Rules of the Road

by K. Aten

  The blonde grimaced. “No, I live a half hour away. There is no—wait, I might have someone.” It had been more than two weeks since the unfortunate birthday party and her friendship with Kelsey was solid. She was pretty sure the other woman would help her out. It was about ten minutes before she and Kelsey normally finished their day so she took a chance and called her friend. It was answered on the second ring.

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  “Hi, Kels. I have a big favor to ask and I’ll understand if you want to say no—”

  “Of course I’m not going to say no. Go on.”

  Jamie smiled at the way Kelsey was always ready to help. “So I kinda rung my bell here at work and the nurse doesn’t think I should drive. Do you think you could give me a ride home and back to work tomorrow?”

  Worry for her friend immediately flooded through Kelsey. “Oh no! Are you okay? Are you sure you don’t need to go to the doctor?” Her boss walked into the back room and raised his eyebrows at her side of the conversation.

  Jamie’s voice sounded through the phone with more than a little humor. “No, I’m going to be okay. The nurse just says I shouldn’t drive and that I should have someone monitor me over night. I was going to see if I could stay with Jenn.”

  Kelsey’s eyebrows went up. “Why would you do that when you’ve got a friend with no kids to worry about? How about I just stay with you tonight since I need to give you a ride back to work tomorrow anyway? It makes perfect sense.”

  “Oh, I can’t ask you to do that! What about your cats?”

  The marginally crazy cat owner laughed. “James, they’re cats. As long as they have food and water they are fine to be left overnight, or even a few nights. They’ll live. My boss just said I can cut out a few minutes early so text your work address to me and I’ll head out now.”

  Dr. Davies just nodded at her and gave her a thumbs up. He also whispered to her. “If you need to come in a little late tomorrow, let me know.”

  Kelsey covered the receiver. “We should be fine. She starts at the same time I do, so I’ll just drop her off a little early.”

  She stopped talking when Jamie came back over the line. “All right, you win. I’ll see you in a few minutes. But takeout is on me tonight!”

  “Perfect! See you soon.” Kelsey put Jamie’s work address into her Driv app and it only took her twelve minutes. She parked next to Olivia since the sporty blue car was a standout in the large employee parking lot and texted the engineer when she got there. The lean blonde walked out a few minutes later with her messenger bag slung across her chest and carrying her lunch box in her right hand. When Jamie got close to her car, Kelsey rolled down the window and called out to her in a terrible Bronx accent.

  “Yeah, I gotta car here for Schultz?”

  Jamie smiled but Kelsey could see the little pain lines etched between her brows. “Cute, Kels.” She stopped and stared back at her own car, then frowned. “I don’t like leaving her overnight.”

  “Seriously? You’ve just nearly concussed yourself and your biggest worry is whether your car will get lonely?”

  Jamie made a face at her. “Jeez, when you put it like that it sounds ridiculous!”

  Kelsey laughed. “Because it is ridiculous! What other option do you have?”

  “We could take my car?”

  The woman in the little gray economy car shook her head slowly. “I’m pretty sure I’m here for a reason, because you can’t drive home.”

  Jamie grinned at her. “No, but you can! How would you like to get your hands on my girl? She practically purrs while you put her through the paces.”

  “Uh.” Kelsey’s ears turned pink. It had been a little bit since she’d had her hands on anyone, let alone put a girl through her paces. The last one had actually been the pierced chick with the issues. “I can’t drive a stick shift, so probably best to just leave your precious baby here for the night.”

  The blonde disregarded Kelsey’s words and walked over to Olivia’s driver’s door and hit the button to unlock. Then she opened it and turned back to Kelsey, gesturing for the other woman to get in. “It’s not a stick so you’re out of excuses. Come on, Kels, it’ll be fun!”

  Kelsey could see that she wasn’t going to win in a battle of stubborn determination. Well, she probably would win at that, but driving Jamie’s car home wasn’t worth a battle. Besides, Jamie was hurt and it was best to just humor her. And maybe she wanted to drive Olivia, just a little. She rolled up her window and shut her car off before grabbing her own stuff. She got out and locked the doors then turned back to Jamie. “My car is okay here, right? I don’t need a pass or anything?”

