Below is an excerpt from my fifty page novella (forthcoming, June 2007 from Atria / Simon & Schuster) from the anthology-- JUICY MANGO: THE BEST OF LATINA EROTICA 2007, edited by Michelle Herrera Mulligan.
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A KISS FOR LARES
An excerpt of the Novella by Elisha Miranda
I heard the music pumping from inside my apartment as I unlocked the door and pushed it open, carrying a camera case that was almost bigger than me. It was Shakira’s new cut, “Hips Don’t Lie.” I hoped that Jewel would accept that I stayed overnight with someone from the crew on my latest film shoot, instead of hitting me with her usual firing squad of questions. It was going to be hard enough for me to end our four-year relationship. I may not have been in love with Jewel anymore, but I did love her. The guilt I had over cheating on her for the past six months with numerous women was turning me into a shameless liar. She deserved better.
I entered to find Jewel dancing, wearing plaid boxers and a fire engine red muscle shirt that hugged her plum sized breasts. She didn’t hear me come in. She was swaying her hips like an offbeat metronome. I stopped to watch and smiled. Her ash blonde hair was tousled, like it had been gelled and then taken up in spots by the wind. She had a severe, chiseled face. Whenever we would go out, women would stop chattering as they noticed Jewel and her diesel dyke physicality, her arms as firm and streamlined as a panther’s. If I saw her walking toward me on the street, I got wet just thinking about what she could do after lifting me onto a table.
Ironically, when it came to controlling her feelings, she was a wuss. I was the one who sported the ruffled skirts and low cut blouses, but in an argument, I always kept my cool. The two of us were quite a pair as we walked into our Chinese takeout joints or free summer concerts: me the voluptuous Puertorriqueña cinematographer in short shorts and curly long hair that fought the summer humidity, and her the athletic Jewish medical student, in baggy jeans and not a trace of makeup.
I hadn’t touched her for two months. Her body looked as delicious as a ripe mango fresh from the tree. As I watched her dance, I remembered our first encounter on the subway. I was racing home to view the dailies from a short film I had shot, distractedly thinking about whether or not the director would be able to touch up one of the darkly lighted frames in post production when the doors of the 4 train opened as usual, and people flooded in, racing to grab a seat. She parted the crowd forcefully, as if they all responded to her command. My eyes were instantly drawn to her highly defined cheekbones and rock solid body. I hadn’t ever been attracted to blue eyes before, but she looked at me, not through me, and I felt an inexplicable ease. She sauntered toward me, and I shifted nervously in my seat, hoping that she would sit next to me. Even though I looked femmy in my black stiletto knee boots and tight skirt, I was an out lesbian. I’d come out the summer before, wildly fucking the lesbians I met at the new club, SHE BANG with the force of my liberation. Thinking on my toes, I pulled out a copy of The Advocate I had stashed in my imitation Prada bag. Little did I know that I hadn’t even needed to bring her to me. She had a plan of her own. She was making her way toward the seat next to me when she tripped on her own feet and tumbled backwards upon the young man across from me, sadly landing in his lap, not mine. She recovered from the fall, then proceeded to belt out a heartfelt laugh, quickly transitioning to an upright stand and then reached for the pole. Her self-effacing sense of humor made my attraction to her even stronger.
“There’s a seat next to me,” I said, flashing my newspaper.
Jewel smiled as she noticed my paper. She then took the seat next to me. Her smile revealed full red lips, the color of a pomegranate. They contrasted her even white teeth perfectly. I never knew blanquitas could have such delicious lips. I wanted to lean over and kiss them right there.
“I was going to sit there, until, well you know,” she said.
My heart pounded as her hand softly touched mine as she settled in her seat. The touch was enough to make the subway car feel hot enough to be summer, even though it was a bitter day in February.
“Do you read The Advocate?” I asked, in an effort to break the awkward silence.
