2020-01-18 - Doing it Right

There's a message waiting on Jessica's voice mail.

"Jess, darling. A beauty named Hera texted me for advice about an upcoming date. I'm sure you're not at all interested in that exchange, but I thought I'd touch base in case you want to -- I don't know -- worship at my feet. Call me." Harper doesn't leave her name. Even without caller id, Jessica would need far less to identify her best friend's voice and message style.

That's definitely the kind of message that interests an investigative reporter. Especially one that is having an upcoming date with a beauty named Hera. Harper will get a message back. A totally nonchalant Jessica. "If you want to have a talk about what was said. Not really bothered but it could be of interest. Maybe." A beat. "Get your ass over here now, woman!"

Twenty long minutes later, Harper pulls up to the parking lot near where this collection of houseboats are moored. She's wearing a red plaid skirt, a white silk blouse, black tights, black boots and a black three-quarter length jacket. She doesn't knock. She pushes the front door open and nudges it shut with a kick of her hips before heading into the living room of Jessica's place. "Am I the best friend you could have? Will you worship adoringly at my feet? Do I meddle in all the best ways?" She shrugs out of her jacket and tosses it to a chair. "The answer to all of these question is 'yes!'. Yes yes yes. A million times yes." Harper's brown eyes sparkle. Her cheeks are rosy from the chill outside. She drops dramatically to the sofa with a bounce or two. "I need a beverage. Choose wisely."

As Harper enters in her usual, and beloved, bursting style, she will catch Jessica in mid-pacing. Dressed in sweats and t-shirt, she is hardly the stylish one of the pair. And is that a furrow in the rug her bare feet have been marching up and down upon as she waits for Harper. She opens her mouth to answer the questions but Harper has it handled - they were rhetorical. "Hot chocolate with a some spice, oh great goddess of wisdom?" she offers. Spice equals alcohol. Jessica trots off to the kitchen. "You're loving this, aren't you?" she grins happily.

Harper demurely crosses one tights-clad knee atop the other while her plaid skirt slides a bit up her thigh. "Spicy hot chocolate is perfect," she answers. "I'm not the one who is going to tell you that 'not everyone can climb from slave to goddess'. But I think it was a pretty impressive line." As for loving this? Harper smiles, "It's nice to be the supportive friend for a change. I only did what you would have done. And none of it was manipulative or misleading in any way. Someone wants to make a good impression. If you haven't called her yet to arrange a time, you're a fool."

"That is an impressive line" Jessica nods. "And she certainly is a goddess." A little sigh as her mind drifts a little before back to beverages. "I've been busy" she frowns. "I was thinking next Tuesday (trying to figure out game time vs real time). Definitely next week though." A little blushing as Jessica finds some hair to push back over an ear. "She wants to make a good impression? She's definitely interested?" Deep breath - it's been a while. "So, what do I have to agree to for the deets?"

"I know, right?" Harper replies about the line. She simply settles back to enjoy Jessica mooning, not at all planning to interrupt any of it. "Busy is fine. Too busy? Not allowed." Next week. Harper nods slowly. "Not too long, and not desperately quick. Time for you both to get settled a bit, I think." Ah, Jessica blushing is so very rare a sight to see. Harper's laughter is low and warm. "You got bit, didn't you? Do you remember on Chrstmas Day what I told you about your time coming? This is when you say, 'You were right, Harper. You're always right.'" Does Hera want to make a good impression? Is she interested? "I can say without a doubt that she's interested and that you made a good impression. It sounds like she hasn't dated for awhile and she feels rusty. And nervous. And she wants to make a good impression. She wanted to know all about you." Harper tips her brows upward. "What do you have to agree to? How about a summer and fall and the beginning of winter full of my emotional roller-coaster and phobias? Done and done, darling." Harper folds her hands atop her lap. "She wanted to know your favorite movie, your favorite color, your favorite ... nail polish. And I think she wasn't entirely certain if it was actually a romantic date."

