copyright: i own and control these characters and the world they’re stuck in.
sex/subtext: subtext? of course.
violence: a smidge, yes.
feedback: can be directed to me at red_hope@yahoo.com
webpage: http://www.redhope.net
started: August 28, 2003 – Thursday
Series 3: Putting the Puzzle Together Series Number: 19 Story Number: 57
|
Maryland State Trooper #1153 The Test Trial Ứber by Red Hope |
Part VIII
Erin and Sara both looked up when Katia came into the room. Erin was lying in her bed, her hands under her head and Sara was sitting beside her. She peered around Sara and raised an eyebrow at Katia. “Took you awhile to drop off Mike.”
Suddenly Katia had a huge grin on her face. “Yeah I know.”
Sara narrowed her eyes at her friend. “Wait… what’s going on?” She could see an entire shift in Katia’s attitude compared to earlier today. “Let me guess, Ashley called you and she asked you out?”
“Sara,” growled Katia. She laughed some and shook her head. She pulled out her desk chair and threw her car keys down onto it. “It's better than that.” She then put her purse down as well beside her keys.
“You two had sex?” applauded Sara.
“Sara,” hotly yelled Katia. “Get it out of your head that I want Ashley.”
Sara smirked but said nothing else.
“Guess what happened to me though?” hastily started Katia.
“I can’t even imagine,” teased Erin. She rolled onto her right side and lifted her head onto her hand.
“I was driving back after dropping Mike off, right?”
Sara and Erin didn’t say anything and intently listened.
“I was coming down route 50 and suddenly this Durango came flying up behind me.” Katia grinned when her two friends gave her odd looks. “Flashing lights go off.”
“Oh shit, it was a cop?” Sara laughed and shook her head. “Oh that’s funny. How fast were you going?”
“Sixty,” replied Katia.
“What?” cut in Erin. “What’d the cop stop you for then?”
Katia’s evil grin appeared and she leaned forward in her chair. “For nothing.”
Sara looked down at Erin.
Erin simply shrugged and looked at roommate again.
Sara sucked in her breath then returned her attention to Katia. “So the cop stopped you for… nothing? I mean… what’d he say?”
“Not a he,” corrected Katia, “a she.”
“Wait, wait.” Erin held up her left hand then dropped it back to the bed. “Who was the cop?”
“I’m so! glad you asked,” gushed Katia.
“Oh my god, it's your trooper,” yelled Sara. She jumped to her feet. “Its Ashley, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” squealed Katia.
Sara started laughing and she fell back into the bed.
Erin winced when Sara’s body hit her thighs. She sighed while listening to Sara’s loud laughter. When Sara settled down, she looked at Katia and asked, “It was really her?”
“Uh huh,” replied Katia, the biggest grin on her face.
Sara bit her lower lip and held back her remaining laughs. “What’s she doing here?”
“She moved,” simply replied Katia.
“That’s weird,” muttered Erin.
“Not its not,” countered Sara. She nudged Erin with her right elbow. “What’d I tell yah? She’s after Katia.”
Katia rolled her eyes.
“I think you’re right,” joked Erin.
“Hey,” cut in Katia. “You’re not suppose to agree, Erin.”
The roommate just grinned back but she went a little serious. “So why’d she move here?”
“Uh….” Katia furrowed her eyebrows and tried to think why. “You know, I’m not sure.”
“Did she even tell you she was moving here?” Sara folded her arms over her chest.
“No, actually.” Katia lifted her right arm and rested it on her desk. She drummed her fingers on the desk some. “I mean, all she told me was she was busy this past Friday and Saturday.”
“Hmmmm.” Erin stared at the floor. “That’s kinda strange and random.”
“I think it's cute,” whispered Sara.
Erin peered up at her friend and asked, “Why’s that?”
Sara shrugged some as she glanced at Erin. “I mean… she obviously moved here to be closer to Katia. I think that’s really cute.” She paused then added, “She came here for Katia.
“She didn’t… come here for me,” stated Katia. She was looking at her friends with a rather serious expression. “Why would she do that?”
Erin looked at Katia then exchanged a glance with Sara.
Sara licked her lips then looked away from Erin. “Well… why do you think she came over here?”
“The only thing she said to me was she wanted to see the Eastern Shore.”
“Rrrrrright,” teased Sara. She chuckled some.
Katia again rolled her eyes.
“That’s it, Katia,” continued to tease Sara, “she came over here just to see the cows and farmland.”
“Okay, okay.” Katia quietly groaned to herself. She then looked over at her desk to her right. She stared at her car keys then suddenly something dawned on her. “Oh crap, I forgot to fuel up my car.”
“In such a rush to tell us about Ashley huh?” tormented Erin.
“Whatever.” Katia threw a glare at her roommate. “Anyway, I need to fuel up my car.”
“Where you going?” Sara stood up.
“To the Wawa.” Katia got up too and swiped her keys off the desk.
“I’ll come with you.” Sara went over to the door.
Katia grabbed her purse as well and brought it across her chest.
“I’ll see yah two later,” called Erin.
Sara winked and said, “See yah, Er.”
“Er?” repeated Katia. She held the door open for both her and Sara.
Erin glared at Sara.
Sara smirked, grabbed Katia’s hand, and dragged her out.
Erin dramatically sighed when she heard the room door slam.
“You and Erin aren’t….” Katia couldn’t finish her question.
Sara gave a questioning look to Katia. “Come on, Katia… you know Erin likes guys. I can’t shake a ten foot pole at that girl.”
“Yeah but….” Katia didn’t know what point she was trying to make but it wasn’t working.
Sara laughed and walked to the stairwell door. She pushed it open and headed for the bottom floor. Katia followed behind and when they got outside, they went to Katia’s Mercedes. It didn’t take them long to make it to the Wawa and while Katia fuelled up, Sara raced into the store to buy a pack of cigarettes. She came back out and stood beside her friend.
