by Olivia Lucas
When she was satisfied with the sampling, she headed back to shore and marked the jars accordingly. Adam and her had been conducting the same testing for three days straight so the process was relatively straightforward now.
Chloe had lost track of time when she glanced at her watch and realized one hour had passed. She had been absorbed in tabling results and findings in her notebook. Jenna had not interrupted her once, apart from offering to rescue her, and she was grateful for that, as she had been able to churn through work.
She looked across in the distance to Jenna, who had her eyes closed, and her body slumped up against the tree. Even asleep, she was a picture of perfection. She would have to make up for putting her in a coma, she smiled, as she started packing up her equipment.
◆◆◆
Jenna woke to the sounds of Chloe putting her things away. She had caught herself napping under the tree. God, I hope she didn’t see me drooling.
She blinked, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. The kiss they had shared last night had been on repeat in her mind over and over, and frankly, all this kissing business was getting exhausting. But she could have worse problems, she chuckled.
Looking down to Chloe, she yelled, “I enjoyed watching you at work.”
“Thought I saw you nod off.”
“Ha. I just rested my eyes for a few minutes. It’s so quiet out here. I was observing your every move before that.”
Chloe flashed a smile. “Oh really?”
“Thought a shark was mauling your leg at one stage,” said Jenna, recalling Chloe’s stack, knowing full well that there were no sharks in the dam.
“Oh, I just punched him in the face.” Chloe retorted. She was enjoying the light hearted ribbing at her expense.
“Well, it was nice to see you in your element.” Jenna wriggled in her jeans uncomfortably remembering just how sexy Chloe was in work mode. It was definitely a turn on.
“What, knee deep in contamination?” Chloe said, as she stood up on her feet.
Jenna laughed. “No trying to save the world, one dam at a time. You are starting to make me look bad.”
Jenna bit her lip and tilted her head to the side. “You know, you should probably come here and kiss me to make me feel better.”
“Oh really?” Chloe started walking up the slope and stopped right in front of her. A little closer than she expected. “Is that an order or a request?”
Jenna’s stomach instantly started flip-flopping. Chloe’s light floral scent intoxicating.
“I don’t think you could ever look bad,” Chloe whispered, as she leaned forward and kissed her gently, a tentative brushing of her lips against Jenna’s. And just like that, Jenna forget where she was. She wasn’t even sure if she was still in the same dimension.
Chloe slid her hands down her waist, and pushed her back up against the tree. They kissed slowly at first, then more passionately as Jenna put one hand behind Chloe’s head, inviting her to delve deeper. Tongues flickered and danced, as their mouths swapped directions and Jenna heard Chloe let out a soft moan. Or was it her? Chloe wanted to slide her hand somewhere else as the kiss intensified.
Just then, the silence that had enveloped them was broken by the distant sound of teens shouting and laughing, and they reluctantly pulled apart. Both were giddy and breathing heavily.
The sound of voices became louder, with one girl dominating with a high pitched shrill that was particularly grating on the ears. A group of teens suddenly appeared on the horizon walking from the carpark, throwing a football amongst themselves. There was a balanced mix of scantily clad boys and girls, probably all around sixteen years old, jostling back and forward, and taking turns at swigging from cans of beer.
Jenna sighed and drew in some much needed oxygen. “Why is it we always get interrupted?”
Chloe smiled. “At the most inconvenient times.”
“Let’s head off. I want to take you somewhere.”
“Will it be as exciting as this place?”
Jenna just smiled.
◆◆◆
They drove in comfortable silence for about fifteen minutes, weaving through a small mountain range. Jenna then made a sharp turn onto a dirt road, and ran through some rough scrub, which scraped noisily along the sides of her car.
“Okay, you are not going to kill me are you, now that we are going off-road and all?” Chloe ducked and swerved as branches hit the car at whim. “Is there a shovel hidden in the back?” Chloe turned, looking in the back seat.
Jenna shook her head laughing. “Actually, there is a shovel back there, but it is all part of the recovery gear. You know, if you get stuck in sand or that type of thing.”