"Let's not get too carried away, Harpo" Jessica grins. "We haven't said a whole lot to each other. Though there is definitely physical attraction on my part. That woman is hot." The smile softens and warms at hearing of Hera's definite interest. "She's rusty? Umm...me too. As evident in the fact she didn't even know for sure it was a romantic date." Jessica has to laught at that, shaking her head. "I don't even remember the last date I went on. I thought I was about to have a date with Lex but she dumped me at the start." She purses her lips in thought. "Really not a good history there. What did you tell her about me." A folding of arms and furrowing of brow. "Did you build me up into some form of goddess? Nail polish?" She looks at the lack of same on her fingers. "Ummm...don't think I have a favorite nail polish."

"I told her you cared more about the woman than the color of her nail polish, but I didn't think you'd mind some nails. And I might have told her if she played with your hair, you'd be her slave." Harper's smile is playful. "She threw around the idea of dressing like a belly dancer for your Middle Eastern food. To that I told her I thought you might faint with delight. She asked if you were non-traditional and I told her about your parents, how amazing your cooking is. To that she said, I think it was: 'the last thing I need is to gain weight'. I answered that you liked curves. So she said something about flaunting her curves and sent me a picture of a femme fatale red dress that I strongly encouraged her to wear." Harper taps her fingers atop the back of her other hand. "What else? Hmm. She said she hates lying. And she said something about back-stabbing, so I think she may have had some rough times in the past." Harper tips her head. "Where's my hot chocolate?" She sways one booted foot at the ankle. "I might have told her you had a naughty side." Harper pushes from her seat on the sofa to go for her phone in her discarded jacket. "There was something else... I think I have to read it, because otherwise I won't get it right."

Hot chocolate on the way! Jessica generally nods along with what Harper is said about her, though there is a scowl about the hair. "Sheesh, give away all my secrets, Harpo. Now I'll be her slave...which might not be all bad." She stops in shock at the belly dancer idea. "She said what? I hope you didn't put her off that idea. Fuck...at what point on a first date is it okay to propose marriage?" Beverage deliver resumed. "I like red" Jessica notes before a nervous swallow. "And she's rusty at dating? I can't wait until she gets her mojo back" she smirks. "Everyone should hate lying and back-stabbing. I won't do that. I'm upfront. Probably too uprfront." A roll of her eyes at the 'naughty side' comment. "Did you tell her I had a naughty front and back too?" She will get out of the way as Harper goes phone fishing. "Sounds like quite a conversation was had."

Harper enjoys every reaction from Jessica, from nodding to scowling to astonishment. "You know I wouldn't give away your actual secrets, Jessica. And I know you won't mind slavery one bit in this circumstance." The belly dancer suggestion. "No, no. I pretty much intimated that you'd like that very much." Harper pulls out her phone. "No marriage proposals on the first date. In fact, I ban the talk of marriage at all for at least several dates. Seriously, Jess." Harper might be biased against marriage. She also believes in curses. "Oh, you wouldn't believe the red dress she sent me a picture of. But I'm not showing you. You'll have to wait and see if she wears it. I'd suggest you dress ... with intention for this date." Harper smiles as she thumbs through her phone screens. "I told her you were a very candid person. Here it is. Prepare yourself." Harper quotes, "I sometimes dream of falling into someone's arms and being told I am beautiful." Harper smiles. "I told her to carpe journalist." The librarian cants her head, contemplating whether to share more or not. "She went on to go all poetic about love. That I think is something you should hear for yourself." She scrolls further, "After the dress I said this: Don't incinerate my best friend with hotness on the first date, please. Hmm. No. I take that back. Immolate her. Immolate her hard." Harper looks up from her phone to level a Look at her best friend from across the family room. "You both need to just be yourselves and get to know each other without putting too much pressure on things to go one way or another. You can do that, Jess. I suggest a movie. She wanted to know about movies you like."