Katia was leaning against her car and holding up the fuel handle. “It’s getting cold,” she mentioned.
Sara had her arms tightly wrapped around herself. “No kidding. It’ll be November soon.” She then glanced past Katia and saw a red SUV drive into the Wawa. “Hey, Katia.” She nodded in the direction of the slow moving SUV. “Look.”
Katia turned her head and she instantly felt her heart skip a beat. “Oh no.” She watched as the Durango drove past them on the other side of the pump. Katia could just make out the dark figure inside of the SUV.
“Is that her?” whispered Sara. Her own eyes were following the SUV.
“I… I think so.” Katia held her breath as the SUV parked in front of the Wawa store and the engine turned off. Suddenly the pump snapped and Katia jumped in fear. “Shit,” she growled.
Sara ignored it and waited for the driver to get out of the SUV. She suddenly had a grin when the person came around the SUV and it was a tall Maryland State Trooper.
Katia was growling and glaring at the fuel pump. She was about to pull out the nozzle but a sudden elbow in her side stopped her.
“Hey, hey,” whispered Sara.
Katia looked over and her heart dropped.
“Here comes tall, dark and sexy now,” whispered the grinning Sara.
“Sara,” hissed Katia but she suddenly smiled when Ashley came up to them. “Hey,” she greeted.
“Didn’t expect to see you here.” Ashley smiled at her friend then folded her arms over her chest.
“Um… yeah.” Katia laughed but she was uneasy. She didn’t know who made her more nervous, Ashley or Sara with her smirking face. “Had to fuel up my car.”
Ashley nodded. “I can see that.”
“Oh yeah… duh.” Katia laughed as a blush crept up her neck.
“So… who’s this?” The state trooper peered down at Sara.
“I’m Sara,” introduced Sara. She stepped forward and held out her right hand. “Sara Miller… I’m Katia’s lesbian friend.”
Ashley just stared at Sara for a second but she took the younger woman’s hand and shook it. “Ashley Carver… Katia’s personal hero.” She released Sara’s hand.
Sara started to hysterically laugh.
Katia groaned and wanted to sink through the pavement at that very moment. She then decided dying would be a better fate when everybody around the gas station looked at them because of Sara’s loud laughter.
Ashley just grinned and held back her own laughs because she didn’t want to embarrass Katia anymore than she was already.
Sara settled down and grinned. “I like you.”
The state trooper just smirked and folded her arms again. She glanced at Katia, who was busy putting the fuel nozzle back into the pump.
“I’ve heard a bit about you,” continued Sara. “Can I call you Ash?”
Ashley slowly lifted her eyebrow, started nodding her head, then flatly said, “No.”
Katia snickered to herself while she was putting the fuel cap back in place. She snapped the fuel door closed and looked at Ashley. “So Ash, how’s your first day been?” From the corner of her eye, she happily watched Sara’s jaw drop.
“Not bad at all.” Ashley was grinning from ear to ear. She liked how the nickname rolled off Katia’s tongue. She never liked the nickname that much yet somehow it sounded just right coming from Katia. “Speaking of which, I need to keep moving.” Ashley took a few steps away but stopped and looked at Katia, her eyes only focused on the young woman. She noted how Sara was carefully watching her and Katia. “I’ll call you tonight, K.” Her devilish grin appeared as she enjoyed the surprised look from Katia. She turned around and walked back to the Wawa store.
Once Ashley was out of earshot, Sara whispered, “Woooow.”
Katia finally decided to breathe again when her heart almost bursted. “Yeah… wow.”
Sara looked at her friend and looked back at Ashley. “She looks good in uniform.”
“Uhhh.” Katia rubbed the back of her neck. She just stared at Ashley’s retreating figure.
Sara smirked and she gently slapped her friend’s side. “Come on, straight girl. Let’s get out of here.” She walked around to the passenger side of the car. She got into the car and listened to Katia get in too. She kept her eyes on tall, dark and sexy moving through the Wawa. “I’m so tempted to go in there and flirt with her,” joked Sara. “She’s so fuckin’ hot.”
“Sara,” growled Katia. “Leave her alone.”
“Hey don’t stake claims you don’t have,” teased Sara.
“Wait… I forgot my receipt.” Katia got out of the car but not without her car keys and purse. She slammed the door and went to the pump. She pulled the receipt free from the fuel dispenser and she folded it up to put it in her pocket. As she did that, she watched Ashley in the store. “I really wanna talk to her.” She then looked at Sara in the car. “And without her.” She knew if she went in the store Sara would definitely follow her. She then lifted her right hand with the key. An evil expression masked her face.
Sara saw her friend coming back to the door. She grinned then looked back out the front window. Then she furrowed her eyebrows when she heard a funny noise. She looked to her left and saw Katia waving at her through the window. “Get in the car, Katia!”
“I’ll be right back,” called Katia through the window. She then pointed at the black knob on her door. “Don’t try to get out either, Sara. I locked it and the alarm system is set.”
“What?” yelled Sara. “You… Katia!” she screamed when her friend went racing towards the store. “I… I can’t believe she did that. That goddamn straight girl,” she seethed. “And look at her, she’s bouncing all the way because she gets to see that cop and without me,” she growled. “Katia Danforth!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. She suddenly noticed everybody at the other pumps was looking at her like she needed medical attention. She glared at them all and just folded her arms over her chest. “You’re so dead, Katia. Just you wait.”
Katia came into the store and her eyes instantly went to Ashley.
Ashley knew somebody was looking at her. She turned her head and smiled when it was Katia.
Katia smiled back and came over to her friend at the coffee counter.
“Leave Sara behind?”
The college student smirked and said, “I locked her in my car.”
Ashley’s eyes widened and she laughed.
Katia laughed as well. She was grinning as she said, “She’ll kill me too.”
“Mmmm I bet.” Ashley was busy mixing some creamer in her coffee. “How you doing?” she quietly asked.