Chloe looked at her. “I’ll take your word for it.”
The car then drove out through the dusty haze into a clearing, and there was a beautiful panoramic view of the dam, Crawley, and the surrounding farmlands in front of them.
"Well this is unexpected. Do you take all the girls here?”
“Only the special ones,” Jenna said, as she hopped out with a blanket in hand. She threw it over the hood of the car and crawled up. “Get up here.” She held her hand out to Chloe who grabbed on and scampered up.
“I’m starting to enjoy you bossing me around,” Chloe quipped, as she sat down and leant into Jenna. Their thighs were just touching and the sensation of their closeness sent her body wild.
Jenna wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close. “We should’ve brought lunch up here.”
Chloe unzipped her jacket pocket, pulling out a Reese chocolate bar and handed it to Jenna. “Voila, this is for you.”
Jenna was laughing. “You think of everything, don’t you?”
“Well there has only been one person on my mind of late.”
Jenna put her hand on Chloe’s cheek and her eyes drifted to her lips. She could barely breathe, but she didn’t care. She needed to kiss her. Their lips touched, and their tongues tangled. Chloe’s mouth began to move against hers sending a jolt of electricity through her. She pulled at her shirt deepening the kiss. When they finally pulled apart, they were both breathless.
“What is this?” Jenna managed grasping for air. “I am struggling to make sense of it.”
Whatever it was, it was getting bigger and heavier by the second.
Chloe eyes were still closed and heavy. “I have no idea.” Everything was a blur to her. The world was spinning. “Tell me I dreaming?”
Their lips were still inches apart. Jenna could only answer one way, leaning in and kissing her softly. “Well if you are, then so am I.”
CHAPTER NINE
“Meet me at the vending machine at 455pm? Dress comfortably x”
Jenna read Chloe’s text out loud, then held her phone warmly to her chest. God, she was a complete nutter, and she loved it. This girl was something. She briefly toyed with the idea of playing with her and rocking up in another set of pajamas. Nah, she wanted to rock her socks off today. She wanted her to want her, the way she wanted her.
Well time to get rolling for this mysterious rendezvous. She only had an hour to get ready. Hardly enough time to pick out an appropriate outfit. No, positive thoughts. Jenna clapped her hands for encouragement, and spun her body into action. She could do this.
Standing in the front of the mirror, and she was done, with ten minutes to spare. Showered, and dressed, with a hint of make-up. White tank top, and a little pair of sexy, frayed denim shorts would do the trick. She had thrown the shorts in her bag last minute, because the weather could be a bit chilly this time of year, but low and behold, this afternoon had really heated up, so what’s a girl to do? She slipped on a pair of flats, put on a spritz of perfume, and grabbed her denim jacket.
At 454pm, Jenna opened her door. Chloe was casually leaning against the wall with a picnic basket.
“Sorry I am early, but wasn’t sure if I needed to change into my pajamas?” Chloe smirked.
Jenna laughed. “The thought did cross my mind, but I wanted to keep
you on your toes. Will this outfit do?”
Chloe slowly looked her up and down, deliberately taking her time to run her eyes over her entire body. Up first. Legs, thighs, hips, breasts, shoulders, neck, lips. She was taking it all in. And then down again.
Jenna felt herself blush a shade of pink when Chloe’s eyes wondered over her whole body.
“Okay pervert, too long. Are you done?” Jenna lifted her arms halfway and held out her palms.
“Yes.” Chloe grinned. Jenna was picture perfect. She wanted to run hands up over her long legs, unzip her sexy denim shorts, take off her tank top, and…. Yeah, Jenna knew exactly what she was doing to her. She had to briefly focus to bring herself back to conversation. Jenna already thought she was a pervert, she winced internally.
They turned to walk and Chloe leant across to Jenna, whispering in her ear. “You look amazing as always.”
Chloe’s breath tickled her ear and her words made her stomach drop to the floor.