  “It’s fine, now get in.”

  Kelsey put her lunch bag and other things in the back hatch and Jamie did the same with her own lunch box, taking her messenger bag into the front seat with her. Once the dental assistant was seated in the molded leather bucket seat she was immediately impressed with the difference between Oliva and her own car. It had black leather interior, a large in-dash LCD screen, and had a max speedometer reading of 160, just for starters. She didn’t have to move the seat because she was only about an inch or so shorter than Jamie, but she did have to adjust the mirrors. “Where’s the key?”

  Jamie patted her bag and smiled. “I’ve got the fob in here. As long as it’s within a foot or two of the dash the car will start just fine.”

  Kelsey looked around the dash to the steering column and didn’t see a spot for a key. Then she saw a large button directly in front of the shifter knob. The word “Start” was written in bold lettering. “Ooh, neat!” She pushed it and the only thing that happened was the radio came on.

  The other woman snickered in the passenger seat. “You have to hold the brake pedal and push the button for it to start. Otherwise it’s just like turning the key one or two clicks.” She clamped her phone in the holder that was low on the center of the dash, slightly to the right and above Kelsey’s knee. She brought up the Driv app and turned on Bluetooth so it could synch automatically to Olivia. Then she used her LCD touch screen in the dash to bring up the music app on the phone.

  “Ah, gotcha! Seriously, James, this is like some kind of James Bond car. Very cool!” When she backed out she got another surprise. “Holy shit, a backup camera! I could definitely use something like this in my car. Our parking lot at work is so tight, it’s hard to get in and out of my little space.”

  “That’s what she said!”

  Kelsey turned her head and narrowed her eyes at Jamie. “Really?”

  Jamie nodded. “Oh, absolutely!”

  “It’s not like you would know!”

  The blonde smirked. “Maybe I’ve heard stories.”

  Kelsey cracked up laughing. “Now I know that’s not true!”

  Jamie raised an eyebrow at her, thoroughly enjoying the fact that with Kelsey driving. She was a captive audience for Jamie’s questions. “You’re telling me that you haven’t slept with anyone in St. Seren except for Bailey?”

  “I didn’t say that.” Kelsey focused on the drive

  “Ooh, do tell!”

  Kelsey glanced at her. “Are you going to tell me the girls you’ve slept with?”

  Jamie blushed. “Um, I see your point. Never mind, don’t tell. A girl likes a little mystery anyway.”

  The brand new driver of the little blue sports car snorted. “That’s what I thought!” When they got back to St. Seren, Kelsey drove to her apartment first to take care of the cats and grab a change of clothes. She parked in her spot and turned to Jamie. “Do you want to come up or just sit here? I won’t be long.” Jamie had stayed pretty quiet for most of the ride after the initial conversation. She could tell the other woman wasn’t feeling the greatest.

  “Actually, do you have some Motrin or something? My head and neck are killing me. I’m such an idiot sometimes.”

  Kelsey nodded. “I do, actually. Come on.” When she opened the door her cats were immediately underfoot, meowing as if they hadn’t b
een fed in a week despite the fact that they had dry food sitting in their dishes. They went a little skittish at first when Jamie walked in behind her, then they came right over to check her out. Kelsey set her wallet on the stand and put her keys in the dish just like normal, but then gestured for Jamie to follow. “Why don’t you lie down for a minute? I’ll get you a bottle of water and some pain reliever.” She led her friend back to her very spartan bedroom and instructed her to lie down on the bed. Then Kelsey went to get the water and pills.

  Jamie complied with a little too much joy. “So is this where the magic happens?” She leaned back on the bed and snuggled into the pillows, turning her head discretely to capture the scent of them.

  Kelsey rolled her eyes as she reentered the room and handed the items to the prone woman. “Shouldn’t you be resting or something? I don’t think talking is good for your headache.”

  “On the contrary, the nurse said I had to stay awake.” She patted the bed next to her. “You could come keep me company and make sure I don’t fall asleep.”