"I was teasing about the marriage thing" Jessica smirks before blowing over her hot chocolate. "Besides, you'll be getting polygamly married before me. Is that a word? 'Polygamly' not 'married'. As mush as you disagree, the latter is a word. A narrowing of eyes about the red dress. "You are a tease, Harpo. Hmm...are you saying your Christmas present will come in handy? I'm starting to wonder if most of the cooking will happen in the kitchen or the bedroom? I'm hoping the latter. But, you're right, one step at a time." Sipping at her beverage now as Harper continues relating the messages - she must be loving this. A laugh at 'carpe journalist' and the immolation. "Have I told you lately that I love you, Harpo?" Another sip. "We're having dinner here. That much is agreed on. But I can find us some movies to watch. 'Blue is the Warmest Color'? 'Bound'?"

Harper drops her phone back onto her coat and sweeps over to gather up her own hot chocolate. She takes a slow drink of the warm sweetness. "Like I said, Geoff isn't the divorcing type. And I'm not the marrying type. You're going to have to be satisfied with the way things are. Now, what you choose to do?" she lifts her mug demonstratively in a large circle. "That's so your choice to make, sweetheart. And I'll be here no matter what. Hot or cold. Good or bad. Count on that." She steps up to Jessica as she starts to make her list of erotic movies and gives her a hug, all without spilling her spiked beverage. "You've got this. Just remember to enjoy the little things."

"Enjoy the little things" Jessica nods slowly in agreement before slumping back on the couch. She is about to admit something to her best friend she would never admit to anyone else. "I'm terrifed, Harpo. I'm not sure I'd even know what to do. And if things do go really well, I'm technically a fluid virgin. I'm going to blunder around like a bull in a china shop...like most men do I guess." A smile for Harper before she leans in to rest her head on her shoulder. "I know you'll always be there. Right back at you. Do you think Hera would be interested in going to the wrestling?"

Harper catches at Jessica's hand and pulls her to the sofa so they can sit facing one another, knee to knee. "Okay. I hear you. And you're right that you could stomp all over a sparking flame by overwhelming it or lose it by not giving it enough oxygen. The thing is, Jessica, you can't plan it. You can't pre-script it. You have to be in the moment with her. Breathe the same air. Find some common ground. Relax together. Things will happen at a natural pace. And little things like a grazing touch of her hand will be better than full-bore screaming sex." Jessica confides how worried she is and Harper murmurs gently, "Think of it as discovering something together. When it's right, you won't have to choreograph it. You won't have to have it all figured out. It's intimate because you're on a journey together. You'll encourage her when she does something you like. I know you will. And she'll tell you in all sorts of ways when you've done what she likes. People think good sex happens because people just know what to do, but that's not it at all. People who communicate honestly have the best sex. That's the secret." Harper doesn't have a vast wealth of experience, but the experience she does have over the years makes her words sincere and as direct as possible. She watches her friend for any hint of the words making sense to her.

"I hope it goes well" Jessica sighs, nodding to Harper's wisdom. "But I won't push it. I'll text her soon. Set the date for the date. Make sure she knows it is a romantic affair. No, not 'affair', liaison? And then think of what to cook." A fond smile for the sexual advice. "I'm thirty years old and starting out on a whole new adventure." Her look of concern becomes a grin. "Isn't life wonderful. Speaking of, how's your threesome going?"

Harper nods slowly as she listens. "It will," is her certain reply. "Maybe think of a better word than 'affair' or 'liaison'." She makes all sorts of suggestions of her favorite foods that Jessica makes. "Tell me what you're going to wear! No sweatpants allowed." She reaches out with the hand not on her cup and pinches Jessica's thigh teasingly. "You're thirty years old and starting a new chapter. This could be just a fun fling, you know. It could be the beginning of a great friendship. Or it could be only hot sex. Whatever it is, you're going to stride through it proudly, knowing who you are and looking for someone to share yourself with." Harper likes how Jessica's concerned expression turns to that incomparable grin. "I know you vicariously want me to be having sex with two men who are boffing each other. But that's just not the case. I'm sorry to disappoint you. So... how's my threesome? It's perfect. Every single day it's a wonder that argues against everything I've always believed." Ah yes, there's the glow, the way Harper practically lights up. She lifts her mug for another drink, her brown-eyed gaze distracted for a handful of moments before she refocuses on her dear friend. "And that doesn't even count Jorge (hor-hay), my billionaire, Latin lover who flies in on his helicopter for trysts in front of the fireplace." Clearly there's a story that amuses her behind the words.