She nodded yes. Then leaning toward me, she said, ”Hi, I’m Jewel.” She extended her hand and accidentally grazed my breast. She began to laugh loudly, with a deep snort, to cover her embarrassment. I didn’t mind. In fact the feel of her touch made me cross my legs. I was afraid she could feel the heat rushing through me. I twisted to the left to face her more directly, but I couldn’t look into her eyes. I knew if I did she would notice how turned on I now was. She leaned over, gently lifting my chin up so that our eyes could connect, and we just began to laugh and laugh like young school girls that were sharing a private joke.
“I’m also known as the klutz with chutzpah,” she said.
“I like your klutziness, it’s brightening up a dull, morning,” I said, smiling.
“What were you listening to?” Jewel said.
I went blank. I stared at her like an utter idiot. She then touched the earphones that I was wearing around my neck. The only thing I could think about was that her touch was sending goose bumps all over my body.
“Let’s see, open up, she said, nodding at the Discman resting between my legs.
I gladly hit the open button. The Discman had been spinning Mary J. Blige’s What’s the 411? I remembered that I was listening to “Real Love” and suddenly I just wanted to drop the subject. Jewel was making me feel goofy and out of control. I wasn’t used to the feeling.
Unphased, Jewel pushed on, “Which one?”
“Uh, Real Love,” I said, my heart pounding.
“Does this real love have a name?” She asked, touching my hand .
Blushing and barely able to enunciate the words, “Yeah, it’s Esperanza, it means hope in Spanish. My friends call me E for short.”
The subway stopped at 103rd street. “This is my stop, nice meeting you,” I said.
“All I get is a name?” said Jewel, pouting with disappointment.
And then I just did it, the unthinkable. Without even checking to see who was watching, I grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the train with me just as the doors to the subway were about to close. When the train pulled way, we just came together in a kiss. Her hands pulled me close, and our bodies pressed against each other with no care as to our safety or the scene that we were making in the subway station.
“Get a room!” yelled a heavyset lady in her mid 50’s. She smiled at everyone in the station as if she were the mayor of El Barrio. Jewel and I unlocked lips long enough to notice that all eyes were on us. Some people smiled, and others frowned in disgust.
“I live around the corner,” I said, as I remembered what could happen if someone didn’t like lesbians.
“Lead the way,” said Jill. She took my hand with her singular confidence.
Two minutes later we were at the door of my apartment on 104th street between Lexington and 3rd Avenue. Jewel took my bag as I fumbled with the keys: I felt a jolt all the way up my arm as her hand brushed against my shoulder. Once inside, Jewel put my bag down on the floor. I almost expected us to rip our clothes off then and there. Jewel looked me in the eyes as if she could read my thoughts. She gave a sort of half laugh and walked into my small kitchen.
“Do you have any tea?” she asked.
I had a huge can of fresh Puerto Rican coffee Abuelita sent me, but I wasn’t much of a tea drinker. I quickly searched through my cabinets and found a loose Lipton tea bag that I had snatched from some place I couldn’t even remember. “Is this okay?”
Jewel nodded her head. I now know she would have preferred herbal tea with no caffeine, preferably imported. I put the kettle on the stove and waited for it to boil. Then we just sat there looking at each other in silence. I felt awkward as I waited for her to make the first move. In the past year, I had always waited for other women to pursue me just as I had when I was with men. The tea kettle began to hiss loudly for attention. I felt lost. I touched the kettle like she was my lover and slowly poured the boiling water into a large purple mug adorned with dogs. I then grabbed the tea bag and started brewing it slowly and tenderly, moving it in circles. Jewel just stared at me, making me realize that if something were to happen I had to make the first move. I had already stepped out of my comfort zone by dragging her off the train with me. I handed her the cup. Jewel sat there sipping her tea, playing cat and mouse. Finally, I stood up. I came around the table to where she was sitting and kissed her. She didn’t respond. She let her head drop back for a moment, sweat dampening the fine hair around her temples. I had been patient long enough, so I kissed her again, looking into her open eyes. Finally, her tongue pushed deep between my teeth and from somewhere deep inside of me came a moan, full of want and need. But she pulled back again.
