PART 7

The silence that has built after the men had left is broken by Eli. He and his date have heard the loud cracking of the bursting door.

"Oh, my god! What was that? And... and... where's our door?"

Eli goes where the door had been just a few minutes ago.

Jessie is still horrified. She can't believe what she has just seen. There must be someone out there who doesn't want them to be happy. There is no other explanation for this chain of coincidences that turn their lives upside down.

"Just my landlord." Katie sighs disbelievingly.

One problem is solved, the next one shows up. Where was justice when it's really needed?

"Just you landlord?"  Jessie repeats excitedly. "Is that all you can say?"

Katie looks into her girlfriends eyes and discovers fear... and anger. Oh... honey! No anger, please!

"Don't magnify it, Jess! What di you think they'll do, if I don't pay? Kill me?"

Jessie doesn't answer. These men haven't looked like they wanted to have a nice, warm cup of tea with Katie, if she doesn't pay. Rome is just a weird, confused man, these are... criminals actually.

"No, honey, they won't kill me... I suppose..."

"Pay? Pay what, Katie?"  Eli meddles.

"Nothing... can't we just go to bed, Jessie?"

Puppy eyes won't work, Katie! Don't look at me that way! Jessie tries hard not to loose control, she is close to forgetting about it all if Katie continues staring at her like this. Flashing eyes... sparkling in the last rays of sunlight... a tiny, insecure smile...

"No... Eli, they want Katie to pay for the burned house."

"What? But... everything burned... Katie can't pay... besides it wasn't her fault." Eli states.

"Tell us something we don't know."

As if Katie's fearless self has vanished, she suddenly starts trembling slightly. She lost everything. What a realisation!
Jessie notices Katie's change of behaviour and grabs her hand, squeezing it gently.

"I... I... there's nothing I can do. No money... no valuables... I can't pay, I can't leave... I even lost my equipment, so I can't take part in the contest tomorrow... so... can't we please go to bed now and sleep?"

"Sleep? But we have to..."

"... find a solution?" Eli ends Jessie's sentence.

"Yes." Jessie nods and pulls Katie a bit closer, trying to reassure her that with them together everything would work out.

But Katie doesn't want to discuss, she doesn't want to worry, she just wants one thing. The one thing she has waited for such a long time: Falling asleep in Jessie's arms... tonight.

She stands up, still holding Jessie's hand tightly.

"Tomorrow is soon enough."

Jessie attempts to shake her head and protest, but Eli is quicker.

"She's right, sis. There's nothing we can do tonight... except for calling the manager, so we'll get a new door," he looks at the orphaned doorframe and smiles, "so you two go to bed and the two of us here take care of the door. Believe me, Jess! It's ok."

Jessie eyes her brother, then Katie. Maybe they're right. Maybe there is enough time to take care of this problem... and urge to hold Katie close for the rest of the night agreed with her.


When Jessie enters the bedroom, Katie has already turned her back to her. It had been a long and exciting day. Believing Katie has already fallen asleep, Jessie slips under the covers. First night together after such a long time... she smiles to herself... and Katie just sleeps. But that doesn't mean I can't hold her, does it?

Jessie turns around and wraps her arms around Katie's waist, her fingers slipping under them hem of Katie's shirt, caressing her flat stomach. Damn... how she missed that! She still feels the same... she still smells the same... somehow... Jessie cuddles into Katie's shoulder, her lips slightly touching her skin... hmm... no... what? What's that?

"Katie, you haven't taken a shower, have you?"

Katie shifts and Jessie shakes her softly to wake her up.

"Hmm... shower... no... too... tired... why?"

"Because your skin tastes salty."

Katie forces her eyes open and turns around to face Jessie.

"Then don't kiss, lick... bite or whatever you did... my skin,"  she grins, "by the way don't you think it's a bit unfair to lay hand on my precious while I'm sleeping."

Jessie doesn't know what to do... grin or start grumbling. However, she hasn't a lot of time to think about it, because Katie grabs her and pulls her close into a kiss. And Jessie is too surprised to protest... not that she would have.

"I suppose my lips don't taste salty, because I've already kissed you a couple of times tonight and you didn't complain."

"No, they don't. But I won't kiss any other part of your body... unless you take a shower. You taste of ocean... seaweeds... and wax for you surfboards."

Katie takes Jessie's hand and slips her fingers between hers, caressing the soft skin in between.

"And that's not sexy? Me... hot surfer chick... and all..."

Jessie finally grins. Yes... a small part of her thought that was extremely sexy... but that part wasn't her nose... and that part doesn't remember that the "old" Katie has ever smelled of surf wax.

"But it's Mr Zog's Sex Wax!" Katie wiggles her eyebrows.

Jessie shakes her head.

"Nope. Definitely not sexy."

Katie sighs... thinks about it... and then says: "Come on, Jess! Surfing... sun... Maui... the ocean... wet bikinis... me all sweaty from carrying sails and waxing my surfboards... still not sexy?"

Jessie starts laughing when she notices Katie trying hard to sound serious.

"No... not very seductive, Kat. Have a shower!"

Katie grins and stands up.

"Don't leave! Stay where you are! Don't move! I'll be back in a sec, baby!"

Jessie nods and her gaze follows Katie disappearing behind the bathroom door.



A loud knock on the door wakes them up. Katie is lying half on top of Jessie, their legs entwined and heads cuddled in the shoulder of the other one. It takes a few seconds, then a second knock follows. Jessie opens her eyes slightly.

