Rules of the Road

by K. Aten

  Hey, sorry if I was an ass last night. Still want to meet at the coffee shop?

  She didn’t want to hover over her phone while waiting for a response, and she wasn’t quite ready for food yet so Jamie went back downstairs. At loose ends, she poured a glass of orange juice and settled in to watch a few back episodes of her favorite superhero show. The phone vibrated halfway through the second episode and her face lit up when she saw it was from Kelsey.

  Hey James, sorry for last night. Coffee shop is good, unless you’d like to meet earlier. I’m starving!

  Jamie lightly bit her thumbnail, thinking hard, then answered.

  If you’ve forgiven me for being a drunk mess last night I have a suggestion.

  Nothing to forgive. Suggestion?

  Come to my place and I’ll make us both lunch. Haven’t eaten yet either.

  She waited as heartbeats went by, hoping Kelsey would say yes and afraid she’d say no. Her phone vibrated.

  Oh YES! What’s for lunch?

  Jamie thought about what she had in her fridge and freezer.

  Dill Havarti grilled cheese on sourdough and homemade tomato bisque soup.

  She jumped when her phone actually rang, not expecting it after the texts. Smiling at the caller, she answered. “Yeeeeesss?”

  “Give me your address right meow!”

  Jamie laughed. “Did you just say meow?”

  “Address dammit!”

  Still grinning, Jamie persisted. “But, meow?”

  Kelsey sighed over the phone. “James?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I worked out for an hour and a half this morning fueled only by a banana.”

  Jamie giggled. “Yeeeaaaahh?”

  “You have just promised me food, real food. Not out of a box or frozen food. Now tell me where this food is so I can come eat it!”

  She couldn’t stop herself from cracking up at the way Kelsey’s voice got louder and louder over the phone. “Oh my God, you are absolutely insane right now. You’re crazy, Kels!”

  “Nope, just hungry. Though I’ve been told they look the same from the outside. Address please.”

  Jamie learned new things about her friend nearly every day. Her newest bit of info was that apparently Kelsey got hangry after working out and that she showed dogged determination when it came to getting what she wanted. The whispered words slipped out before she was aware they had been a thought. “Too bad she doesn’t want me.”

  “What was that?”

  Jamie jumped, forgetting she was actually talking on the phone. “I said I live in the condos on River Street. I’ll text you the address.”

  “Okay, sounds good. See you in a few!”

  Jamie ended the call and quickly texted her address then set the phone down in her lap and sighed. She was glad that Kelsey didn’t want to talk about her actions the night before. She was going to have to do better about hiding her feelings if she didn’t want to lose Kelsey’s friendship, especially since her feelings never led to anything good. Before she could dwell on the subject of Kelsey any longer, her brain switched gears again to lunch. “Oh shit, the soup!” Homemade soup was in the freezer and still needed to be thawed, so she rushed off to the kitchen to begin lunch preparation.

  When Kelsey arrived she parked in the lot across the street from the massive brick structure. She’d seen the Novak building plenty of times since moving to St. Seren because it was just down the street from Riverside Park. But she never knew that it housed condos. Kelsey sat in her car for a minute thinking about seeing Jamie after her admission to Jenn the night before. She really hoped that Jamie wouldn’t bring it up again because she had already decided that they could only ever be friends. And she was going to try her hardest to ignore her attraction to the other woman. With that line of thought settled in her mind, she got out and locked her car doors.

  Once inside she walked right past the geriatric guard and made a beeline straight for the elevators at the end of the hallway. No way was she taking the stairs after her workout. Off the elevator and down a hall, then left and down another hall until she got to 315. The faint sound of music carried through the door but either Jamie had it turned down or the doors were really thick. She knocked on the big steel-looking door and it was pulled open about ten seconds later.

  “Hey! Any problems getting past the door guy?”

  Kelsey narrowed her eyes. “No, he was sleeping at the desk. Why?

