by TJ Thomas
“I hope it’s a pleasant surprise.”
“Of course it is.”
Rhonda look relieved.
Christie asked, “So, how was the wedding, Jo? All Mom will say is, it was lovely.”
“Amy and Randi are perfect for each other. It was a beautiful ceremony and dancing at the reception was fun. It was definitely a night to remember.”
Rhonda blushed. Christie didn’t seem to notice.
“That’s wonderful. So how did you spend today?”
Jo felt totally awkward talking to Christie about mundane details of her life when she could not stop thinking about how much she wanted to kiss Rhonda again. “Um.” Jo tried to remember the question. “I went for a run. Then read and answered some emails. There was one from my boss that I found very interesting. Apparently, they need someone in this area for a three-month contract, and he asked if I was interested.”
“That would be awesome. That would mean you’d definitely be here for our reunion too,” Christie said.
“It certainly would be nice to get to see more of you,” Rhonda said.
Jo’s temperature rose. She couldn’t decide if Rhonda was flirting or just being polite, but her words were exciting. But she could barely hold eye contact with Jo; her signals were definitely confusing.
“It’s something to think about for sure. The contract would start in two weeks, and I’d have to find a place to stay. I wouldn’t want to leave my dog, Kona, that long, so I’d need a place I could have her.”
Christie said, “I have a great idea. Why don’t you stay with Mom?”
“Oh, no, I couldn’t. My company will put me up somewhere. I just have to find something.” Jo realized it had quickly become something she was planning to do, not just thinking about.
“But why not? It’s perfect. Don’t you think so, Mom? Jo could keep you company in that big house. There’s plenty of room. The dog would have lots of space in the backyard.”
Rhonda finally met Jo’s gaze. “You are always more than welcome to stay with me. Kona too.
“Thank you. I’ll consider it.”
With dinner done, Christie and Peter took the kids upstairs for their baths but only after promising Mary and Cody that they could come back down to spend more time with Rhonda and Jo.
Jo and Rhonda started clearing plates. In the kitchen, when she was sure she and Rhonda were alone, Jo asked, “Should we talk?”
“Let me start with an apology. I had a little too much to drink last night. I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. I’m sorry. Can we possibly just forget it happened?”
“Sure.” Jo knew she wouldn’t be able to forget it for a long time, but she could pretend it didn’t happen if that’s what Rhonda wanted. “Now, about me staying with you, I know Christie just sprung that on you. I can find somewhere else.”
“No, really, I would love to have you. It would be nice to have some company for a little while. I meant what I said.”
“My company will pay for my lodging. If you want to write up receipts for rent, I’ll give that money to you.”
“That is certainly not necessary. How about you take me out for a nice dinner once a week or so and we’ll call it even?”
“I can do that.”
“It’s settled then. Would you like to run over to the house with me tonight, so you can see it again?”
“I guess that makes sense, sure.”
When Christie and the kids returned, Rhonda and Jo were loading the last of the dishes into the dishwasher. They filled Christie in on the plan. Jo and Rhonda played with the kids for a little while longer. Then they hugged everyone and said their good-byes. Jo followed Rhonda back to her house.
*
Rhonda opened the door with her key and let them into the house. Jo stood for a moment as the memories swamped her. She had spent so much time here as a teenager. She could almost hear the laughter echoing around her. This house, Rhonda, Christie, and Julie had been her safe harbor. She would never forget that. She would not do anything to ever disrespect those memories. So, she’d “forget” the kiss from the night before and ignore her attraction to Rhonda. She was certain staying here wasn’t the best idea but she couldn’t come up with a reason not to that wouldn’t sound flippant or weak, and she certainly didn’t want to hurt Rhonda’s feelings either.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just a bit overwhelmed with memories.”
“That makes sense.”
Jo shrugged out of her brown bomber jacket and hung it over the stairwell. “Want to show me around?”
“Yes, of course. I don’t think it’s really changed all that much. Why don’t we start with your room, so you get an idea of that space?”
“Sounds good.” Jo followed her up the stairs. She fixed her stare on the middle of Rhonda’s back, refusing to look lower.
Rhonda opened the door to the guest room. The furniture looked new, but it wasn’t that different from a decade before. A queen-size bed took up the majority of space with nightstands on both sides. There was a nice amount of space on the far side of the bed, where Jo could picture putting Kona’s bed. “And you’re sure you’re okay with me having my chocolate lab, Kona, here?”
“Yes, I’m sure. We’ve been over this. Do you not want to stay here?”
“Why would you ask that?” Jo mentally shook her head. She could have used that as an out. Instead she’d blown her chance.
“Because you keep making sure this or that will be okay.”
Jo sighed. “I just…”
“What?”
“I don’t want to be a burden to you.”
“You have never, not once in your life, been a burden to me. I am looking forward to spending time with you, getting to know you again. I know that you feel like Christie just thrust this on me, but honestly, she only beat me to it. I was going to offer myself. I do have so much room here. It’s conceivable we won’t even see that much of each other. But I’m happy to share my home with you while you’re in town.”
“Okay.”