“So, what are we doing?” Jenna said, looking at Chloe, then the hamper.
“Thought we could have a late afternoon picnic by the lake? We can walk from here. And before, you ask, I checked, there are no sharks.”
Jenna laughed. “You are hilarious you know that,” she said, as she tried to pry open the lid of the hamper.
Chloe hit her hand, then nudged her with her shoulder. “No peeking.”
“I hope you have something yummy in there.”
Fodder’s lake was a leisurely ten-minute walk that weaved down the gentle slope right onto the embankment. It was so nice to get out of the confines of the hotel and be able to stretch their legs. The afternoon sun quickly warmed their backs as a light breeze rustled through the tree leaves.
Chloe glanced at Jenna. “I have been struggling to focus on my research paper. I am perpetually distracted. May be my worst paper yet.”
“You are not trying to imply that is my fault, are you?” Jenna feigned surprise, touching her chest with her hand.
Chloe felt a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Yes I am. Might have to go stay in a different suburb. Perhaps a different country.”
“You’ll be back,” Jenna nudged Chloe with her elbow, while glancing across at her. It was embarrassing how badly she wanted to kiss her.
When they arrived at the lake, Chloe rolled out a picnic rug in a grassy spot right by the bank. They would’ve had the whole lake to themselves, apart from some ninny wobbling back and forward on a stand-up paddleboard, not ten feet from the water’s edge. Obviously a first timer. Couldn’t be that hard, mused Jenna.
They sat down as Chloe pulled out chilled bottle of white Pinot Gris from the cooler bag and a couple of glasses. She filled each glass generously, handing one to Jenna, and they kicked off their shoes, finally being able to bask and relax in the late afternoon sun.
“That guy is in all sorts of trouble,” Chloe said, motioning with her head in the direction of the guy on the paddleboard.
Jenna laughed. “Yeah I give him ten seconds, and he is in the water.”
“Five,” snickered Chloe.
The guy was quickly stepping side to side, almost like tap dancing, as the rocking of the paddleboard became more pronounced. He crouched low to slow the movement but a little wave washed over one side as it dipped. The board flipped, throwing him unceremoniously into the lake.
“I think that was three seconds,” Jenna said as they laughed together.
“Cheers to that. Nice to have a bit of light entertainment.” They clinked their glasses together holding each other’s gaze.
Chloe put her glass down and then opened up the hamper. It was laden with an array of gorgeous produce from the local area. There was smoked cheese, handmade peppery cheddar, artisan mixed olives, caramel onion and balsamic relish, dark chocolate with orange and gourmet crackers.
“You are full of surprises Chloe. This looks absolutely delicious.” Jenna said. She cautiously nibbled on the olive, recounting her last experience with the said fruit.
Chloe was momentarily side-tracked. She loved when Jenna said her name. It sent a ripple through her body each time. She could only imagine what it would do to her if she is said it in bed. God, why couldn’t she help herself from going there every time she was within twenty feet of her.
Chloe put some cheese onto a cracker and sighed. “You know, I could get used to this.” She took a bite and leaned back with her hands by her side.
“I would be 500 pounds,” Jenna winked.
They both knew this is not what Chloe meant. A short silence followed, as they looked across at each other and smiled. Holding her gaze, Jenna brushed her fingertips up against Chloe’s so they were touching. An electric feeling rushed through her body, and she found it difficult to form a sentence.
She cleared her throat. “So, me aside, what’s the latest on your research into the dam?”
Chloe blinked, as if almost resetting herself. She licked her thumb and index finger clean. “Well, the testing so far has delivered staggering results. The contamination is way higher than we even anticipated. Like I told you down at the dam, it is caused by years of mining. The lead levels are through the roof, which indicates more dangerous contaminants in the dam.”
Jenna continued to pick at the food. “Wow, the county sure has a lot to answer to. I mean, can they honestly say that tap water is safe to drink?”
“For now, yes, because they filter the water and play with levels, but climate change, in particular drought and higher temperatures, dissolve the sediment which is contaminated. And this releases even more contamination into the water.” Chloe said as she topped up their glasses.