"I have no idea what I'm going to wear" Jessica winces, as if discovering an entirely new avenue of concern to deal with. "Okay...it's a date, right. So I need to dress nicely. So...dress? Black? Is that too much? I mean, we will be eating at Chez Honeybuns not the Ritz." A shrug. "I could do with just hot sex but I also hope it can be more. I should drop by the gallery. So, other than the really romantic stuff you got out of Hera, what are her favorite movies and color and...nail polish?"

A smirk and a wink. "If you ever have a threesome, I'm sure you'd send me live footage. And probably supply a commentary too." Jessica smiles at that glow, it's so wonderful to see in a good friend. A best friend. She gives Harper's thigh a squeeze before quirking a brow about the lover. "Another one? Damn, girl, that's 4-0 now. I'll never catch up. Have you learned the language of love for him yet? That's Spanish. Maybe I could come round and translate his words of hotness?" She adopts a deadpan bored voice to do a sample translation. "He says he wants to rub your love tunnel with his pole of pleasure."

Harper sets down her nearly empty mug of hot chocolate on the coffee table. "Wear something nice that isn't ostentatious. Something you feel good in that shows off your beautiful hair and eyes, and that luscious figure. And if you don't have anything like that, we're going shopping." Harper shakes her head slowly. "I asked her, but all I got was the poetic diamonds and flower petals and fluid love flying to the stars. She was headed to see 'The Thing' with friends, though. So I don't think you'd go wrong with a classic."

"Footage. Jessica." Harper shakes her head ruefully. "Jorge doesn't count on the score. He's special in other ways." In the sense that she made him up to tease Geoff. The obscene 'translation' has Harper rolling her eyes. "That's just ... I mean a tunnel and a pole don't even ... I'll bet your girl-on-girl analogies are much more evocative." Amusement dances in Harper's eyes, despite the critique.

"Hey, I was just saying what guys say" Jessica protests. "Didn't you ever have one boasting about his 'Rod of Power' and wanting to plunge it into your 'Tunnel of Love'?" She looks a bit confused. "We went to the same high school, right? Remember Biff Lester? He used to say that all the time. To anyone really. He was the one who kept coming into the library to look at the underlined words in dictionaries. He used to modify the cover to say 'Dicktionaries'...with a 'k'." She ponders a moment. "I think he's running for Congress these days." A snort about girl-on-gril analogies. "I might have to watch some movies before the date."

"If I did I've sublimated it," Harper replies. She was all about the flowery metaphors in her regency romances. Biff Lester! "How did I forget Biff? Definitely destined for politics." She shakes her head and leans her shoulder into the back cushions of the sofa, tipping her head to the side to rest atop the sofa-back. "Maybe this means our rave weekend is off."

Jessica makes a mental note to read some more Regency Romances. "Like heck it is off." She seems quite firm on this. "We just have to do it before my date. Like...right now. It's my birthday present, right?" She furrows her brow in thought. "When is it the right time to ask someone their birthday?"

Harper looks startled that Jessica wants to go pursue sex-with-strangers with a date in the hopper. "Really? Well sure. It can be your birthday present, though I'd hate to keep it to once a year if you enjoy yourself." Birthdays. "I don't think there's really a wrong time to ask that."

"I really need to loosen up" Jessica nods. "See if I still know how to dance. Doesn't mean I'm going to sleep with anyone." It's like she can read Harper's mind. "Or even have sex if the sleeping is too boring" she adds with a grin. "We should go and have a good time!"