EYE OF THE NEEDLE
The Third Story in the "Skin Deep" Saga
By BLACK CHERRY

CHAPTER ONE: TWO’S COMPANY

Monica Truman checked the caller ID on her cell before answering it. She frowned. It was her girlfriend Torrid Duncan…again. She frowned and debated letting it roll over to voice mail. She didn’t want to be bothered right now, and not especially by her girlfriend.

“Hello?” she said, completely unenthused.

“No, Torrid,” Monica sighed, “I don’t need you to protect me every second of every day! You are smothering me!”

She was frustrated. Every hour her cell rang, everywhere she went, Torrid shadowed her; she was obsessed with Monica’s safety after the incident with Elektra Knossoss.

“Alright, baby—but I want to make sure you’re okay,” Torrid said on the other end of the call.

“I am fine! I am a grown woman! I can take care of myself—so please give me some space!” she said as she hung up. Monica was angry; at her wits end.

She was really starting to crave her independence and wasn’t getting it. Torrid had changed. Monica noticed. She understood why, but it wasn’t the same. She loved Torrid but she feared, she wasn’t in love with her anymore.

She missed the wild and untamed Torrid. Torrid the beast; the unpredictable reckless Amazon.  Being in a committed relationship was killing her spirit. It was the same reason she had left Tommy before she met Torrid. Torrid had withdrawn emotionally, but then, so had she. She didn’t seem to connect with anyone these days, except Drew.

Drew had been there for her many times. He knew Torrid, and he knew her moods. Monica could talk to Drew about anything. Drew didn’t judge her either. When she confessed her unhappiness, her feelings of being smothered and craving the wild times, he understood. He was young like her. He was also wild and free, like she longed to be. Thinking of him, she smiled softly, and dialed his cell.

“Fuck!” Torrid said as Monica hung up on her. She clipped her cell to her jeans pocket and put a cigarette in her mouth. She looked at Drew who just shrugged.

“She hung up on me! Can you believe this shit?” Torrid asked as she motioned for him to toss over his lighter.

“Sorry Boss, “ he said as he fished out his Zippo and tossed it to her, “Monica is going through a lot of stuff to. This hasn’t been easy on either of you. Maybe—give her some space?” He offered.

Torrid raised an eyebrow. Maybe he was right. Maybe she was smothering Monica.  She loved Monica, and didn’t want any harm to befall her; wanted to be her protector. Monica resisted all of her attempts at this, and seemed to be increasingly angry, distant and bitchy with Torrid. Torrid sighed.  She lit her clove and took a long silent drag off it, exhaling the scented smoke, thinking deeply as it curled about her head. She was suddenly pulled from her thoughts by the sound of the cell ringing. She looked down to see the Caller ID.

”Not me—must be you, Drew.” She said, setting his lighter back on his table.

Drew looked at his phone. Shit, he thought to himself. “Oh I gotta take this one, Boss, it’s…uh…about Amsterdam. I’ll be back in a few.”

Torrid just waved him off as she sank back into her thoughts.  Drew went into the office and closed the door.

Inside the office, Drew spoke in hushed tones; he offered comfort to Monica, and advice on handling Torrid. Drew liked Monica, she was hot! She was nice to him, and it hurt him to see her so miserable. He would be there for her, and if Torrid continued to drive her away, he would be there then too.

“Drew, it’s been almost a year and a half, “ Monica said sadly. “This just isn’t going anywhere for me anymore.”

“I know, honey.” He said, sweetly, comforting.

“I don’t know what to do. I feel so detached from everything, from everyone---except you.”

He smiled.

“Monica, I am here for you. Come over tonight. We’ll talk, and I’ll make dinner. Why don’t you have Torrid go out and have drinks with the girls, and shoot pool? It’d do you two good to have an evening apart.”

Monica sighed. It sounded like heaven. She could use an evening away from Torrid, and dinner with a friend was just what she needed. She needed more than dinner, and sitting around waiting for it to come along when all she had to do was reach out and grab it, was now over. She stared out the window noticing the sunshine for the first time in a long while. She smiled.

”Okay, Drew. See you tonight!”

Drew closed his cell and sat back in Torrid’s chair smiling. He sighed and said barely above a whisper, “It’s a date.”

Later that evening, Torrid got on her bike and headed over to the bar to meet the girls for a game of pool and a few beers.  Taking Drew’s advice to give Monica her space, she agreed when Monica said she’d like to spend the evening with an old friend.  Torrid loved Monica, but she knew in her heart that neither of them was happy; she just didn’t know what the fuck to do about it. One thing was for sure; she needed a night away from Monica. She rode through the Montrose and found an empty spot up front. Getting there before the peak of happy hour, she could find a quiet corner and chill out before the gang arrived to be rowdy and cocky.

Monica rushed home from work and closed the door of her apartment behind her. She made herself a drink and turned on the shower to heat up the water.

As she lay on her bed sipping her cocktail she thumbed through the most recent entries in her diary. She frowned. The journal entries dating back over a year were a shocking progression of her growing distance from Torrid. With a sad sigh she closed the journal and headed to the shower. She needed a night away from Torrid.