“Pretty good,” admitted the young woman. She then saw somebody trying to get to the coffee and she stepped aside. “How about you?”
“Real well.” Ashley stepped aside as well when the lady wanted to get the creamers. “Despite the mess at my new house… things aren’t bad.”
“Yeah I bet that must be crazy unpacking and all.”
“Yeah.” Ashley stepped back to the coffee counter and grabbed a lid for her cup. She slipped it on and locked it down. “Especially when it’s just me doing it.”
“Hey, I can come over and help,” offered Katia.
The state trooper smiled and nodded. “I’d like that.” She then quickly changed the subject. “You need anything from in here?”
“Oh yeah… just wanted to grab something to drink.”
Ashley nodded and led her friend to the large cooler area.
“Why’d you start work so soon?” inquired Katia. She was opening one of the cooler doors and reaching for a Brisk Ice Tea.
“Just because they needed the help.” Ashley took a drink from her coffee then lowered it. “But it’s just a half a day. They know I still have a lot of unpacking and settling down to do.”
“Yeah.” Katia was walking along side her friend to the checkout counter. “I’m glad you came,” she quietly said while they waited in line.
“Me too.” Ashley smiled and she received one back from her friend.
Sara was still grumbling in the car. She kept glaring at Katia and Ashley in the cashier’s line. She then muttered, “You’re having too much fun, Katia. Time to break up your little drool fest.” She looked at the door. “I set the alarm,” she mocked in a Katia tone. “Alright I’ll set the alarm off,” she growled. She reached up and grabbed the black knob.
Ashley looked up immediately when she heard the familiar alarm of a Mercedes.
“Oh no,” whispered Katia. She stood on her tiptoes and she could just see out the front windows of the store. She growled when she saw her car’s lights flashing and horn was sounding. “Sara,” she hotly growled.
“Here.” Ashley grabbed the drink from Katia’s hand. “Go take care of your car,” she ordered.
Katia rushed out of the door and fumbled for her car keys from her pockets. She had her angry eyes pinned on Sara in the car.
Sara fell to her side and started laughing. She slammed her foot against the floor and laughed even harder. She then settled down when the alarm stopped then the car door opened and she peered up. A set of very angry forest green eyes locked on her and she just sheepishly grinned. “Welcome back, straight girl.”
Katia didn’t say anything- her expression spoke enough.
“You’re not mad… are you?” joked Sara.
“Sara,” she breathed in a hot tone. “I could… I could really kil-”
“That’s at least 30 years in prison,” cut in a deep, teasing voice.
Sara sighed in relief that Ashley had come to save the day again.
Katia shook her head at Sara and straightened up. “Thanks, Ashley.” She took the drink. “How much I owe you?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Ashley-”
“Don’t worry,” repeated Ashley. “Just come over tonight and help me move in… that’s more than enough payment.”
Katia warmly smiled. “Okay.”
Sara rolled her eyes and dropped her head against the window.
“I’ll give you a call when I get off duty.” Ashley walked off after giving her friend a smile.
Sara lifted her head and peered up at Katia through the open door. She noticed how Katia just stared at Ashley from afar. “Come on, Katia… Erin is waiting for us.”
“Yeah… sorry.” Katia tore her gaze from Ashley after Ashley disappeared around the SUV. She got into her car and started it up. She sat there for a second then looked at her friend. “Sara?”
“Mmmm?” Sara was busy putting on her seat belt.
“You think Ashley really is gay?” Katia looked at her friend finally after the Durango pulled out of the parking spot.
Sara glanced at the red SUV then back at her friend. “Yeah… I think so, Katia.”
Katia put on her seat belt. “I mean… your gaydar goes off on her, right?”
The lesbian grinned at her friend yet she went serious again. “Yeah… it does but I’m not even sure.” She felt Katia shift the car into gear and they were headed for the exit onto Route 13. “She’s pretty discreet about it.”
Katia was quiet for a little while since she was focused about getting back onto the highway. Once she got into the south bound, she settled down and continued the conversation. “Last weekend when I was at her place, yah know.”
“Yeah?” encouraged Sara.
“We were at the aquarium on Saturday.”
“Yeah, that’s what you said. What happened?” Sara knew there was something interesting Katia had to tell her.
Katia shrugged and kept her eye on the road. “Well we were in this rain forest area, right?”
“Uh huh.”
“And so I saw these two women and I realized they were gay.” Katia got an acknowledged nod from her friend so she continued with the story. “So I was near Ashley and I started to ask if they were lesbians. But I didn’t quite finish the question.”
“What happened then?” urged Sara.
“Well Ashley said they’re lesbians.” Katia saw the turn for West College Avenue and she took it. “The thing is, Sara it wasn’t like these two lesbians were….”
“Flaming gays?” suggested Sara.
“Yeah, exactly. I mean… you couldn’t really tell unless you had this gaydar thing you talk about.”
Sara chuckled some but nodded her head. “So you think since Ashley picked up on them being lesbians that she has gaydar, right?”
“Right,” agreed Katia. She turned onto Camden Avenue next. “And you told me only gays can have that. Right?”
“Right,” agreed Sara. “Typically that’s the case.”
Katia nodded and said, “And the fact that these two women were so hidden about it, it would take good gaydar to pick up on it.”
“Yeah I understand what you’re saying. It wasn’t just a fluke thing.”
“Exactly.” Katia drove into the student parking and began looking for a parking space. “To me, that tells me she’s gay or she’s a really weird straight person that’s got gaydar.”
Sara licked her lips and bit back her grin. She’d noticed how her friend explained the entire story. Yet Katia neglected to add the equation on her own self since Katia was able to detect the women being gay and here Katia considered herself straight. “Well,” started Sara, “you could just ask Ashley if she is.”