“How about I give you a quick tour of the rest the house? I know you need to catch an early plane.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
By the time they made their way down to the lower level, Jo had relaxed a bit. She saw an empty room off the family room. “Do you use this room for anything?”
“Not really. Basically, it just sits here empty. I’ve been working on clearing out the clutter the last couple of years.”
“Would it be okay if I brought my weights and fitness machines with me and set up a mini home gym in here? You’re welcome to use the equipment too.”
“Sure.”
“Awesome.”
CHAPTER SIX
Back in San Diego, Jo put things in order and packed her SUV. With her gym machines, her truck was so full that she needed to send Kona by air. However, it was still too hot in California for the airlines to allow animals to fly in the cargo area. In order to least disrupt Kona, Jo asked Aideen to take care of sending her once the weather cooled off. Aideen also agreed to stay at the condo until Jo returned.
Cam had convinced Jo to go out with her and June and Kate for a sort of last hurrah before she was gone for months on end. Jo was sitting with them at Amarin Thai when she got a text. She glanced briefly at her phone.
“Who is that?” Kate asked.
“Rhonda.”
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“When you saw who was texting you, you got a huge smile on your face.”
Jo shrugged. “She’s asking if there’s anything I want at the house to make me feel more comfortable. I just thought it was really sweet.”
June joined in. “Rhonda is very sweet from what I gathered at Amy’s wedding.”
“She is,” Jo said.
“You two seemed to have a good time that night,” Cam said.
“We had a lot to catch up on.”
“Uh huh,” Cam said in a playful tone.
“What are
you implying?”
“It just looked to me like there was more going on than two friends catching up.”
“There wasn’t. There’s not. She’s just an old friend.”
“Okay, if you say so.”
“I do. I am going to respond though since it’s so much later there.”
“Tell her we say hello.”
With that done, Jo redirected the conversation back to Kate and the dance classes she was thinking about teaching in the spring.
*
Rhonda sat in her living room with a glass of wine when Jo’s response came in.
“Anything you have is fine. Please don’t go to any trouble on my account. We can shop together once I’m there. Btw, Cam, June, and Kate all say hello. They insisted on a good-bye dinner. They also wanted to know if you had any idea what you were getting into when you agreed to shelter me.”
Rhonda studied her phone for several moments before typing her response. “Sounds like a plan. Hello to all. My question to them would be: which time? Lol. I’m certain you’re as much a handful now as you were as a teenager. Which, by the way, was not at all.”
“Thank you. See you in a few days.”
“Have a safe trip. Good night.”
“Good night, Rhonda.”
*
A few days later, Jo pulled into Rhonda’s driveway. She was so happy to get out of the truck after four long days on the road, she did a little happy dance right there in the driveway. She turned when she heard clapping. Rhonda was standing by the front door, beaming. Jo did a quick little bow. “Thank you, thank you very much.”
When Rhonda reached her she opened her arms and Jo stepped into them and returned the warm embrace. She stepped back as quickly as she could without being rude. She needed to remember to keep touching Rhonda to a minimum if she was going to retain her sanity.
“It’s good to be here.”
“Come on in and have something to drink. We’ll worry about your stuff in a bit. How was the trip?”
Jo followed her inside. “Really good, actually, it’s just a lot of driving.”
“No doubt. I can offer you beer, wine, or anything you see on the bar.”
“A woman after my own heart. Just a beer for now would be great. Thank you. It smells amazing in here.”
“I have lasagna in the oven for later.” Rhonda grabbed two beers out of the refrigerator. She handed one to Jo and then twisted her cap off. She took a long pull off it before settling on one of the bar stools.
Jo opted to stand to stretch her legs a bit. She sipped her beer. “Yum. So, how was your week?”
“Not bad. I finished up the designs on a project set to start next week. I made sure your room was ready for you. Put clean sheets on the bed yesterday.”
“Thank you. I guess I should get my truck unloaded before it gets too dark.”
“I’ll help.”
“I appreciate it.”
The two of them worked together to get everything Jo brought with her into the house. Jo concentrated on getting all the weight equipment downstairs and Rhonda took her clothes and other personal items upstairs. Once they were done, Rhonda said, “Why don’t you go grab a shower, wash off the trip, and then we’ll have dinner?”
“That sounds wonderful.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jo let herself quietly into the house after her run. When she smelled coffee, she changed course and headed for the kitchen. Rhonda sat on a stool at the breakfast bar sipping coffee and filling in a crossword puzzle. “Good morning, Rhonda.”
Rhonda swiveled the stool to face Jo. She wore a silk robe that dipped low on her chest. Her smooth, tan skin showed over the top. The outline of her breasts made it obvious she wore very little beneath it. Jo’s mouth went dry. Holy crap! Pull it together. You cannot go there. She hastily redirected her gaze to Rhonda’s face in time to hear her response.
“Good morning. How was your run?”
“Good. Mind if I grab some coffee?”
“Help yourself. There are also bagels in the bread box if you’re interested.”
“Thank you.” Jo pulled down a mug. Having something to concentrate on gave her the time she needed. “Actually, I think I’ll grab a shower before I eat anything.”