Meanwhile, over at Chances, Torrid enters the bar and looks for her quiet spot. It was still early so she had her pick of the place. The smoke filled den with it’s dank and dark atmosphere was a haven to Torrid; but it had been months since she had been here.

“Well, well, well…” said Liz, the tall and dark woman behind the bar, “Look what the cat dragged in!”

“Hey Liz,” Torrid said as she took a seat at the end of the bar, placing her cigarettes and lighter on the counter in front of her. Liz smiled at Torrid. It was good to see her out and about again. It was obvious to everyone but Torrid how unhappy she was, and how much the incidents with Elektra had affected her and Monica. It was heartbreaking to see two people taking turns beating a dead horse.

“Here hon,” said Liz sliding a beer over to Torrid. “It’s on me.”

“Thanks Liz, but I don’t need the pity beer.” Said Torrid, putting her money on the bar.

“Fine.” Said Liz, pocketing the money. “I’ll keep it as a tip.  It’s good to see you out and about Torrid.  By the way, you look like hell.”

Torrid smirked, “I love you too Liz.”

“You wanna talk about it? You’re sitting in the barstool confessional, you know?” Liz said, stealing one of Torrid’s cigarettes and lighting it. “And I am an ordained minister from the ULC.”

Torrid rolled her eyes and laughed as she sipped her beer. She took a long moment and let out a breath.

“It’s Monica. I don’t think she loves me anymore. She seems to be detached from everyone and everything. It’s like she’s sort of numb. She says I smother her, I crowd her. I’m her fucking girlfriend, what the fuck, right?”

“Mmmmmmmm…indeed, what the fuck.” Liz agreed. “But Torrid, you have both been through a lot. You pulled away, so she pulled away. Just being her protector isn’t going to cut it. Be her lover.”

Torrid’s shoulders slumped. “Liz, I have tried. She doesn’t want me touching her.”

“Baby—it’s not always about the sex. There’s more to being a lover than having sex with them.”  She touched Torrid’s arm softly, “It’s about trust and freedom and allowing her to make her own mistakes and to fall on her ass from time to time.”

“I hear ya Liz. I have been over protective. I will try harder. I wanna make this work. We have a great investment with each other. And I have so much crap on my mind with the convention coming up next month; I haven’t been giving her 100% of me, unless I have been in protector mode.  She’ll get a break while Drew and I are gone. It’ll be good.” Torrid smiled softly and sipped her beer.

“Well, in that case, “ Said Liz, “I absolve you from your sins, go with the goddess and be at peace.”

Torrid smirked.

Monica arrived a little late, having stopped to get a bottle of wine to go with the dinner Drew was making for her.

She walked up to his flat and knocked on the door.

The barking of Torrid’s dog shattered the calmness of the evening. She rolled her eyes remembering that Torrid always stuck Drew with her dog when she went out.

“Can I ever get away from her for even a moment?” she said to herself; aggravated.

At last Drew opened the door.

“Hey Mon—come on in! I had to put big boy in the bed room.”  Monica stepped in and gave him a generous hug. He held the hug for a long moment, smelling her hair and feeling her warmth. This did not go unnoticed by Monica. She pulled away gingerly and looked around the apartment, trying to regain her composure. Wow, he gives great hugs! She thought to herself.

Drew escorted Monica into the kitchen and took the wine from her to chill it.

“Nice. We’re having pasta Alf redo, so this will go nicely.” He said, as he put it in the fridge.

Monica sat down at the counter and helped herself to an olive from the garnish tray. She stuck it in her mouth and chewed absently, Drew watched her intently.

“So Monica, you want to talk about it?” He offered.

“There’s not really anything to say that I haven’t already said to you. I am not happy. I feel like I am spinning my wheels and wasting my time. I thought I wanted the relationship, but the truth is I don’t. I am too young to be attached to someone. To be someone’s ball and chain!  I want my freedom! I want to—“ she stopped herself.

“Mon? You want to what?” Drew asked.

She moved in close to him, placing her arms around him, hugging close to him and taking in his warmth and scent. She moaned softly, and looked up to meet his eyes. He looked back, losing himself in her amber green pools, Yes! He thought to himself.

He leaned down and covered her mouth with his. She pulled him close and deepened the kiss, heat rising, passion building. All the sexual tension of the last year exploding between them; Drew lifted her up off the stool and gently carried her to the sofa, kissing her all the while. He sat her down, and leaned over her, his hands feeling her form, cupping her ass…her breasts. She moaned and responded to his touch, lying back on the couch, spreading her legs and pulling him down on top of her. Her tongue probing his mouth, her hand sliding down to his zipper….and beyond. His hardness pushed back against her hand and she freed him.

His hand lifted her skirt and cupped her mound, sinking his fingers into her wetness.

He smiled, “Commando?”

“Just for you baby,” Monica moaned into his mouth. He kissed her hard, probing her mouth with his tongue, and moving himself entered her.

Drew’s pasta was boiling over in the kitchen, the water bubbling to it’s climax, spilling over the sides of the stewing kettle while on the other side of the counter Monica screamed in ecstasy, and it wasn’t Torrid’s name she was calling.

  to be continued in chapter two