Just a Touch Away

by Chris Paynter

  “Hey, Sylvia.”

  “Lindsey, have I caught you at a good time?”

  “Absolutely.” Lindsey didn’t beat around the bush. “What’s the verdict?”

  “Barry loves her work. I do, too. It’s a go if she’s willing to sign a contract.”

  Lindsey’s mouth tugged into a big smile. “I don’t think that will be a problem.”

  “You never know. She might not be happy with the salary.”

  “You’re paying the same as Shirley’s salary, right?”

  “Yes, especially if she continues on with you and your future books.”

  “Then I don’t think there will be a problem.”

  “Why don’t we wait until she sees the contract and has signed on the dotted line? I’ll email it to you right now.” Lindsey’s Mail app pinged. “Did you get it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Send that to her, and tell her to look it over. Then have her send it to me overnight if she’s happy with the figures. If she’s not, we’ll have to talk.”

  “Again, I don’t anticipate any problems.”

  “We’ll see. I think you two will work well together.”

  Lindsey’s stomach fluttered as she thought about the days ahead and how close she and Cloe would be working together. “I think we will, too.”

  “Let me know if any problems come up.”

  “I will.”

  After they ended the call, Lindsey stared at the sunlight reflecting on the water. She watched boats in the distance, some speeding along, some anchored in the middle of the lake, people either fishing or taking time to enjoy the water. She looked at her phone again and opened another older picture of Eric. In this one, she stood behind him and had her arms flung around his shoulders as she pulled him tight to her body. She remembered him saying, “You’re squishing me, Aunt Lindsey.” But she planted a kiss on top of his head and held him tighter.

  If only she could’ve held him safe. Safe from the disease that would ravage his body. Safe from the pain. Safe from death. She swiped away a tear and closed the Photo app. Enough. She stood and started back up the trail with Fred at her side. In the same way that she closed the Photo app, she closed herself off from her sad thoughts. Time to give Cloe the good news. When she reached the cabin, she’d email the contract. That alone lifted her spirits.

  * * *

  Cloe sat on top of the picnic table behind the store, her feet propped on the bench below. They hadn’t a lot of customers today and would close in thirty minutes. Tammy was inside helping her parents. Her mother knew Cloe had too much pent-up energy to be of much use. She was too anxious waiting to hear from Lindsey. She glanced at her watch again, five minutes later than the last time. Biting her lip, she tried not to be worried.

  She sighed and chewed her thumbnail, one of her bad habits when she was nervous. Just as she was about to head back inside, her phone rang. Her heart pounded when she saw it was Lindsey.

  “Hi, Lindsey.”

  “So. . . how’s your day?”

  Any other time, Cloe would laugh about the teasing. This wasn’t one of those times.

  “Please tell me before I climb out of my skin.”

  “Barry and Sylvia loved your work. She’s already emailed the contract to me.”

  “I’m in?”

  Lindsey said softly, “You’re in. Congratulations. Let me have your email address, and I’ll forward this to you.”

  Cloe relayed her email address.

  “Look it over. If you have any questions, feel free to let me know. If I can’t answer them, we’ll get with Barry and Sylvia.”

  “I could open this up on my phone, but I’d prefer to be on my PC. Can I call you back in a bit?”

  “I hope so.”

  This time Cloe smiled at the gentle teasing. “I need to tell my parents. They’ve been on pins and needles.”

  “I imagine so. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  Normally, Cloe would’ve kept talking to Lindsey until she got to her parents, but she was too excited. She sprinted inside and ran to the front of the store where her mother was closing the register down and her father locking the door.

  “They want me!” Cloe shouted. “They really want me!” She cringed, realizing she sounded a lot like stories she’d heard about Sally Field and her Oscar acceptance speech.

  Her parents rushed to her and hugged her.

  “Of course they do, sweetheart,” Fiona said as she kissed her cheek. “There was never any question.”