“I know,” whispered Katia. She sighed some but she then sat up some as she pulled into a parking spot. She turned off her car after parking it and she looked at her friend. “I’m kinda scared to ask her, honestly.”
“Why?” Sara shrugged. “I mean… you have Mike and I as friends and we’re both gay.”
“I know… but it’s different,” countered Katia.
“How?” asked Sara, she was really curious about that.
“It’s just….” Katia sighed and shook her head. She stared down at her dash. “Just Ashley and I have a different friendship compared to what I have with you and Mike.” She then lifted her eyes to Sara. “Plus I don’t want to make Ashley feel uncomfortable. She might not be ready to tell me, yah know.”
“That’s true,” agreed Sara. “Did she notice that you picked up on her spotting the lesbians?”
“Yeah I think she did.” Katia pulled her car keys out of the ignition. “I think she’s scared it’ll change our friendship if I found out.”
Sara huffed and opened the car door. Before she got out, she said, “I don’t know… she might not think that now after she met me.”
Katia chuckled but she hadn’t taken that into consideration. “True.” She got out of the car as well and she made sure to grab her purse and drink from the floor under her seat. “What time is it?” she muttered.
“I think around noon,” replied Sara. She was busy unwrapping her pack of cigarettes.
Katia was looking at her Fossil watch and nodded her head. “It feels like four in the afternoon.”
“Mmm that’s 'cause you were up so early taking Mike over.”
“Yeah,” agreed Katia. She then noted Sara sat down on the steps of their dorm. “Not coming up?”
“Nah.” Sara pulled out a lighter from her pocket. “Can you tell Erin to come down?”
“Yeah sure.” Katia smiled and went into the dorm. When she entered into her room, she found Erin still in her bed and watching television.
“Where’s Sara?” curiously asked Erin.
“She’s waiting outside for you.”
Erin chuckled and rolled out of the bed. “Smoking huh?”
“Yeah.” Katia shook her head and sat down at her desk. “She needs to break that habit.”
“She’s slowing down, I’ve noticed.” Erin was tying her shoes on but looking up at her roommate. “I’ve been trying to get her to quit.”
“Try harder,” joked Katia.
“I would if I could.” Erin stood up and walked over to the television. She turned it off and moved to the door. “I’ll see you later, Katia.”
“Yeah.” Katia was busy pulling books from her book bag. “Oh hey.”
Erin stopped halfway out of the door. She looked back with a curious expression.
“I’ll probably be at Ashley’s this afternoon.”
Erin grinned as she brushed back curly locks of hair. “I see.”
Katia rolled her eyes and slammed her chemistry book onto her desk. “She asked me to help her move in.”
“Yeah I bet.” The roommate winked and started to leave again. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Alright. Bye, Erin.”
“See yah, Katia.” Erin shut the door and quietly left the cluster.
Katia looked at her chemistry book, and after a heavy sigh, she opened it and with her notebook. She began working on her homework for the next hour or so. Then her concentration was broken by her cell phone ringing in her purse. Katia jumped and frantically went to her bed to grab her purse where she’d thrown it earlier. She pulled out her cell phone and flipped it open. “Hello?”
“Hey, Katia.”
Katia smiled and took a deep breath. She sat down on her bed. “How are you?”
“Pretty good. I’m just got off duty so I’m headed home now.”
The college student’s smile started to shift into a grin. “Where do you live… now?”
Ashley chuckled. She was sitting in her car and had already started it up. She was busy buckling her seat belt as she talked to Katia. “Go west on route 50 and I’m near Mardela Springs.”
“Oh yeah, I know that small town.”
“Well, I’m on the north side. You have to take Route 313 on the right. Its also called Sharptown Road and I’m about maybe a half a mile down there.”
Katia stood up and walked over to her desk. “Okay. I’ll call if I get lost.”
The state trooper smirked. “You’ve been here longer than I have. I’d hope you’d know your way around.”
“You’d think so huh?” joked Katia. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Alright. Bye.”
“Bye, Ash.”
Ashley faintly grinned after closing her cell phone. “Ash huh?” She shook her head and put her car into drive. She left the police barracks and made her way home.
Katia had grabbed her purse and was already out the door. She went racing down the hall then down stairs. Within a minute, she made it to her car and got into it. After she got it started, she made a right onto Camden Avenue as well as West College Avenue. Once getting onto Route 13, she followed onto Route 50 west as Ashley had told her.
As she drove along Route 50, she expected to see a red Mercedes and about a mile down the four-lane highway, a C230 came up behind her. Katia grinned and decided to play with her friend. She turned her blinker on and went into the left lane.
Ashley smirked and sped her car up to even out beside Katia.
Katia glanced over and grinned in response. “Come on, Ashley. Let’s see what that little four cylinder can do.” She looked back across and saw Ashley was smirking at her. Then suddenly Ashley was gone. “Shit,” she hissed and stepped on the gas. “What a cheat!” She checked her speed and she was pushing seventy-five. She looked up and realized Ashley was going faster. “Oh my god and she’s the cop.” She laughed and pushed her gas harder. Her 190E started to climb up to eighty.
Ashley glanced in her rear view mirror and saw Katia coming up on her. “Come on, Katia. I know that old thing has speed.” She turned her head to the left and waved at her friend.
Katia stuck her tongue out really quickly then returned her attention to her driving.
Ashley shook her head. She then saw the sign for the Route 313 and she quickly slowed down.
Katia realized what was going on so she pulled her foot off the gas. She went slower than Ashley and fell in behind the state trooper’s car.
Ashley began to push on her brake when she saw the turn off for Sharptown Road. She turned her blinker on and shifted into the small ramp.
Katia followed behind and stayed behind Ashley as they travelled north on 313. Yet it wasn’t long before the state trooper put her left turn signal on and crossed the lane of traffic.
Katia turned into the driveway as well and grinned at Ashley’s new house. “Not bad.” She also noticed the two large U-Haul trucks parked along the side of the road.