  The other woman made a face. “Seriously, James? You’re incorrigible! I’m going to take out my trash and check the mail, then take care of the cats. I’ll be back to pack an overnight bag after.” Jamie heard her leave the apartment and less than ten seconds later she had two curious felines join her on the bed. Even though her head was killing her, she delighted in the soft fur beneath her fingertips. It was soothing. One settled in next to her while the other started chewing on the button of her shirt. She pushed him away and he came up to lie down by her head. And that was how Kelsey found them five minutes later when she returned. She stood in the doorway and took in the scene. Newman was snuggled into Jamie’s side and Pierre was lying down near the pillow, cleaning her hair. She giggled and Jamie cracked an eye open at her. “You can just push him away you know.”

  “You know your cat is weird, right? Does he always do this?”

  Kelsey shook her head and gave Jamie a dimpled smile. “That one is Pierre and yes I know he’s weird. He likes to do that to me when I get out of the shower. But you’re not any better than he is if you just let him do it.” She sat down on the bed next to the other cat and started scratching around his ears. “This here is my sweet boy, Newman. He’s not half the asshole his brother is.” She didn’t sit for long before standing again. “All right, come on boys. Let’s leave Jamie alone and I’ll get you some canned food.”

  They clearly knew what she was talking about because as soon as she left the room they barreled out after her. Jamie just grinned at the friendly cats. “Fickle.”

  It wasn’t long before they were back at Jamie’s condo trying to decide what to order for dinner. “Why don’t you go put your stuff up in the spare room and I’ll bring up some restaurants on my laptop.”

  Kelsey smirked at her. “What, you’re not going to offer your own bed?”

  “Oh, please!” Jamie scoffed. “Even with a lump on my head you couldn’t handle the Schultz!”

  “The Shultz huh? That sounds dirty.”

  Jamie winked at her. “Maybe it is.” She called out to Kelsey as she walked up the stairs and winced at the sound of her own voice. “We have a variety within delivery distance. Mexican, Chinese, Thai, sandwiches, pizza, and a few more local spots. What do you feel like?”

  Kelsey called from the top of the stairs. “Do you have a heating pad?”

  “Yes I do, but I don’t think that would taste too good.”

  “Such a smart ass! For your neck, genius!”

  Jamie made a face and felt stupid. “In the downstairs bathroom closet.”

  Kelsey came skipping back down the stairs and walked around the corner into the bathroom, emerging less than a minute later with the heating pad in hand. She walked over to Jamie with a victorious smile on her face. “Do you have a plug around here anywhere?” The couch was toward the middle of the room, facing the wall that divided her condo and the condo next door. She had lamps but the cords ran under the couch.

  The blonde nodded then rubbed her neck in discomfort. “There are plugs set into the floor beneath the couch.”

  Rather than rush to plug in the heating pad, Kelsey instead sat it down on the end table and came around the couch. “I’m going to loosen up your neck for you first, okay? If you move down to the floor I can sit on the couch and give you a neck massage.”

  Jamie sighed and immediately slipped off the couch to the floor. “That would be heaven right now!”

  Kelsey moved to sit behind her and gently began massaging the corded muscle. The neck had obviously stiffened up and it was no wonder the other woman was so sore. Jamie moaned and leaned her head down to give Kelsey better access. Despite the pain in her neck and head, she had a hard time ignoring the feel of Kelsey’s legs against each side, or the warmth of Kelsey’s hands across the skin of her neck. She had a very sure and firm touch and the blonde couldn’t help picturing those hands everywhere. Kelsey wasn’t having any easier of a time. As she massaged the length of her friend’s neck, her hands would wander up into the soft shorn hair then back down to the soft skin below. She tried to distract herself at the same time she attempted to loosen the steel-like cords below her fingertips. “So did you decide what you want for dinner?”

  The blonde shrugged. “I’ll eat anything.”

  “I heard that about you.”

  Jamie’s eyes widened and she turned her entire upper body around to look at the woman behind her. “You soooo did not just say that!”

