel inadvertently grazing her breast at the same time.

  “Do you mind?” Suzanne yelled as she slapped Jackie’s hand away.

  “Oh come on, don’t be all stuck-up about it, let’s go to the bathroom. A little water will do the trick.”

  As Jackie reached for Suzanne’s shoulder, she unconsciously tilted her beer before stumbling slightly and falling into the now wide-eyed red head as the glass of Blue Moon had just soaked the front of her blouse and slacks. “Oh fuck,” Jackie said as she tried to tighten her lips to prevent the laughter but the battle was lost and it erupted passed her tight lips while taking some spittle with it that landed directly on Suzanne’s chin.

  Suzanne wiped her chin off in disgust, “Great…just great. Now I have to walk the streets of New York beer soaked.” She looked at
Jackie and shook her head in disbelief that the woman still had an amused look on her face.

  Suzanne pushed past her and stalked off towards the bathroom as Jackie followed after her, “Wait, I’ll help you clean up that mess.”

  “No thank you, I think you’ve done enough,” Suzanne said as she stood in front of the mirror to assess the damage.

  “Look, I’ll get that cleaned for you. My apartment is just a block away; I live right above a dry cleaner.”

  “How convenient,” Suzanne said not hiding the disdain in her voice as she looked past her reflection at the smiling face of the blonde standing beside her.

  “Come to my place, I’m sure I have something you could wear…we look to be about the same size,” Jackie said as she gulped down what little remained in her beer glass while keeping her gaze set on the woman standing in front of her who had an annoyed look on her face.

  Suzanne smirked as her eyes traveled the length of the bawdy stranger with a killer smile. “Humph…what makes you think I would wear anything you own?”

  “What?” Jackie asked as she glanced down at her attire. Thinking she looked cool dressed in her black jeans, biker boots donned with chains and a black tank top under a leather jacket. She took a couple of steps back with her arms stretched out at her sides like she was about to take a bow. When her eyes met the ‘not so impressed’ look on the woman’s face, she immediately began to feel self-conscience and her eyes deflected to the floor as she silently chastised herself. What the hell am I doing? The question drilled through her skull. This was not one of the usual girls from the city whom she could usually charm out of the bar and out of their pants. This chick was sophisticated and looked too refined to be in The Cubby Hole.

  Wait a minute, this is my town and my bar! Who does this chick think she is? Jackie’s eyes snapped up and focused on the smug look displayed on the woman’s face. Suddenly her defenses shot up and she lashed out. “Oh…I’m sorry Princess, I don’t own any Versace blazers or Gucci bags.”

  Suzanne narrowed her eyes as she regarded the woman whose face held an arrogant expression, “It’s not Gucci, it’s Michael Kors.”

  “Oh…my bad.” Jackie was a charmer, but it seemed this snake was immune. “If you prefer to smell like beer, be my guest. I’ll leave you to it.” She wasn’t going to let this stranger make her feel stupid any longer. Turning on her heel and heading for the bathroom exit she yelled out, “Leave the dry cleaning bill with the bartender, tell them it’s for Jackie Evans…they know me here.”

  But just as she reached to pull the door open, she felt a tug on her arm and before she realized what was happening her back hit the bathroom wall with a thud.

  Suzanne pressed herself into Jackie’s form against the bathroom wall. Her hands held firmly to Jackie’s wrists and her knee pressed hard between Jackie’s legs causing her breath to hitch.

  “Jackie, huh? Well, you are just a sheep in wolf’s clothing…aren’t you?” Her lips pursed up into a cocky grin as she saw Jackie swallow nervously. “All the women up North must be dumb as a bag of hammers to fall for such a load of crap. Oh and my name is Suzanne, not Princess and I’m from South Carolina.”

  The smell of citrus beer mixed with the scent of a musky perfume made Jackie’s head light and as she gazed into dark chestnut eyes, her stomach knotted up. A small smile formed, “Well this is certainly a one-eighty, have another personality or are you just fickle.”

  It was brave talk…but the sight of her swallowing hard didn’t fool Suzanne. “Hmmm, I believe someone offered me dry clothing.”

  Jackie’s resolve was rapidly turning to dust, between the intoxicating smell, the pressure from this stranger's torso pushing into her and full red lips only mere inches away. She wanted to kiss her, but she hadn’t been given permission to do so and she felt as if asking for it would unleash another snide comment. Instead, she cleared her throat, feeling rushed to answer the questioning eyes piercing into hers.

  “Um, yeah…sure. I’m only two blocks away, I…I mean, I should have something you could use.”

  Suzanne could see she was intimidating the blonde and it made her smile…she always enjoyed having someone bend to her every whim. Suzanne liked things her way; she wanted what she wanted, when she wanted it, and didn’t get caught up in caring about anyone else’s needs. She released the dumb-struck blonde’s hands and stepped away from her, “Well then…lead the way.”

