Homecoming (32 page)

“I used to spy on you and Mark. I’ve seen you kiss guys. On my porch!” she added, giving Jill a playful punch.

“I couldn’t do that on my porch,” Jill said, laughing at the thought, “so I had to use yours.”

A frown flashed across Lizzie’s face. “Did you have sex with guys?”

“Not
real
sex. Just some fooling around.”

Lizzie’s eyes danced with interest. “What kind of fooling around? I want to fantasize about you doing all sorts of dirty things.”

“You do?” She stared, surprised. “I haven’t given this much thought, but I don’t think I’d want to imagine you with other people.”

“Why not? Knowing people find you hot just confirms my good judgment.”

Jill laughed at her. “Your perspective is odd, but somehow complimentary.”

Lizzie bumped against her playfully. “Come on… Tell me your dirty secrets.”

Jill cleared her throat, as if preparing to make an announcement. “I have,” she said solemnly, “had my hands around a penis. But never my mouth.” She made a face, just thinking about it. “I was
way
too gay for that.”

“But you let boys touch you?” She still looked like she was listening to one of the most fascinating things she’d ever heard.

“All they wanted,” Jill agreed, laughing at her hyperbole. “I figured one of them would find the key to making me want to go further.” She shrugged. “Never happened.”

“Enter the fairer sex,” Lizzie said dramatically.

“Yep. Two girlfriends in college, each an awful mismatch. But I was so clueless I didn’t realize we weren’t adding a thing to each other’s lives.”

“But you were confident enough to come out?”

“Yeah,” she said, thinking of those days. “I finally realized I was going to be with women—even if I hadn’t found the right one. That’s when I told Mark. Right before graduation.”

“Then he told his lovely stalker, and… There you have it.”

“Kinda.” She sat up and did some lazy stretches, trying to get her muscles loose for the return trip. The wind was blowing her hair back, but it was so cooling she welcomed it. “We’d better head back.”

Lizzie stood, her supple muscles clearly not needing any convincing to start working again. “I want to know about every relationship you’ve had. Especially the adult ones.”

“I’ll tell you all about them. I’ll dole out the information a little bit at a time, so you don’t get sick of me.” She snaked an arm around Lizzie and pulled her close. “I’m surprised at how few boyfriends you’ve had. No quickies you slipped in just to keep things interesting?”

“Never. I have to know someone well before sleeping with them, then I stick with them until it’s clear it’s not gonna work.”

Jill hated to be a stickler, but she reminded her of a couple of exceptions to that rule. “Unless you’re just looking for an escape valve to relieve the pressure.”

She waved a hand in the air. “Those women weren’t in the same category as the people I was in a relationship with. When I’m committed, the rules are different.”

“Then we’re in good shape,” Jill said as she buried her face in Lizzie’s hair and rubbed it back and forth. “Because this is gonna work.”

“How confident are you that we’re going to make it back to Vermont? The wind is blowing right in our faces.” Her arm was draped around Jill’s shoulders as they surveyed the lake, watching the wind send ripples across the surface. “Hey, wanna go on a boat ride for Labor Day?”

“A make-up for the one that got canceled for our birthdays?”

“It wasn’t cancelled,” Lizzie said, pinching her cheek. “I wanted to be alone with you.”

Feigning outrage, she said, “What if I really wanted to go on that boat?”

Lizzie grasped her and pulled her in for a kiss. “You couldn’t have had a better day. Don’t pout.”

“I’m not pouting at all. Actually, I’m damned glad you manipulate me. Clearly, you know what I want.”

“I do. I’m not sure how we’re going to accomplish the next thing you want, which is to get back home, but we’ll give it a go.”

They started off, with the paddles feeling small and ineffective compared to the outbound trip. Tiny waves broke over the tips of their boards, further impeding them. Lizzie was in front, and she dug deep, flexing her knees and stretching to pull herself along. They were making progress, but not much, with every stroke only moving them a foot or two.

“How wide is the lake here?” Lizzie asked, her voice muffled by the headwind.

“Feels like a hundred miles. New York was so close! Did they move Vermont when we weren’t looking?”

Lizzie stopped paddling and turned to face Jill. “We’ll never make it.” In the few seconds since she’d stopped paddling, she drew even with Jill, then fell behind. “I just lost two yards!”