  Kelsey giggled. “I soooo did say that! What are you going to do about it, stiffy mcstifferson?” Before Kelsey could register what was happening Jamie was off the floor and had her pinned to the couch, fingers digging into her sides. She was laughing uncontrollably as Jamie tickled her without mercy. “Dammit, stop! I’m gonna pee, James!”

  The blonde was also laughing and turned to look at her. “Oh, ow! Damn, damn, damn.” She collapsed on top of the woman below her at the sudden wrenching in her neck.

  “That’s what you get for being so mean.” Kelsey was laughing but took pity on her anyway. Jamie wasn’t heavy so she started massaging her neck again. It took mere seconds for both women to fully realize the intimacy of their position.

  Jamie slowly raised her head, disregarding the discomfort in her neck. She licked her lips and gazed into Kelsey’s dark green eyes. “I, uh, we should order our dinner.” She swallowed and looked away as she carefully got up off her good friend. Her friends only friend.

  Kelsey nodded as the blonde’s weight came off her and she shivered when the heat left with the other woman. “Yeah, true. We haven’t even decided what to eat yet.” Internally she cringed. Her crush on Jamie was getting way out of control.

  “Oh, I’ve decided.” Jamie’s voice was a mumble but Kelsey still made it out.

  “What was that?” She too stood from the couch and looked at her friend. “What did you decide on?”

  Jamie raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m suddenly in the mood for Mexican.”

  Then she wiggled both eyebrows and Kelsey rolled her own. “You’re kind of an idiot, but fine. But this better not be some weak-ass Mexican food. I have some high standards.” Through supreme effort of denial and with much humor, both women had successfully ignored the sexual tension from moments before. Neither liked the direction their friendship was taking, but for different reasons. Kelsey thought that Jamie’s attraction was simply her nature and she wasn’t interested in being just another notch in her friend’s bed post. And for Jamie, she knew that Kelsey needed someone special and the blonde had learned the hard way that she had nothing to offer in the way of a serious relationship. She especially didn’t trust her own judgment where relationships were concerned. Kelsey had come to mean more to her than most others and it would devastate Jamie to lose her friendship.

  Hours passed and dinner was ordered, eaten, and the detritus cleared away. Kelsey got Jamie set up on the couch again with the heating pad at her neck and the remote control in
her hand. “You can watch whatever you want, James. I brought a book to entertain myself.”

  “I am kind of addicted to this prison show that’s on Netflix.”

  Kelsey’s face lit up. “No way, so am I! I haven’t seen the newest episode. Are you caught up?”

  “Neither have I, shall we?” Kelsey nodded and smiled as Jamie turned on the flat screen that was mounted on the wall. They watched that show then found a comedy special but it was still pretty early when that was finished. Kelsey glanced over and noticed the way Jamie was still rubbing at her neck. “Do you think it would help if you submerged yourself in the Jacuzzi for a while?”

  Jamie thought about it for a second and nodded carefully. “Yeah, maybe. You can use the shower upstairs if you want, or watch TV for a while. Sorry I’m such a terrible hostess.”

  “Hush! I’m here because you’re hurting, plain and simple. I’m fully capable of entertaining myself.”

  “Even without batteries?” Despite the headache that would knock down a rhino at forty yards, the blonde was still slinging zingers at her friend.

  Kelsey just narrowed her eyes at her. “That is not something you need to know! Now go run your water, James.” Jamie laughed quietly as she walked upstairs to grab a t-shirt and lounge pants to change into when she got out of the tub. Kelsey turned off the television and followed her up. She couldn’t help watching the sway of Jamie’s backside as she walked up the stairs.

  “Stop staring at my ass, Kels!” Jamie called down behind her.

  Kelsey startled but immediately denied what she had been doing. “I’m not staring at your ass, nerd. Friends don’t stare at friends’ asses, remember?”

  Jamie arrived at the top of the stairs and looked down at the ascending woman. “They do if they have toilet paper.”

  Kelsey cracked up. “Lucky you that you’re such a fastidious wiper!” Laughter echoed through the condo as they went their separate ways to wind down the evening.