  After more hugs and kisses and promises she’d return later for a celebratory dinner out, Cloe ran to her apartment and turned on her PC. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for it to power up. When it did, she quickly opened her email. She clicked on the forwarded email from Lindsey and opened the PDF of the contract.

  As she scanned through the language, her heart started pounding. The salary was much more than she hoped for, the terms fair—she was free to work with other publishers. She couldn’t have asked for more.

  She finished reading the contract and called Lindsey. “I’m ready to sign.” She couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice.

  Lindsey chuckled. “You’re sure you don’t need to think it over.”

  “Are you kidding? And get this, Lindsey. I’m free to work with other publishers. I’m officially an indie illustrator. Well, I will be once I sign the contract.”

  “Something tells me that will happen once you work with me.”

  “Something tells me you’re right.”

  “Friday night will be a celebratory dinner, like I told you it would be. I’d offer to celebrate tonight, but I have a feeling your parents have beat me to it.”

  Cloe laughed. “Yeah, they did.”

  “I’ll pick you up Friday at five, like we planned. Does that still work for you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Have fun tonight with your parents. Congratulations again, Cloe. You deserve this.”

  “Thank you. I wouldn’t have gotten here without you.”

  “Oh, no. This is all you.”

  Cloe blushed with the compliment. “I look forward to Friday.”

  Chapter 13

  Lindsey checked out her reflection in the mirror. Tonight, she wanted to look her best. Not just for the moment, but for Cloe. She chose a light-blue silk blouse to go with black dress slacks and a black jacket. She topped it off with a thin black leather belt and black half boots. Smiling, she hoped it wasn’t all too dark. But she thought the light blue blouse offset the black.

  As she ran a brush through her short, dark hair, she thought it was about time for a trim. Her bangs were a little unruly. Funny, she hadn’t thought about her appearance until she met Cloe. Her mind drifted to the coming weeks and months she and Cloe would be working together on the book—closely together.

  Before her thoughts tumbled even further in that direction, she glanced once more in the mirror, grabbed her car keys, and headed for the door.

  * * *

  Cloe trotted to the door when she heard the knock then stopped to take a moment. Yes, she was anxious to see Lindsey, but she didn’t want to appear anxious. She smoothed her hands over her olive-green blouse and taupe slacks. She checked the buttons on the blouse. She left the top one open to allow a little more cleavage to show. Kind of daring for her, but she felt comfortable enough now with Lindsey.

  She opened the door and sucked in a breath. Holy k.d. lang! No, Lindsey wasn’t k.d. lang, but good Lord, she came damn close with her androgynous look tonight.

  “Cloe? May I come in?”

  “Yes. Certainly.” Cloe stepped aside. “You look fantastic.”

  Lindsey’s crystal-blue gaze raked Cloe’s body from her face to a long pause at her chest, down to her feet, and back up again. “Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.”

  Cloe ducked her head. “Thank you,” she said softly. When Lindsey’s eyes dipped down again to the bare skin of Cloe’s chest, Cloe thought she made the right decision in unbuttoning th
e top button. She flipped on the side lamp as she grabbed her keys. “Ready,” she said and headed to the door.

  Lindsey stopped her with a touch to her hip. She brushed her lips to Cloe’s. “Now we’re ready,” she murmured.

  * * *

  “Is this okay?” Lindsey asked after the hostess seated them. She’d made reservations at a quaint Italian restaurant. The small establishment was a well-kept secret, although glancing around at the full tables, Lindsey guessed the word had gotten out.

  “It’s perfect. I love Italian food, and I’m sure their sauce here is much better than mine.”

  “I don’t know about that. Yours was pretty awesome. They have great steaks here, too, if that’s something you’d prefer.”

  Their server brought water to their table and asked for their drink orders.

  Lindsey looked at Cloe. “Wine?”

  “Only if you do.”

  “We’d like a bottle of your best Cabernet Sauvignon.”

  Cloe raised her eyebrow as the server walked away. “A whole bottle? Trying to get me tipsy, Ms. Marist?”