  No niceties were exchanged, no idle chit-chat…not a word was spoken on the short walk to the apartment. Jackie felt self-conscious the entire way back, like Suzanne was rating her on some kind of ‘worthy’ scale. She was sure she didn’t measure up to this woman’s standards and was now regretting making the suggestion in the first place. “This is me…” Jackie pointed to the brownstone just a few feet away.

  Suzanne looked up at the building and marveled at its architecture. She knew these places were pricey, “Impressive.”

  Jackie displayed a weak and nervous grin as she unlocked the security door and held it open for Suzanne then let it fall behind her as they stepped into the lobby of the Perry Street Brownstone. “I’m on the third floor.” While they climbed the stairs, Jackie could feel the weight of Suzanne gaze and it made her uncomfortable. “I’m sorry that we have to take the stairs, these old places aren’t equipped with elevators.”

  Suzanne grinned, “No worries. I’m enjoying the view.”

  Jackie’s face turned crimson red and her ears felt as though they were going to melt off the sides of her head. Never had anyone made her feel so flustered and she honestly felt like a teenager at that moment.

  They climbed the next two floors in silence, but Jackie’s head was going a mile a minute. She couldn’t figure out what made this woman do a complete one-eighty at the bar. She could tell that she was on Suzanne’s nerves. It wasn’t her first rodeo, she enjoyed the banter with new girls that came into the bar and there wasn’t one she would let get past her wiles as long as they looked to be alone or single. But not tonight and not with this woman, she was different and in complete control of the current situation and it had Jackie completely unnerved. The whole situation had her stomach tied in knots; she had never been this nervous or excited to bring a woman home. Usually, she was pretty certain what would happen, how it would happen and the type of breakfast she would prepare for her guest in the morning. But this time, she wasn’t sure if Suzanne was just following her home for the offered clothing and then would be on her way…she seemed to be a mystery and Jackie was completely turned on by the prospects of the ‘unknown.’

  Jackie took a deep breath and let it out in a quiet sigh as they stood at the front door of her apartment. Not looking at the beautiful stranger standing dangerously close to her as she routed through the mess of keys on her key ring for the right one and tried to ignore the snicker she heard which was only serving to make her handshake more. A grimace washed across Jackie’s face when she had to use her left hand to steady the right while turning the key in the knob to open the door. Jackie walked in ahead of her guest and flicked on a light into the lounge area of the apartment. Suzanne strode past into the center of the room as Jackie closed and locked the front door.

  “Wow, this is stunning.”

  The room had three floor-to-ceiling windows which overlooked Perry Street and its old-school charm. The hardwood floors had a brilliant shine while being adorned by a beautiful oriental throw rug. Brown Italian leather furniture placed perfectly in the center of the room to display an inviting and welcoming feel, donned by various colors of throw pillows and fuzzy warm blankets draped over the couch and loveseat. The seating area faced an entertainment center equipped with a large flat-screen TV with a fireplace built into the console to help take the chill out of the air on a cold New York night. It was elegant, but not pretentious…just inviting enough to make a guest feel comfortable; especially a woman Jackie wanted to get out of her clothes. She watched as Suzanne walked around her place, almost like she was a real
tor ready to give her an estimate of value.

  But as stoic as Suzanne was, she appreciated good taste and a challenge; however, what she didn’t want was to cultivate a relationship. This blonde with the blue eyes and killer smile was only going to be a fun distraction for the shitty day she had. She was only in town for a short time and wasn’t looking for anything else, not even a last name to go with those gorgeous blue eyes.

  “You’re not going to kill me and take all my stuff…are you?” Jackie nervously cleared her throat. As the alcohol laced fog began to lift from Jackie’s brain, she began to think it was a bad idea to bring this strange woman to her place.

  Suzanne’s head turned slowly to meet the questioning gaze of somewhat nervous eyes. She smiled as she slowly approached the woman she was about to seduce. “No…I’m certainly not going to kill you. I think I was promised a set of clothes so I didn’t have to smell like stale beer all night.”

  Suzanne stood mere inches from Jackie, their noses practically touching. Jackie swallowed loudly trying to find the words, any words to reply to the statement. But her voice failed her, “Um….” was all she could release from her throat.

  “Um…what,” Suzanne said as a coy smile spread across her face and with every step she took, her prey stepped back until there was nowhere else to go except pressed against the wall. “Can I kiss you now?” Suzanne asked smiling at the deer in headlights looks splayed all over her object’s face.

  “Please…,” Jackie’s voice reduced to a raspy whisper.

  Chapter 2

  Jillian Abbott sat in a leather chair at a mahogany table across from her husband and his attorney. She sat there quietly waiting for her attorney which her husband of twenty-two years had conveniently supplied. Still in disbelief after receiving divorce papers only three months earlier, she wondered how he was able to get such a bureaucratic process moving so quickly.