“But aren’t they planning on expanding the dam next year?”
Chloe sipped at her glass, before thoughtfully adding, “Yeah that’s the irony of it all. Previous research, and our research, will hopefully drive some debate around the long-term supply of clean water from this dam. Adam and I are driving to Fuller’s Dam tomorrow to see if that could be an alternative source. We will be spending three days out there, measuring and testing. My life is starting to revolve around test tubes.” Chloe smiled.
Chloe narrowed her eyes feeling Jenna watching her. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
It was Jenna’s turn to narrow her eyes. “Because I love intelligence. And I love when you have your mega nerd hat on. It’s a real turn on.”
Chloe smiled. “Oh really, I’ll have to remember that when I am trying to get my way with you.”
You really don’t have to try hard at all.
Chloe turned to her, and Jenna leaned in, cupping her face with her hands before kissing her slowly and fully on the lips, their mouths fusing in a beautiful way.
Chloe fell back into her arms, as they watched the sun lazily descend and sink below the horizon. The sky flared with hues of orange, tangerine and yellow light before dimming to a soft golden glow. Jenna wrapped her arms around Chloe, and squeezed a little tighter as her mind drifted.
I could get use to this too.
CHAPTER TEN
Jenna had not spoken to Chloe in two days, and was going certifiably mad. She had big plans yesterday to get up early, do a strenuous hike in the mountains, get a haircut, get her nails done, see the family. It was going to be an action-packed day jam packed with activity, so she didn’t have time to miss Chloe.
And what happened? Absolutely nothing. Zilch. Nada. She overslept, only getting up at 10am and when she looked out the window, she made a decision that the weather was unfavorable. It was way too cloudy, with the slight possibility the chance of rain, so there was really only one thing she could do. Crawl back into bed.
This fateful decision caused a chain reaction and the whole day turned into a non-event. Jenna cancelled her exercise plans, beauty regime and family catch ups. She stayed in her pajamas, ordered Chinese takeout for lunch, which she also ate in bed, watched Netflix until 6pm, then ordered a Pizza for dinner.
There was barely a
movement out of the bed, and forget about venturing into civilization. Her diet went out the window. She was contained in those four walls for the entire day. She could not sustain this indulgent behavior for another twenty four hours. It was maddening. She was well on her way to becoming a sloth.
She had tried to call Chloe late yesterday, however the call went straight to her voicemail. She forgot that she probably wouldn’t have any phone reception down at Fuller’s Dam, which was basically down in a ditch.
They were working, and she needed to occupy herself. There’s no way she could repeat yesterday. She did not even brush her hair. She looked rather like a scarecrow and wondered what the delivery driver had thought when he had seen her. Horrifying.
So, 9am of day three of the ‘I’m missing Chloe chronicles’, and she was up. That was a victory in itself. She had brushed her hair. Tick. Now for a shower, and clean up. The apartment was an absolute bomb site. If house cleaning came by, she had no doubt she would be charged a cleaning fee.
She switched on the coffee machine, turned on some music, and hopped into the shower. “Today is going to be amazing,” she announced out loud.
One hour later, she had cleaned up, and was dressed in her active wear, her Nike trainers, and a slicked back ponytail. She was ready to hit the pavement. What a contrast a day can make. She messaged Hannah earlier and she was going to join her on the five-mile Barrett trail.
It was rated moderate, ran across varied terrain, and was one the girls had run together when they were younger. Now of mature age, Jenna had to reiterate to Hannah that they would be walking this time. Hannah sniggered, and made some predictable snide, old lady comment, but was coming nevertheless.
She tooted the horn outside her mom’s and Hannah ran out a second later yelling “Bye Mom!” when she was already half way down the front path. Doubtful mom would’ve heard that considering her fading hearing. Or perhaps it was selective hearing. Sometimes, her mom would be a foot or two away, and would say she couldn’t hear what they were saying. Okay, so she definitely had selective hearing.