  “No, no. I just thought you’d like—”

  Cloe reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “I’m kidding.”

  “Oh, okay.” Lindsey breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted was to make Cloe uncomfortable. “I thought it’d be nice to celebrate your contract with some wine.”

  “I’m honored.”

  “Sylvia called to tell me you signed the contract and overnighted it to her. I guess that means everything is a go?”

  Cloe nodded. “Like I told you, Dunham House was very generous in their offer, and they don’t mind me illustrating for other publishers.” She grinned. “In other words, I’m a free agent.”

  “Just like a baseball player.”

  Their server returned with their wine, flipped their glasses over, and poured a small amount in each glass. “Have you decided on your meal?”

  “I’ve not even checked yet.” Cloe opened her menu.

  Lindsey said, “If you trust me, their eggplant parmigiana is to die for. That is if you like eggplant.”

  “I do.” Cloe gave her menu to their server. “That’s fine for me.”

  “Me, too, obviously since I suggested it.” Lindsey handed over her menu.

  “Is our house Italian dressing all right for your salads?” he asked.

  They agreed and sat quietly for a while as they sipped their wine. Lindsey marveled at the peace that settled between them. Normally, when she was out with a friend, a date, or even Elise, it grew uncomfortable quickly if the conversation lagged. The restaurant was imbued with subtle lighting, candles dotting each table. She leaned her chin on her open palm as she watched the light play across Cloe’s face, her hazel eyes picking up the color of her blouse.

  “Have I ever told you how beautiful your eyes are?” Lindsey asked. “They change colors.”

  Cloe tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “No, you haven’t. Thank you. I could return the compliment.” She smiled. “In fact, I will. You have the most gorgeous blue eyes I’ve ever seen.”

  Lindsey felt her face heat up.

  “I think that’s only the second time I’ve embarrassed you with a compliment,” Cloe said with a chuckle. “No one has ever commented on your eyes? I find that hard to believe.”

  “Not lately, no.”

  “I don’t know what color of blue to call them. Ocean blue? Azure?” Cloe laughed. “I know I sound like a cliché, but they’re really that pretty.”

  Their server returned with their salads and a loaf of warm, buttered bread.

  Lindsey reached for a slice and thought she’d talk about something serious, because she really wanted to know. “Tell me about your coming out experience with your parents.”

  Cloe shook her head a little as she reached for a piece of bread. “I’m not too comfortable when the spotlight turns on me.”

  “If you don’t—”

  “It’s okay. I think I told you I didn’t come out until college. First, it started with kissing Paige. Or rather, her kissing me.”

  Lindsey raised an eyebrow.

  “Please. We both broke out in uncontrollable giggling.”

  “Ah, the ol’ ‘it feels like kissing my sister’ routine with your best friend.”

  “Right. But still that felt more comfortable than any kissing I’d done with guys. Then Paige set me up with a friend. We started dating. Didn’t last too long. I dated a few others. The only one who came close to capturing my heart was Darla.”

  “Did you reach the third date plateau?”

  “Do you mean the infamous, ‘it’s the third date, so it’s time for sex’ plateau?”

  Lindsey smiled but said nothing.

  “We did. She got a little frustrated that it didn’t end with us in bed, but I sensed she would be the one.”

  “What happened, since from what you’ve said, you didn’t make love?”

  Cloe finished off the rest of her wine and poured another glass. “I found out she was sleeping around.”

  Lindsey grimaced. “Ouch.”

  “Yeah, that set me back some as far as trusting anyone again.”

  Their server approached with their dinners. He asked if they wanted more bread. They declined.

  Cloe cut into her eggplant and took a bite. She closed her eyes and moaned. “Delicious.”

  Lindsey stared for half a beat and looked away when Cloe opened her eyes. “Glad you like it.”

  Cloe went back to eating. “Good choice.”