  Jamie started laughing and pulled the door open wider so Kelsey could enter. “I was just curious. He’s supposed to stop everyone that comes in and if you’re not on the list he has to call up to the person they’re visiting.” She shook her head. “I’m glad to see he’s taking the job seriously.”

  “James, he’s like, ninety! Shouldn’t he be retired or something?”

  Jamie nodded. “He actually turned eighty-two this year. We had a birthday party for him. And he is retired, kind of. He lives here and the association pays for him to watch the door during the day. At night you have to have a key card to get in the front door.” She shrugged. “He keeps the lobby and entertainment rooms clean and directs delivery boys up to the right place so he’s good in my book.”

  Kelsey looked around at the open loft style condo. The living room was two stories. Straight back from the door was an outside wall made of pale brick and the tall wall to the right of the door was done in a bold maroon. The kitchen to the left was housed underneath the second floor and was done in a nice cream. Kitchen and downstairs bathroom were located on the other outside wall with a metal staircase that led to the second floor. Jamie had mentioned during one of their coffee meetups that the upstairs of her condo had two bedrooms and a smallish bathroom. Kelsey poked her head in the downstairs bathroom and ducked back out again, impressed by the Jacuzzi tub and double sinks. She was charmed and immediately loved the industrial vibe to the place.

  While she was gazing around, Jamie walked over to the kitchen area to check the soup. “I know you’re hungry but the soup was in the freezer. When it looks like it’s starting to warm, and not just sitting there as a block of ice in the pan, I’ll start the sandwiches.” Jamie’s long expanse of leg shown by the running shorts was not lost on Kelsey, and she resolved to keep her eyes above the waist for the duration of the visit. She was startled from her internal chastisement when Jamie spoke again. “Let me give this another stir then I’ll show you around.”

  Kelsey waved a casual hand through the air. “It’s fine, you’re feeding me so that’s my priority right now. Take your time with the—” She sniffed then smiled. “Delicious smelling soup!” Her stomach growled loudly and she grabbed it. Unfortunately Jamie had paused the music right after she let Kelsey in so the noise was easily heard by both occupants of the condo. “Oh jeez!”

  Jamie looked down as if she were addressing Kelsey’s stomach directly. “Settle down over there, I’m cooking as fast as I can!” They both laughed.

  Satisfied that most of the ice was melted, Jamie turned down the burner and set the large spoon on the drip catcher. “All right, now I can give you the grand tour. She gestured out to her sides. “This here is the kitchen, obviously.” She walked them through to the living room, where a set of French doors led out to the deck. The doors opened inward to save space outside. Kelsey liked the cozy little area. She noted the small gas grill and two chair bistro table, as well as a few potted plants. She walked over and saw they were tomatoes.

  “These are adorable!”

  Jamie nodded. “And delicious, I love them on my salads.” She led the way back in and showed her guest the large downstairs bathroom with the deep tub that she had peeked at a few minutes earlier. It featured two large doors as well as cupboards and other storage space.

  Kelsey pointed at the doors. “What’s in there?”

  “Washer and dryer.”

  Kelsey sighed. When Jamie looked at her she explained. “I’m insanely jealous right now. I have to haul my laundry down to the communal machines in my building
and then pray that there is no gum or other nastiness left behind by another tenant.”

  The blonde nodded. “Yeah, I had an apartment that was the same way, years ago when I first moved to St. Seren. My building had some guy that kept turning down his heat when he’d go out of town and apparently the pipes would rattle through the building. It sounded like a generator in the freaking hallway! I hated that place because the apartments were total shit.”

  “Yeah, I feel the same way about mine, though I don’t have rattling pipes. But it was available and I wanted to move so, eh. I’m hoping to find something else when my lease is up at the end of the year.” She shrugged.

  Jamie led her back out of the bathroom and checked the soup, then waived her toward the stairs. “Come on up and see the bedrooms.”

  Kelsey snickered. “Does that line usually work for you?”

  Jamie smirked and started up the stairs while Kelsey checked out her ass. She was immediately caught out when the other woman turned around to ask her a question. “So what complex to you liv—hey! Are you checking out my ass?”