I held her head against mine, “Jewel if this is too fast, I can stop.” Her hair smelled of cinnamon.
She smiled. “No, I want this, but don’t you think you should turn the water off first?”
I was so nervous I had placed the kettle back on the stove after pouring Jewel her tea. Embarrassed, I walked to the stove and turned it off. Jewel slowly unbuttoned her blouse, then stripped off the rest of her clothes as she made a trail to my bathroom.
I followed her. She leaned over and turned the faucet, filling the bathtub with hot water. Her strong, rough fingers caressed my cheek, then slid down the back of my neck to hold me close to her. Her lips were cool and insistent as she kissed her way down my neck, leaving a trail of moist places along my skin —producing an even wetter place between my legs. Before the water from the tub could spill over, Jewel reached to turn off the faucet. She dipped her leg in seductively. She wanted to do it in the water. I froze for a second. I’d always avoided this, terrible childhood memories kept me avoiding being under water as much as I could. But somehow Jewel erased everything that had come before her. I shook it off. I stood across from her and stripped slowly. I pulled my sweater over my head, exposing my brown breasts and large nipples, and the tautness of my stomach.
Without a word, Jewel stepped into the tub. I followed. She cupped hands to tenderly pour water over my hair, soaking long strands of curls that clung to my chest, neck and face as she kissed me. It felt strange to be kissed by someone I’d just met. We sat across from each other in the tub. Seconds stretched as her lips lingered on mine. Gently, she held my bottom lip between her lips. She knew how to take her time. My heart started pounding with lust and a hope for love. I couldn’t believe I was feeling this with someone I barely knew. Her body moved against mine, and I touched her, kissing her neck and massaging her full breasts. In the water I felt vulnerable, dependent on her as she caressed my face with her hands and kissed me again.
This time her tongue touched mine, burning me. My knees went weak. She pulled away. I leaned towards her. I reached into the water and felt the warmth between her legs. She gasped as my fingers entered her, plunging once, twice and then again and again. We rocked against the rhythm of our bodies in the water. Jewel’s body rose against mine, her hips and pelvis arching into my hand as she came. I would not let her stop. I plunged in again, quicker and faster. Her hands were between my legs. I’d just gotten a Brazilian wax for the first time the day before, and my bare skin felt tender, more sensitive than I had ever felt before. I nearly collapsed on top of her. I regained my balance and kept kissing her, thrusting my fingers inside of her. Jewel turned and switched positions with me, so that she was on top and staring me right in the eyes as we both came.
I wasn’t finished with her. I gently pushed her off of me, dripping water on the red tile floor as I exited the tub and rushed towards my bedroom. Jewel followed me into my bed. I laid next to her, tracing the skin on her stomach with my fingers. My fingers ventured toward her pussy, entering her deeply. I wavered inside her and hooked my fingertips touching her g-spot, sending her body into waves of pleasure. She started writhing on the bed as I nurtured the rough, spongy spot inside of her.
Jewel then reached over and flicked my clit with her tongue. I giggled. I couldn’t help it. What she did felt so good. My limbs felt as light as feathers, my pelvis was a radiating sun of bliss. I was being transported to a place I hadn’t ever known existed.
She pushed deeper inside me with her fingers. “Let’s see if we can make you even wetter,” she said with a smiling satisfaction. Then Jewel went wild, grinding her pussy against mine, she pumped against my juicy lips. A pressure built inside of me. I held my breath. My body squirmed. My hands tried to hang on to the side of the bed. My toes curled as she now sucked my swollen clit with her lips, first fast, then slow, then fast again. My body felt flushed. Another wave of pleasure hit me. Blood raced to my head. Colors danced in my eyes. For a second I was blissfully unaware of my surroundings. Nothing existed but my orgasm.
....to be continued, pick up JUICY MANGO and read the rest of the story...