  They didn’t speak while they ate for a few minutes. Cloe was the first to set aside her fork and take a drink of wine. “Back to what we were talking about. I don’t know if that experience with Darla has held me back, but it probably didn’t help.”

  “You have to realize not every woman is like that.”

  “I know.” Cloe shrugged. “Since then, there really hasn’t been a reason to get involved.” She paused. “Until now.”

  Lindsey couldn’t help it as a slow smile spread across her lips. They held each other’s gaze then went back to eating.

  They ate until nothing remained on their plates, and their bottle of wine was empty. Lindsey, careful not to overdo it, didn’t mind Cloe drinking the most. She asked for their check, and they were on their way to Lindsey’s Jeep. Lindsey opened the door for Cloe.

  “Thank you,” Cloe said softly.

  On the drive back to the lake, Cloe asked about Lindsey’s coming out experience.

  “My parents were cool. Eventually. I knew in high school. There were a few dalliances.”

  “I find that hard to believe.”

  Lindsey glanced over to find Cloe looking at her with an amused expression. “I know. It is hard to believe, isn’t it?”

  They shared in the laugh.

  “Anyway, Dad was the first to accept. Mom did the typical, ‘you’re going through a stage’ thing.”

  “But you weren’t, obviously.”

  “She eventually accepted it, especially when I brought home my first girlfriend from college. They both loved Tonya and were brokenhearted that it didn’t last.”

  “Young love.”

  “I’m still close with my mom and dad even though they retired to Florida.” She paused. “The longest relationship I had before Elise was a year.”

  “Elise is a professor at IU?” At Lindsey’s surprised look, Cloe said, “Remember? I googled you. It was in your bio.”

  “Yeah. She’s a political science professor.” Lindsey made a face.

  Cloe laughed. “If you’re not into political science, didn’t you have trouble connecting?”

  “I think we were the prototypical opposites attract couple. We met at a lesbian mixer on campus.”

  Cloe had turned in her seat so she leaned against the door and faced Lindsey. “Who made the first move?”

  “Elise.” Lindsey shook her head. “I’m not the most forward in the world when it comes to dating. She came up to me,
asked what I was drinking, and went to get me a beer. She returned and chatted about the women’s basketball team. I didn’t find out until later that she’d asked what I might be interested in talking about.”

  “No politics in the discussion?”

  “Nope. She had me talking about sports. Before I knew it, I agreed to a date.”

  “And the third date?”

  “Let’s just say we went the traditional route on that one.”

  The Jeep got quiet. Lindsey took her eyes briefly off the road to glance at Cloe. Cloe had closed her eyes and rested her head on the seat back. Just when Lindsey thought the wine had gotten to Cloe and she might be sleeping, she opened her eyes, turned her head, and smiled.

  “I’m glad we met,” Cloe said, her voice so low Lindsey had to strain to hear it above the tires humming against the road.

  “Me, too,” Lindsey said quietly.

  * * *

  Lindsey pulled down the long drive that led to Cloe’s apartment. She stopped and switched off the engine. Cloe hoped that meant she wasn’t ready for the night to end.

  “Would you like to come upstairs for a bit? Maybe sit on the balcony and look at the stars. The sky is amazing here.” Cloe shook her head. “What am I saying? I’m sure you already know that.”

  Lindsey reached over and stroked her fingers along Cloe’s arm to take her hand. “I’d like that.”

  They walked up the stairs, and Cloe unlocked the door. She motioned at the two Adirondack chairs on the balcony. “You can go ahead and take a seat.”

  “If you don’t mind, I need to use your bathroom.”

  “It’s down the hall there. Can I get you anything to drink?”

  “No, I’m good.”

  “I’ll meet you out front.”

  Cloe settled into one of the cushioned chairs. She tapped her fingers on the wooden arms, wondering why she was feeling nervous now. Lindsey had done nothing to make her uncomfortable. Except for looking stunning in that suit jacket, she thought. Damn. She heard the screen door open behind her and smiled at Lindsey as she sat down next to her.