Then a voice shouts.

"Jessie? Katie? Are you awake? Are you dressed? I mean... I don't mind seeing Katie naked, but... I'll come in... now!" 

It was Eli, already wide awake.

Katie shifts and opens her eyes, directly looking into Jessie's. She smiles. What a great day! Best day of my life! Jessie doesn't hesitate and kisses her good morning. Wait! Eli? Coming in?

"Morning! Am I dressed?"  She asks confused and Jessie grins.

"Don't know! But what a beautiful question..."

Katie grins and lifts the covers a bit.

"What a pity, " she yawns, "I'm dressed. I always wanted to see Eli faint."

She wraps her arms back around Jessie and snuggles up to her... which develops into...

The door swings open and Eli appears in the doorframe.

"Hey! Stop smooching! We have problems to solve or have you forgotten all about it?"

He starts shaking Katie who's still on top of Jessie.

"Kat, get of my sister! You have... P... R... O...B... L... M... S... ok?"

Jessie's arm appears, waving. She gasps for air.

"Ouch! Damn! Eli! Stop shaking her! She... Kat... you've bitten my lip! Stop shaking!"

Eli starts laughing and Katie crawls to the other side of the bed, smiling at Eli.

"Sorry! But it's already about 12 o' clock. And I... well... there's still this... Katie-needs-money-to-pay-her-landlord-thing..."

Jessie quickly remembers and Katie does, too... after a short amount of time she needed for trying to suppress the memory. Ok, well.. maybe it isn't the best day of her life.

"I still don't know what to do."  She states, as if she has already given up.

"But we have to do something. We don't know what these guys will do, if you don't pay... I mean they even found out where you are yesterday."

Katie shrugs her shoulders, while Eli sits down on the edge of the bed.

"By the way: Eli where's you're date? Is she still here?"  Katie tries to change the subject.

He smiles playfully.  "No, she didn't want to stay . But we'll meet at the contest in the afternoon."

Katie lets herself fall back into the pillows.

"Damn! The contest! I have to tell them that I can't take part... I'm already enrolled." 

"Katie...," Eli seems to try hard to remember a specific thing, "... isn't there a quite huge prize for winning the race?"

Katie nods weakly.

"Yeah, brah, there is! It's sponsored by a sail producer... I think the prize is about 5000 Dollar for the winner... but it doesn't matter. I can't take part... I have no board!"

"5000 Dollar?!"  Jessie asks in amazement. Solution? That definitely sounds like  a solution.

Katie smiles at Jessie. Gosh, she's so sweet when she's surprised... wide, piercing blue eyes... wohoo...

"O ke aloha ka 'iu!"  She states, ignoring the pleading for an answer in Jessie's eyes.

Jessie hits Katie's shoulder slightly.

"We already said good morning! Be serious!"

Katie bents over and gives Jessie a slight kiss on the lips, barely touching them.

"I didn't say good morning: Aloha means love and I actually said: Love is paradise, Jess."

"You... what? Does this mean... does this mean you said this one time on your porch..."

Katie nods.

"Aww... and I didn't know!"  Jessie pulls Katie close again and captures her lips into another kiss.

"Ladies? Ladies! I said no smooching. Can we please continue our discussion?"  Eli takes a pillow and hits the two of them until they stop.

They turn to him and smile at him.

"What?" They say uni sono.

"I have an idea,"  Eli answers proudly, "Katie, I can't lend you the money to pay you landlord, but I... well, I wanted to buy a board anyway... so, why don't we buy one, you take part in the race and win? And after that... I don't know... but isn't that a good idea?"

Katie quickly shakes her head.

"No! That's I mean to expensive."

"And our only chance."  Jessie adds.

"Jess, is right, Katie. I don't want anything to happen... I want to see you two as happy as you are now for the rest of our lives and I don't think these guys want that too. It's okay. It's not even that  I'll lend you the money.. I'll just lend you my board."  He smiles encouragingly.

It takes Katie a few minutes to decide. But Jessie and Eli don't let her a chance to refuse.

The beach is already crowded, when Eli and Jessie arrive. Katie has left with the new board a few minutes earlier to take care of the official stuff.
Now she standing near the shore rigging up her sail. Jessie watches her. Tanned skin, glistening from water... white Lycra-shirt... long, blond ponytail hanging down on her shoulder... and this...

"Jess! I.... I'm over there!"  Eli points to the other side of the beach, where the girl from last night is standing.

Jessie nods and hurries to Katie, without waiting for Eli to say something more. She hugs her from behind and kisses her shoulder.

"Hey there!"

"Hi. What's that? I thought you didn't like my skin tasting salty."  Katie smiles.

Jessie takes a few paces away from Katie and eyes her.

"I was wrong... it's sexy... very, very... sexy. And," she sighs, "I can't believe I'm saying this."

"Discovering your naughty side, perfect little Jessie? College corrupts you."

Jessie grins, giving Katie a very short kiss, because she doesn't want any of the guys chatting them up.

"No, it's you... wearing this... this see through nothing over tanned skin... don't you have something to do?"

Katie nods.

"Absolutely," she pushes the board and the sail into the water, "I have a race to win," she puts the harness on, "you'll excuse me. See... you... later."

And then she is off... with an impressive water start.

Jessie's gaze follows her. In the distance she can see a bunch of surfers waiting for the sign.

All of a sudden a loud shout starts the race: "Oi'a!"