Ashley touched the garage button on her sun visor and the garage door rolled up. She drove her car in then hit the button again, the door went back down.
Katia, however, parked her car in the long driveway and turned it off. She climbed out of her car right when her friend walked out of a side door from the garage.
“Nice run there,” teased Ashley. She was closing the door of the garage.
Katia stood beside her car and just grinned. She tilted her head to the side some and for the first time really, Katia took in what Ashley looked like as a state trooper. She liked the dark forest almost olive pants that Ashley wore and they had a black stripe running down on either side. Ashley’s uniform shirt was a long-sleeve button up and a tradition grey with two pockets on either side of the chest. On the left sleeve was a patch of the Maryland seal. Her gold badge was pinned over her left chest while her golden nametag was on the right chest and an ink pen protruded from her right chest pocket. The black, double-prong belt around her waist was thick and strapped around it were items such as Ashley’s gun, mace, keys, and cell phone.
Ashley noted how her friend was just standing there, staring at her. “Katia?”
Katia broke out of her trance and she shyly looked up at the state trooper. “Sorry.” She came up to her friend but not without memorizing the image of Ashley dressed in uniform.
The officer shook her head and walked off to her right onto the pathway to the front of the house. “Come on.”
Katia followed behind and noted in Ashley’s right hand was her khaki coloured trooper hat. Her eyes then shifted to Ashley’s back and she suddenly blushed when she realized she had a perfect view of Ashley’s ass.
Ashley went to the front door and pulled her keys from their latched spot at her side. She held onto the house key from the ring and inserted it into the door knob.
Katia though had turned around some so she wouldn’t be staring at certain aspects of Ashley’s body. She was taking a few deep breaths, trying to remove an unexpected heat from her face. Luckily the cool fall day was helping her.
“Come on, Katia.” The state trooper was waiting in the doorway of her house. She’d noticed how funny her friend was acting now.
“Sorry,” apologized Katia yet again. She quickly stepped into the house. She began to smile as she looked around in the first room.
Ashley stepped aside to let her friend get a better view. “So this will probably be my dinning room.”
The college student nodded her head in approval. She stepped past her friend and looked down at the rugged floor. She then looked up again and decided she liked how the dinning room and kitchen were together since the kitchen was straight ahead and the only separation between the rooms was the wrap around counter.
“I was thinking about taking up this rug and putting hard wood floors down,” mentioned Ashley. She stepped up beside her friend.
“Yeah I would,” agreed Katia. “What’s on the kitchen floor?”
“Tiling of bricks.”
The younger woman leaned to her left some and peered between the opening between the wall and the counter. “Oh yeah.” She peered up at Ashley. “Make that wood too?”
“Yeah,” agreed Ashley. She then turned to her right. “Over there is the living room.”
The smaller woman turned and took a few steps more into the dinning room, which turned into the living room.
The officer came back to Katia’s side. “I think I’ll put the tv and couch there.” She pointed at the large window.
“Yeah since you primarily watch tv at night and that window….” Katia pointed at the window. “That’s west right?”
“Yeah so the sun will shine on the back of the tv in the afternoon.”
“Then you don’t have to worry about light on the tv screen,” summed up Katia. She then looked away from that window and saw a sliding door. “Is that a porch?”
“Yup.”
Katia grinned and took her friend’s hand. “Show me that.” She started for the sliding glass door.
The officer laughed and reached for the handle when they were close enough. She opened the door and let her younger friend through first.
The pair stepped out onto the large porch that over looked a lawn that eventually turned into a forest.
“Wow,” whispered Katia. She released her friend’s hand and stepped to the edge of the porch. “Nice and open.” She noted the small shed set off to the right of the lawn.
“I think it needs a garden or trees,” spoked up Ashley.
“Yeah… it needs something,” agreed Katia. She put her hands on her hips. She then spun around and pointed to her right. “Grill goes there.”
The trooper glanced over, she grinned.
“Rocking chairs there,” continued Katia, she was now pointing slightly to the left of the imaginary grill. “Then….” She pressed her lips together and pointed at the spot where Ashley stood. “Table and chairs there.”
The older woman shook her head. “You’d think you were moving in.”
Katia laughed and came back to her friend’s side. “Just suggesting, yah know.”
Ashley huffed yet she was grinning. She turned around and went back into the house. When she heard her friend close the door, she started back towards the kitchen where there was a long hallway. “Down here are all the rooms.”
“How many?”
“Well there’s three bedrooms and two bathrooms.”
“Two bathrooms?” repeated Katia. “Wow.”
Ashley opened the first door to the right. “Well my bedroom, the master bedroom, has a bathroom attached to it.” She stood in the doorway but pointed to the end of the hall. “That’s the bathroom for the rest.”
“Oh okay.” The college student nodded her understanding. She then stepped into Ashley’s room after Ashley. As soon as she was in it, she quickly realized the bedroom was rather large. “Definitely a master bedroom.”
“Yeah it is,” agreed Ashley.
Katia then giggled when she noticed Ashley had only managed to get in her bed’s mattress and box spring into the room.
“Yeah I know,” sighed Ashley. “I was too tired to fight with the bed frame. And that’ll be the first thing we’re going to move in.”
“And the couch,” muttered Katia.
The state trooper grinned as she went into the bathroom. “I need to get out of uniform.”
“No rush,” called the college student. She went over to the bed and sat on it and for once she was able to touch her feet on the floor from Ashley’s bed. “I take it those U-Hauls have all your stuff?”
“Yeah,” called Ashley from the bathroom. “One has all the furniture and the other one has mostly this and that.” There was a pause then Ashley continued to talk. “I packed my car with most of my stuff from my bedroom.”
“You mean with the clothes and stuff?” called Katia. She stood up from the bed and saw the doors to a closet. She went over to it and opened it.
“Yeah, pretty much.”