“Sit down,” Jill said. “You’re acting like a sail.” Jill squatted, then sat. “Ideas? I’ve got car keys, which don’t help much. I locked my wallet in the car, and I don’t have shoes.”

“Or pants.”

“Right.” She took a look at Lizzie. “With that bikini, you could stick your thumb out and get us a ride to just about anywhere, but that’s probably not smart.”

“No, I don’t like to hitchhike barefoot, in a bikini. That’s asking for a perv to pick us up.”

“Are you ready to tell some of my friends we’re dating?”

“All of them,” Lizzie agreed, smiling brightly.

“Then let’s go back to New York and call around to see if there’s anyone who likes me well enough to leave the state to pick us up.”

***

“Good thing we loaded up on the sunblock,” Jill said as they used their paddle boards as beach blankets while waiting for Karen, who’d agreed to pick them up.

“Wish I would have brought my sunglasses. But I was afraid I’d fall off and lose them.”

“Not you. You’re like a cat on that board. I can’t imagine how good you’d be if you practiced.”

“I wouldn’t mind having one of these,” Lizzie said, giving the board a slap. “But I’m still at the point where I’ve got to budget to buy shorts.”

“You can start saving for your board. I’ll buy your shorts.”

Lizzie reached over and took Jill’s hand. “You don’t… You don’t think I expect you to pay for me, or buy me things, do you? The guy who owns the boat is always complaining that women expect him to pull them up to his level.” She looked at Jill very soberly. “I’m not like that.”

“No, Lizzie, I don’t think that,” Jill said, gentling her voice. “But I hope you’ll let me pay for dinner once in a while. Like tonight,” she said, rolling her eyes. “We’ve got to take Karen out to thank her for rescuing us. We should go someplace good.”

“Two-dollar-signs good?”

“I was thinking three. I really like that place on Cherry. Right across from the Episcopal cathedral. Know it?”

“I know of it, but I haven’t been there. If we’re going out to dinner, I need to stop by my house. I’ll look like a dope if I wear your clothes.”

“My clothes are dopey?”

Lizzie shifted to sit on Jill’s board, then leaned over and hovered just above her face for a moment. “Your clothes look lovely—on you. On me? They look like I went through a laundromat and grabbed stuff at random.” She placed a soft kiss on Jill’s lips. “I plan on spending a lot of time getting your clothes off, but I don’t need to put them on.”

Jill put her hands on Lizzie’s shoulders and held her in place, loving the way her body felt when it pressed against hers. Lying in the sun, on a warm August day, with a woman you were falling for was about as good as it got.

A quick “beep” made her turn her head to see Karen’s SUV pulling up alongside the road. “Good thing we decided to tell Karen we’re together.” She patted Lizzie’s butt, urging her to stand. “This would be hard to explain, unless you were giving me mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.”

***

The three of them stood at the rail of the ferry as it puttered back across the lake. “I’m glad you didn’t do this a month from now,” Karen said as she raised her hand to keep the glaring sun from her eyes. “Once the ferry stops, it’s a long way to New York.”

“If we buy boards, we’ll be sure to stay close to our side of the lake,” Jill said. She looked out at the boats pulling wake-boarders, sailboats gliding along with their sails full, and jet skis zipping past, their passengers whooping with delight or terror. “It’s hard to believe the lake will be mostly empty after next weekend.”

“She loves summer,” Lizzie said, sticking her lower lip out in sympathy.

“Of everyone I know, she loves it the most,” Karen agreed. “She’s got the soul of a warm-weather person.”

“No, I don’t,” Jill maintained. “I like winter too. But I
love
summer.”

***

They were meeting Karen and Becky at the restaurant at eight, which was late for Jill. But after taking the ferry back, going by Lizzie’s for clothes and heading home for showers, it took every minute they had to spare.

Jill found a parking spot on Bank, then decided to cut across Church, even though the pedestrian-only street was sometimes choked with crowds. It wasn’t bad tonight, probably because it was a little late.

Jill spotted her friends just ahead, and she called out. “Becky! Karen!”

They stopped, turned, and waited for them to catch up. “Good timing,” Becky said, giving both of them a sly smile.

Deciding to get any discomfort out of the way, Jill said, “May I introduce my girlfriend? The divine Lizzie Davis.”

Becky laughed and extended her hand to shake Lizzie’s. “I’m very glad to know Jill’s found someone, and even more glad that it’s you.”