  Ears turned red and Kelsey tried to deny it. “No! I was looking at your shorts. They look comfortable with the built in spandex underneath. Where did you get them?”

  They were both stopped halfway up the stairs and Jamie leveled an “I smell your bullshit a mile away” look at the woman who stood below her. “Uh huh.” She turned and started to climb again. “I got them at Target and they are extremely comfortable for any kind of exercise. I’m sure they still have plenty of them in stock, but unfortunately for you my ass is no longer available.”

  Kelsey raised an eyebrow at her when they got to the top. “Oh reeeeaaaally?”

  “Yup. It’s off the shelf for recall. Apparently it causes uncontrollable blushing.”

  She got her arm punched for the joke when they reached the landing. “Oh ha-ha, you’re a riot. Now show me the rest.” The stairs ended facing the brick wall and immediately to the right there was a pocket door leading into the small bathroom. It had a toilet, single sink, small closet, and a standup shower. Because it was corner condo, both upstairs and downstairs bathrooms were flanked on two sides where the outer walls met. On the other side of the landing there was a hallway of sorts the full depth of the upstairs. An iron railing ran along the landing to prevent people from falling into the stairwell from the bedroom side. There were also two more pocket doors. The master bedroom was on the outside wall and featured two tall windows directly across from the king bed. The bed had a night stand on each side, a closet to the left of the bed, and an armoire just inside the door. The spare room was pretty small and Jamie used it as more of an office. There were a few book shelves, a futon, and a desk and chair. When they were heading back down the stairs Kelsey gushed about the place. “I seriously love everything about your condo! It has a great vibe to it.”

  Jamie walked into the kitchen and stirred the soup then began pulling stuff out of the fridge for the grilled cheese sandwiches. She got a large square griddle out of the cupboard and put it on a burner to heat. “Truthfully, I got it for a steal because I bought in when the building was just being converted to condos. I had to do a lot of work myself, with Burke’s help.”

  Kelsey was standing close enough to touch as she peered at the ingredients. “What work? And can I help with anything?” Kelsey subtly inhaled the smell of the food on the stove, and even more subtly took in the fresh clean scent that was all Jamie.

  “You can find yourself something to drink in the fridge and have a seat at the island. I’ve got this.” Just having Kelsey stand so near was causing all kinds of fluttering in her belly and other places but her breath caught ever so slightly when Kelsey gave her a dimpled grin. Jamie had no choice but to ignore her attraction and continue the explanation of the work that was done on the condo. “For example, the plastered walls were finished but they all had to be painted. I had to put appliances in the kitchen, hardware and fixtures everywhere, and install the hardwood floors. It was a lot of work but I really felt like the place was mine when I got done, you know?” She glanced at Kelsey over her shoulder as she finished speaking and gave her a big smile. Then she turned back to finish buttering the bread and arranging the slices and cheese on the pan to cook.

  Kelsey was stuck by how much more open and relaxed her friend appeared in her own living space. Truthfully though, she had noticed the change happening over the past few months, both while chatting and in person since they’d begun meeting. Jamie seemed calmer, more settled. Jenn had mentioned that the blonde was making some changes in her life and they seemed to be good for her. Kelsey was lost in thought as she stared at her water bottle and completely missed Jamie finishing her prep and coming to stand next to her.

  “What are you thinking so hard about?”

  Kelsey nearly tipped over on her stool and grabbed her chest. “Jesus Jiminy Christmas! Don’t scare me like that!” Jamie laughed delightedly and Kelsey pointed at her. “It’s not funny, nerd! I think you just gave me a gray hair, or ten!”

  “Oh come on, it’s not that bad! You’re as much of a drama queen as my hairdresser.”

  Kelsey pouted. “Oh, like you would know the struggle, blondie!”

  The blonde cocked her head as if debating something internally, then shook her head. “Kels, I’ve got a lot of gray hair.”

  The seated woman reached up and caressed the back of Jamie’s hair where it and the sides were nearly shaved. “Ooh, it’s so soft, like a Shar-Pei! And it’s not like you can see it with hair this color. Now dark auburn, I can see every one of my grays!”