Katia chuckled as she stood there staring at all of Ashley’s clothes inside of the closet. Some of it was hanging up already and some of it was neatly folded and resting on the floor. She quickly closed it and went back to the bed. “How much you think we’ll get done today?”
“I hope more than I did last night.”
The college student smirked and said, “Well considering things… I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”
“Thanks, smartass,” stated Ashley from the doorway of the bathroom.
Katia looked over and grinned at her older friend. “Oh look, you’re in civilian clothes.” That was when Katia decided she really liked Ashley’s blue eyes after she’d just rolled them at her.
“Come on, let’s get this done.” Ashley was already heading out of the bedroom.
Katia bounced up onto her feet and quickly followed behind. “What’s first?”
“I think the furniture,” replied Ashley. She propped open the front door of the house.
“Sounds good.” Katia followed Ashley out of the house and across the front lawn. “Is there an attic or anything?”
“Yeah there’s a small one over the bedrooms. There’s also a bit of a basement but you have to go in from that side of the house.” Ashley spun around, walked backwards, and pointed to the left side of the house.
Katia glanced that way then looked back to see Ashley had already turned back around.
“Okay, let me get the ramp down first.” Ashley was at the back of the first U-Haul truck. She was unlocking the door.
“Did you make three trips from Hunt Valley to here?”
“No actually….” Ashley took a deep breath and pushed the door up; the door began to roll up. “A couple of buddies of mine from the station drove these here and I drove my car.” She jumped up onto the small platform and pushed the door up the rest of the way. “So that made things easier.”
“Yeah I bet,” agreed Katia. She then helped her friend get the large metal ramp down so it’d be easier to unload everything.
It was then that the pair were taking things out of the U-Haul and taking them across the lawn then finally into the house. They first started with Ashley’s bedroom furniture with such things as her bed frame, dresser, and a set of chairs with her nightstand. Before they pulled anymore furniture out of the U-Haul, they made sure to erect the bed frame and put the box spring and mattress on top.
After about half an hour of bringing in the bedroom furniture, they started to tackle the dining room table. The most trouble they had was manoeuvring it through the front door but once they had it inside, it was easy to place it in the centre of the dining room. Next came the computer desk and filing cabinet originally from Ashley’s office. They placed all those items in the room across from Ashley’s bedroom. Then the last bit of furniture they unloaded from the U-Haul was the tv stand, two small sofa chairs, and the large couch.
Katia and Ashley had already gotten the smaller pieces in including the tv on top of the tv stand. They were currently carrying the large sofa across the front lawn.
“Ashley… I’m not sure… I can carry thisss thing much… more.”
“Come on,” urged the officer. “We’re almost there.”
Katia had her back to the house. She glanced over her shoulder and groaned. “Yeah right.”
“Well I’m not about ready to….” Ashley took a deep breath and gripped the sofa arm harder. “Drop this white sofa in the grass,” she growled.
The smaller woman groaned but kept moving and tried to go faster. She eventually came to the door and with a little luck and Ashley’s help; she was able to fit it through the door. “Right… there?”
“A little more back,” ordered Ashley.
“Here?”
“No, more for-”
“Ashley,” hissed Katia. “Pick a damn spot.”
The state trooper smirked and suddenly dropped her end. “Right there.”
Katia let go and jumped back some not to smash her feet. She then came around the sofa and fell into it. “Oh my god,” she moaned and dropped her head back.
Ashley smirked and sat down at her end of the sofa. “It wasn’t that bad.”
The college student briefly glared at her friend then rolled her head back and closed her eyes. “I don’t work out like you,” she reminded. “Nor does it help to have a six foot woman lifting the other end.”
Ashley softly laughed and lowered her head against the back of the sofa. Even she was taking several deep breaths to calm her racing heart.
Katia took a deep breath then asked, “So what’d you think of Sara?”
“She was… something,” replied Ashley. “How long have you known her for?”
“Well….” Katia thought about it. “I met her through Erin… she’s my roommate. And I think that was near the end of the Spring semester.”
“Is Erin your age?” inquired Ashley.
“Yeah she is but she’s already a sophomore by her credits. Since I started in the spring semester last year, I’m behind by one.” Katia lifted her head and started pushing her shoes off with her feet.
“Why’d you start late?”
The college student sighed but smiled some once her shoes were off. “I had to work to get money together for school. So I worked until I saved up enough. I mean… I have a scholarship but it doesn’t cover everything.”
Ashley briefly glanced at her friend then closed her eyes again. “At least it makes it easier.”
“Yeah it does,” agreed Katia. She then moved and decided to take the rest of the couch up. She lay down and rested her head right beside Ashley’s left leg. She contently sighed and shut her eyes. “You’ll have to meet Erin too… and Mike. They all want to meet you.”
“Oh great,” joked Ashley. She peered down and smiled at how her friend was relaxing.
Katia opened her eyes and found blue eyes studying her. “Mike… he’s also gay.”
“Oh?” asked the curious officer.
The younger woman chuckled and closed her eyes. “Yeah he is. I swear though, the way he hangs on me makes me think otherwise.”
Ashley grinned some. She rested her head against the sofa and closed her eyes as well. She shifted her left hand some and gradually began to run her fingers through Katia’s short blond hair. “Are a lot of your friends gay?”
“Well… other than Mike and Sara no not really.” Katia’s eyebrows furrowed together. “As best as I can tell. I mean Mike, Sara, and Erin I’m closest too. There some others I hang out with or just know but I’m not as close with them.” She then shrugged. “Like I said, the rest are all straight.” After Katia said that, she then finally noticed Ashley was playing with her hair, it made her smile.
“And Erin is straight?” probed the officer.
“Yeah… I mean as far as I know.” Katia chewed on the inside of her mouth some. “But there is something weird going on between her and Sara.”
“What you mean?”