“Thanks,” Lizzie said, blushing slightly. “I assume this is going to be weird until we both meet all of each other’s friends, but you guys have all been very welcoming.”

“We’re usually pretty laid-back,” Karen said. “You’ll fit right in.”

They started to walk again, with the crowds making it tough to be four-abreast. Lizzie was holding Jill’s hand, trailing behind Karen and Becky, and as Jill was about to greet a co-worker, her hand was dropped. She took a quick look at Lizzie, who seemed flustered.

“Hi, Celia,” Jill said.

“Lizzie,” the man Celia was with said, looking more uncomfortable than Lizzie did.

“Hi, Jon,” she said quietly.

Jill focused on Lizzie’s ex, surprised by his size. Somehow she pictured Lizzie with thin, artsy guys. But Jon looked like an urban lumberjack, black hair, thick, bushy beard, broad shoulders, plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up to expose muscled, hairy arms.

“Do you two know each other?” Celia asked.

“Yeah. We…” He looked like he wanted to disappear. “Lizzie and I worked together on some projects when we both lived in Boston.”

Jill stuck her hand out, just wanting to get the formalities out of the way so they could skedaddle. “Jill Henry,” she said. “Celia and I work together.”

“Good to meet you,” he said, not looking directly at her. “Jon Andrews.”

“We’re with friends who’ve gotten ahead of us,” Jill said. “I hate to have to rush off…” She was already starting to walk backwards, with Lizzie right at her side.

“See you at work,” Celia called out, waving.

Karen and Becky were waiting for them. “Was that someone from Admin?” Becky asked.

“Yeah.” Jill knew she looked like she’d seen a ghost, but it was Lizzie who anyone could tell was upset. Jill was skittish about saying anything, but Lizzie stepped up to the plate.

“My ex is dating her,” she said, her eyes shifting nervously.

“Your ex?” Becky blinked. “That guy?”

“Uh-huh.” She looked like she was in pain, but told the whole truth. “Jill’s my first real girlfriend.”

“Oh!” Becky said, obviously trying not to look surprised. “That’s always awkward, isn’t it? Running into an ex.”

“Yeah. Awkward,” Lizzie agreed.

“Uhm, do you two want a minute alone? We can go claim our table.”

“Good idea,” Jill said, guiding Lizzie close to one of the stores. “Are you all right?” she asked, placing her hands on her shoulders and looking her over.

“Yeah. Fine,” she said, seeming anything but. “Damned small town. You can’t get away from people here.”

“Was that…?”

“The first time I’ve seen him? Yeah.”

“We don’t have to rush. Actually, we can cancel if you’re not up to being with people.”

Nodding, Lizzie took a deep breath, clearly knocked off her stride. “I don’t know why that bothered me.”

Jill watched her carefully, seeing a mix of hurt and anger.

“Maybe because he tried to act like he didn’t really know you? I would have cried if Becca did that to me.”

“You would have?” She looked up at Jill, seeming very brittle.

“Yeah, of course.” She took Lizzie in her arms and tightened her hold when she felt her body start to shake. “Shh. It’s okay. He’s hiding something from her, but that’s his problem. It has nothing to do with you, baby.”

“Baby?” Lizzie looked up, a smile beginning to form. “Are you sure about that one?”

“No good?”

“I like it,” Lizzie said, clearly considering the term. “But I wouldn’t use that around my family—for a while at least. My dad calls me that sometimes and that could just get weird.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever have the urge again. Actually, I might start calling you Ms. Davis.”

“That won’t be weird.” She took Jill’s hand and started to walk again. “I’m okay. Can you tell I’ve been crying?”

“Mmm, just a little.” She reached into her pocket and took out a handkerchief, then dabbed at Lizzie’s eyes.

“A handkerchief?”

“I have allergies. Usually just in the fall, but I like to be prepared.”

“One of the many things I like about you. You’re prepared.”

“Yeah. That’s why my friend had to take a ferry across the lake to fetch us. No wallet, no shoes…”

“No pants. Don’t forget the pants.”

“Oh, I won’t. Neither will Karen. Expect to be teased about this for many years to come.”

Lizzie pulled her to a stop and kissed her, surprising a number of people who had to veer around them. “I love thinking about being with you for many years to come. I absolutely love it.”

Jill looked into her glittering eyes, so full of excitement. Of promise. “Me too, you delightful adult woman who’s not, in any way, an infant or small child.”