  Jamie shivered at the feel of Kelsey’s hand running through the back of her hair. It was a highly erotic place for her and she struggled to keep her breathing normal. Especially when the other woman used her nails lightly. “My hair isn’t blonde.” Perhaps it was because she was so disconcerted, but the words came out before Jamie could sensor them. And her heart raced a little to admit something that was so very personal to her.

  Kelsey dropped her hand away, confused. “What?” She was distracted because she liked running her fingers across Jamie’s hair a little too much.

  The blonde took a deep breath then walked over to flip the sandwiches and stir the soup. The cheese was starting to melt nicely and the cooked side of the sandwiches were a perfect golden brown. She spoke while her back was to Kelsey because she didn’t like to admit to things that would prompt more questions. “I color it every four weeks, when I go in for a cut.”

  Kelsey was flabbergasted. She had never once thought that Jamie was anything other than a blonde. Jenn never mentioned it and Jamie clearly had a face that could carry any color. When the other woman turned around to face her she tried to see the signs. “Come here for a second.” Her voice was a little quieter than normal because Jamie looked unsettled. She stood and placed a hand on each side of the Jamie’s face, lightly cupping her cheeks. “What is your natural hair color? I’d always thought you had the thickest most gorgeous lashes I’d ever seen, and I’m half Latina. But your eyebrows match your hair!”

  Jamie had stopped breathing the minute Kelsey touched her face, but she had to start again in order to answer. “I uh, Richard colors both. The man is seriously talented. And my hair is very dark brown, nearly black.”

  “Oh!” Kelsey dropped her hands and immediately pictured her friend with such dark hair. Then she wanted to fan herself at the image. Jamie was tall, lean, and had that angular jaw, which put her strictly into the androgynous category. Picturing her with dark hair was nearly a sin. “Oh my God! Why do you color it? I bet you look amazing with dark hair!”

  Jamie didn’t really want to talk about her reasons so she tried to lighten the mood instead, grasping onto the one really encouraging thing that Kelsey had said. “You don’t think I look amazing now?” She grinned when she saw her friend’s ears turn pink.

  Kelsey snorted. “You look fine, stop fishing!”

  A blonde eyebrow rose. “Just fine? You’r
e going to hurt my feelings, Kels.”

  Kelsey shoved her away. “Go check the sandwiches, I’m still starving here! And I refuse to stroke your ego for you. You have a mirror and know full well how you look!”

  Jamie winked at her and walked away to do as bid, but not before a parting shot. “You may not want to stroke my ego but you sure can’t stop staring at my ass! Friends don’t look at their friends’ asses like that.”

  Startled, she hadn’t expected Jamie to call her out, but she got even. “They do if said friend has toilet paper sticking out the back of their shorts.”

  Jamie spun around with spatula in hand, then twisted in place trying to see the back of her shorts. “Hey, I do not! You’re such a liar!”

  Kelsey cracked up laughing. “I never said that you had toilet paper. I was just giving you an example of when staring would be acceptable.”

  “Just for that, no soup for you!”

  The starving woman held up her hands in surrender just as her stomach gave another loud growl. “Please don’t do that. I’d eat anything right now but that soup smells amazing! And you can’t have grilled cheese without tomato soup. It’s against nature!”

  Jamie smirked. “Anything, hmm?”

  Kelsey rolled her eyes. “You are such a perv!” Then she clapped her hands together twice. “Now James, I believe you promised lunch. Hop to it!”

  “Oh yes, ma’am, right away, ma’am!” The newly minted butler corner cut one of the sandwiches into four adorable little triangles and placed them on a small plate, then ladled up the soup into an oversize soup cup covered in scenes from the most epic sci-fi movie series ever. She walked right by Kelsey and placed them on the small dining room table. Then she turned back to her and nodded toward the food. “Come on Kels, you can’t eat at my island. Get over here.” Kelsey laughed and took a seat, then Jamie went over to plate up her own food.