“I don’t know but… the two of them have been hanging out together all the time.” Katia opened her eyes. “Granted they always have but I mean… Erin will sleep over at Sara’s room sometimes. I think they’re even thinking of getting an off campus apartment together.”
Ashley grinned and said, “So just because they’re hanging out together a lot means they’re a… couple?”
“To be honest, it's just weird. I mean like today before Sara and I went to the Wawa, right?”
“Uh huh.”
“Well when Sara and I were leaving the room. Sara calls Erin by a nickname… Er. I’ve never heard Erin called that before.”
Ashley quietly chuckled.
“Besides that, normally Erin and I go out to parties together. We do our guy hunting thing and try to pick up.” Katia dramatically sighed. “We haven’t done that this semester. She and Sara are together all the time.”
“So?” urged Ashley. “Katia, you and I spend a lot of time together.”
The college student huffed. “That’s different.”
“How’s that?” argued the older woman. “We’re always hanging out together. Hell… Sara and Erin might be thinking the same thing about you and me if we go by your rules.”
“That’s so untrue,” protested Katia. “And they know that.”
“Then how can you be so sure Sara and Erin are girlfriends?”
“Because….” Katia sighed and tried to come up with some point. “I just know,” she stated.
Ashley grinned and looked down at her friend. “Why don’t you just ask them?”
Katia opened her eyes and replied, “Because I did… well I asked Sara.”
“What’d she say?”
“She looked at me like I had three heads and said she couldn’t shake a ten foot pole at Erin if she tried.” Katia shrugged and closed her eyes again. “I still say something is going on between them.”
Ashley just grinned to herself. She continued to run her fingers through Katia’s soft blond hair. “Maybe they are… maybe they’re not. Just let them be.”
Slowly a grin creased Katia’s lips. “Yeah I know. Erin would or will tell me in a good time.” She contently sighed and began to enjoy Ashley playing with her hair. Then a thought occurred to her. “Ashley?”
“Hmmm?”
“You don’t mind me calling you Ash?” Katia opened her eyes and already found soft blue ones looking down at her. “Do you?”
“No… its fine,” assured the older woman. Ashley began to smile and she watched as Katia smiled back to her. She dropped her head back against the couch as her smile went into a grin. “If you don’t mind me calling you K…?”
Katia giggled some while shutting her eyes. “No… that’s fine too.”
“Good to hear.” Ashley suddenly ruffled her friend’s hair, making a mess of it. She heard Katia growl at her but she was already jumping out of the couch.
“Where are you going?” protested the smaller woman. Katia had rolled onto her stomach and peered up at the officer.
“To find food. Feel like coming?” Ashley glanced back and flashed a quick grin.
Katia smiled and sat up. She had to get her shoes on first. “I’ll drive,” she called.
Ashley was headed into her bedroom to get her wallet and few other things. “Sounds good,” she hollered back. “What you feel like?”
“Let’s do pizza. We’ll go to Lombardi’s Pizza.” Katia looked up after tying her Sketcher shoes.
“That works,” agreed Ashley. “Let’s go, K.” She was headed to the door.
Katia jumped to her feet and rushed after her friend. She went out the open door and Ashley stepped out last to lock the door. “What time is it?”
“Five I think,” replied Ashley. She turned around and walked down the pathway beside her friend.
“Good because by the time we’re done, I’ll need to work on my homework.”
“Have a lot?” inquired the officer.
“Not too bad. I finished my chemistry before you called.”
Ashley nodded her head in approval. She opened the passenger door on Katia’s car. As she got in, she moved Katia's purse off the seat and placed it on the floor.
Katia got into her car and started it up. After she heard Ashley close the door, she buckled in and reversed her car out of the long driveway. “Oh guess what?”
“What?”
“I meant to mention this but of course we weren’t in touch for a couple of days there.”
“And?” urged the cop.
Katia chuckled but she didn’t reply as she focused on backing up onto the road. Once she put her car into drive, she finally explained the rest of it. “Back on Thursday I applied for a job at the computer centre.”
“Really? How’d that go?”
“Pretty well. I started Friday because they really needed the help.”
“I didn’t know you were good with computers,” casually mentioned Ashley.
Katia nodded and glanced at her friend. “Pretty good, yeah. I figured I’d put my talent to use and get paid for it.”
The state trooper grinned then asked, “How much is the pay?”
“Not that bad actually, considering it’s school pay. I’m getting seven dollars an hour.”
“Wow.” Ashley nodded a few times. “Guess they really needed the help,” she teased.
“Funnnnyyyy.” Katia rolled her eyes but she went serious as she merged onto Route 50. “At least that’ll give me some money now. I actually have to proctor a lab next weekend.”
“That sucks,” complained Ashley.
The college student chuckled. “Well, I have to do it once a month so it's not that bad.”
“Mmmm.” Suddenly Ashley furrowed her eyebrows. “Damn… that reminds me next weekend I won’t be around.”
“No?”
The state trooper shook her head. “I’ll be here Friday but on Saturday morning I have to leave.”
“Where to?”
Ashley sighed and stretched her legs out some. “I have to go in for service. It’s my weekend.”
“Wait, you’re still in the Army?”
Ashley faintly nodded. “Once a month I have to go in for duty. I typically go on the last week.”
“So you’re in the Army Reserve, right?”
“Yeah, I was in the service for two then I decided to do Reserve.”
“Huh… I didn’t know that.”
Ashley grinned at her friend. “Now you do.”
“So you have to be in uniform, right?”
“Yessss,” drew at the state trooper. “Why?”
“Oh no reason.” Katia shyly smiled then returned her focus to the road. “I just can’t imagine you in army fatigue.”
The older woman quietly laughed and smiled to herself. “I think I prefer my trooper uniform over the camouflage look.”
Katia giggled some. “The trooper uniform suits you,” she commented.
“Oh?” Ashley turned her head to her friend and grinned. “How’s that?”
“It… just does.” Katia was trying not to get embarrassed or shy. “I like you in uniform.”