“Okay. Like always, as long as you’re here, it’s your home too. Help yourself to anything you like.”
“Thanks.” Jo fled, Rhonda’s last words echoing in her head.
She stripped down and stepped into the shower. She let the hot water cascade over her. She had to get a grip. Her clit beat an insistent pulse between her legs. She usually had no problem taking care of that herself, but she absolutely refused to touch herself while thinking about Rhonda. That was out of the question. She took slow, deep breaths to bring her body back under control. Rhonda was her friend. Rhonda was straight. Rhonda was Christie and Julie’s mom for Christ’s sake. She could not think about Rhonda in that way. Once she reined in her hormones, she felt better. She might not be able to control her body’s reaction to Rhonda, but she had complete control over any action she took. No way would she make any sort of move in that direction. It wasn’t going to happen. After dressing, she made a quick phone call before heading back downstairs. While she made herself a bagel she chatted with Rhonda making sure to keep her gaze on her face. “How’s your morning?”
“It’s good. Do you have any plans for the day?”
“Yeah, I just talked to Amy. We’re going to watch the game and then maybe have dinner with some people. She’s convinced I need to meet people here. I think she’s trying to launch a campaign to get me to stay.”
“Would that be so bad?”
“Not necessarily. But I enjoy my life in California.”
“I imagine this is a whole different world for you?”
“It is, yeah, but I’m having a nice time reconnecting with old friends, present company included.”
“We’re enjoying having you back in the area and will as long as you choose to stay.”
“Thanks.”
“I don’t know if you have any interest, but Julie’s oldest, Jamie, has a basketball game tomorrow. I’m going to watch. Want to tag along?”
“Sure, sounds like fun.”
“Great, it’s a date.”
“Great.” Jo looked at her watch. “I should get going. I don’t know how late I’ll be tonight. It depends what Amy gets me into.”
“No worries. Although, I’d appreciate a text, if you stay somewhere else tonight.”
Jo almost asked where else she might stay. Then she realized Rhonda assumed she might hook up with someone tonight. She couldn’t decide how she felt about that. She opted to keep her response casual. “No problem.”
*
Jo made her way to the bar to get another round for the group. Amy and Randi had taken her out for dinner with a few of their friends. They’d moved from dinner to drinks at a nearby club. Amanda and Rachel seemed very much in love and had kept Jo laughing about some of Randi’s college exploits. Laura had been subtly flirting with Jo all evening. She wasn’t sure why it made her a bit uncomfortable. Usually, she would have spent an enjoyable evening flirting back. But she wasn’t into it tonight. It was odd, but clearly she was having an off night.
Amy joined her at the bar to help carry drinks. “So, what do you think of Laura?”
“She seems nice.”
“Nice? That’s all you got?”
“I guess so.”
“She seems pretty into you.”
“Yeah, I picked up on that. I’m going to have to disappoint her though.”
“Why? Have you gone blind?”
“No.” Jo nudged Amy with her shoulder. “I can see that she’s hot. She’s just not doing it for me.”
“Are you sick?” Amy lifted her hand to Jo’s head as though to feel for a fever.
Jo knocked it away. “No. I’ve just developed more discriminating tastes.”
“Since when?”
“Since I realized
I want more than a bunch of one-night stands.”
“She probably wouldn’t mind something more than that.”
“Not interested. Why don’t you go pay attention to your wife and let me take care of my own love life?”
“Since when do you not want me to be your wing man?”
“Since I don’t need one. I’m not going home with anyone tonight. I’m just out having a good time with friends. Can’t we leave it at that?”
Amy looked at Jo as though she didn’t know her anymore. “Sure, if that’s what you want.”
“It is.”
They made their way back to the table. Jo decided she should tell Laura herself that she wasn’t interested. But she didn’t want to talk to her with everyone around.
“Laura, would you like to dance?”
“I’d love to.”
Once they were out on the dance floor, Laura said, “I’m thrilled you asked me to dance. I got the idea you weren’t interested in me.”
“Actually, I’m not. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to have this conversation in front of everyone. It’s definitely not you. You’re hot and seem great. I just…there’s this other woman I can’t get out of my head…it’s complicated.”
“Hey, we could have some fun. I’m not looking for any sort of commitment.”
“I’m flattered, but it’s not something I’d be into right now. A different time, who knows, but right now my head wouldn’t be in the game.”
“That’s too bad. Well, if you change your mind and just want a night of uncomplicated fun, Randi has my number.”
“I’ll remember that. I think I’m going to take off.”
“Any chance I could bum a ride off you? I don’t want Amanda and Rachel to have to cut their night short.”
“Sure. No problem.”
*
Rhonda and Barbara finished dinner and headed to a nearby club for a drink. After they got their cocktails at the bar, Rhonda turned to scan the room for somewhere to sit. When she spotted Amy and Randi at a table near the dance floor, she wasn’t too surprised. There just weren’t that many places in Amherst proper to go for drinks if you didn’t want to be surrounded by coeds. She headed their way. “Good evening, ladies.”
“Hi, Rhonda,” Randi said. They both stood and hugged her.