“Well I’m so glad I have your approval,” teased the older woman.
“Hey, you asked,” reminded the college student. She was now grinning from ear to ear.
“I did,” agreed the state trooper.
Soon after the pair arrived at the restaurant and went inside for their early dinner. It didn’t take them long to get their pizza ordered then after they ate and paid the bill, they headed back to Ashley’s. Katia dropped her friend off at home but not without giving her goodbye hug. It was a little before eight o’clock that Katia finally made it back to the dorm.
When she came to the door of her room, she found it locked and she pulled out her key. As she began to put the key into the lock, she could make out the sounds of the television on in her room. “Weird,” she muttered.
Katia turned the key, the locked popped, and she began to open the door. When she had the door cracked open, she heard a large boom in the dark bedroom.
“Erin,” hissed Sara.
Katia could just make out her two friends lit up by the television screen. “What are you two doing?”
“Sara was being a pain in the ass,” commented Erin. “She kept taking up my bed.”
Sara was sitting on her butt on the floor. She glared up at Erin. “Well excuse me, my queen.”
Erin looked down at her friend and smirked. “That’s what you get.”
Katia shook her head and walked over to her desk. “Why didn’t you just lay on my bed, Sara?”
“I told her not to,” quickly answered the roommate. “I know how you are about people in your bed.”
“Yeah if they mess up my sheets.”
“Which Sara would do.”
Sara sighed and finally got up to her feet. “You mind if I sit on your bed, K? Errr I mean, Kaaatiaaa.”
Katia was now glaring at Sara. “Not after calling me K.”
Sara pouted.
“I heard about that,” cut in Erin. “She calls you K now, huh?”
Katia rolled her eyes at Erin’s grinning face. She put her purse up on the desk and walked over to her bed. She sat down and patted the spot beside her as an invite to Sara. “Yeah she does.”
Sara sat down beside her friend and contently sighed. “And Katia can call Ashley Ash now too.”
“You sure there isn’t a little something, something going on between you and Ashley, Katia?” teased Erin.
“Erin,” growled the roommate. “Come on, I thought you were on my side.”
“I am.” Erin grinned and said, “As a matter of fact, you can prove to everybody that something isn’t going on.”
“Oh boy… how’s that?” Katia put her hands behind her and leaned back onto them on her bed.
“There’s a party Friday, we’re all invited.”
Sara sighed and shook her head. “I hate straight parties.”
“I don’t care, you’re coming too, Sara.”
“I wish I was com….” Sara fell short on her smartass remark when she got a very nasty look from Erin.
Katia snickered and asked, “Where is it?”
“Over at Haley’s place.”
“She invited us?” quipped Katia.
“Yeah she and Shanarah are doing it. Sara and I were talking to Shanarah earlier.”
“That’s how you heard huh?”
Erin nodded at Katia’s question. “So it should be a good party.”
“Yeah Haley does good parties,” agreed Sara. “Even I’ll admit.”
Erin grinned at Sara then her grin broadened as she looked to Katia. “Maybe we can find you somebody to hook up with.”
Katia started to nod her head. “I’m gamed. I need a boyfriend.”
“Shit you need to get laid,” protested Sara. “Girl, you’ve been so uptight and hung up on this cop.”
“No I haven’t,” argued Katia.
Sara gave her a huge sceptic look. “Katia, you suck at playing straight girl. Let me tell you, you’ve been drooling and-” Suddenly she was cut off when a pillow slammed into her face.
“Leave her alone, Sara,” ordered Erin. “You give her enough crap as it is.”
Sara gave a dirty look at her friend. “Hey it's not my fault if she’s straight and hung up on a gay cop.” She jumped to her feet and came over to Erin.
“Yeah well us straight gals need time to figure these things out,” growled Erin. She was staring up at a smirking Sara.
Katia just shook her head and watched the two of them.
Sara growled yet she grinned as she jumped into the bed with Erin.
Erin rebelled and rolled her friend away and into the wall her bed was set against.
Sara groaned when her body slammed into the bed. “Thanks,” she muttered and flopped back into the bed.
“And give me that.” Erin took her pillow back and put it under her head. She looked over at her amused roommate. “Anyway, you, Sara and I are going. Alright?”
“Fine. What about Mike?”
“I haven’t talked to him yet. I think he’ll come too.”
“Cool it sounds good to me.” Katia stood up and went to her desk.
“You need to do your homework, Katia?” asked the roommate.
“Yeah actually.”
Erin exchanged a look with Sara then looked back at Katia’s back. “Need the tv off?”
“No, no,” protested Katia. “I’ll be fine. I don’t have much to do.”
“Alright.” Erin sighed and looked at the television. She noted Sara snuggling up beside her and she gave her friend a warning look.
Sara huffed and just looked at the television at the foot of the bed. “No fun,” she whispered.
“I know,” teased back Erin.
Katia pulled out her English homework, which also required her laptop too. She began typing up a brief 5-paragraph essay that was due tomorrow. After she finished her work, she called up Ashley but not without leaving the bedroom to get some privacy. She only talked to Ashley for about a half an hour since both of them were tired. Ashley thanked her for the help and told her she planned to finish the rest all day tomorrow. Katia promised she’d stop over this week for a visit if she had time.
But as Katia got off the phone with Ashley, she began to wonder when she would have time to see Ashley again. She knew this would be a busy week between her new job and classes. Also Ashley would be gone this weekend and she’d be proctoring the computer lab. With a sad sigh, Katia went back into her room and got ready for bed. She finally gotten into bed around ten-thirty and it was about that time that Sara quietly left to go back to her dorm.
Katia and Erin were soon in bed. And it took Katia a good hour to fall asleep. She thought too much about Ashley and as well as Erin and Sara. So many things confused her and almost frustrated her. After finally pushing her thoughts away, Katia began to fall asleep for a night of restless sleep.