by Harte, C. J.
“In the morning. God, what have I agreed to?” Mark said.
“I hope that you were praying out loud and not swearing,” Jordan said.
*
Drew put her head down on her arms and moaned. This weekend was going to be a disaster. It was a good thing Jordan would have the Secret Service around. It was the only way Jordan and Mark were going to survive.
Saturday morning, they headed south to Ocala. They were followed by three government vehicles and two motor homes. Drew could barely restrain the laughter. Having the President’s daughter along ensured they had an excellent campsite, no neighbors, and lots of quiet with arrangements made in advance of their arrival. Mark flirted with one of the young agents and volunteered to sleep in the air-conditioned camper. Drew had long ago learned that Mark’s heart was solid when it came to David, but he was an incurable flirt.
“Okay, let’s get our tents set up. I have a cabin tent that’s large enough for all of us, or I can set up a separate smaller tent for you, Mark.”
“What do we sleep on?” he asked.
“Air mattresses and sleeping blankets.”
“On the ground?” asked Jordan.
“Well, we could probably figure a way to attach ropes to some of the trees, wrap you in a sleeping blanket, and then tie you off the ground with the ropes.”
“But I thought that was why we brought the campers.”
“Jordan, if you and Mark want to sleep in the campers, that’s fine. I came out here to camp. Staying in those motor homes is like staying in a motel room, a nice motel room, on wheels. That’s not camping.” She pitched her small cabin tent and carefully rolled out three sleeping blankets. She was determined to spend the night in the tent regardless of where Mark and Jordan chose to stay.
“You city folks. You come out to this beautiful forest and then want to sleep in air conditioning.” She smiled and then went on. “I guess you didn’t want to have to dig a hole every time you had to go to the bathroom.”
“Dig a hole?” Jordan asked. Her eyes were wide as she looked around.
“Out in the woods, you dig a hole when have you have to go to the bathroom and then cover it up.” She pulled out the small shovel she always carried in her camping pack. She could see that Jordan and Mark were eating this up. “Part of keeping the area clean. Where are your shovels? You surely don’t expect Secret Service to dig a hole, wait for you to relieve yourself, and then cover the hole?”
Jordan looked over toward the motor home and her security detail. Stunned was the only word Drew had to describe her expression. “What happens if you can’t remember where you dug your last hole?”
“You have to mark your spot. You’ve heard the expression ‘X marks the spot’?”
Jordan put her hands on her hips and glared. “I think you’re putting me on.”
Drew dropped her camping gear. “What?” She didn’t say that!
“You’re teasing, aren’t you?”
Drew sighed with relief. “Yeah, I am. I saw the restrooms on the way in. We’re not far. Most campgrounds have very nice restrooms and showers. Besides, the motor home has a restroom. I just used it.”
Jordan glared and tried to keep from laughing. She and Mark had just begun to fix lunch. She threw a potato at Drew.
“Hey, you can’t leave food on the ground.” She picked it up and tossed it in the trash. “Encourages bears and wolves.”
“Bears and wolves?” Jordan asked. “There aren’t any bears and wolves here.” She didn’t seemed convinced.
Drew grinned. “There are bears but no wolves. Let’s eat. I’m hungry.” She lit the camp stove and showed them how to adjust the flame.
“I’m not sure I can believe anything you tell me.” Jordan was cooking a hearty stew in one pan.
“Mmm, that smells good. I guess it’ll be okay for you two to sleep in the motor home as long as I continue to get such good food.”
“Since they’re my motor homes, we can stay in there anyway and I can cook on a real stove if you don’t behave.”
“I’m always good.” Drew formed a halo circle above her head with her hands.
Jordan tried hard to frown, but it didn’t work. “You’re too much.”
Drew had a smug smile. She was surprised at how much she was enjoying Jordan’s company.
After dinner, she offered to clean up while Mark and Jordan sat and talked. When she was finished cleaning and storing the food and gear, she sat next to them. “Smell the air. Can you smell the pine?” She turned to Jordan. “Now that is definitely something you can’t smell in D.C.” She leaned back against the picnic table. “Listen to the quiet.” The silence was broken by the hooting of an owl.
“What’s that?” Jordan moved next to Drew and grabbed her arm.
“Probably an owl. Don’t worry. You’re too big to be carried away. Anyway, if you stay in the motor home they won’t even try. I’ll stay in my tent here and you two can go sleep in the camper if you want.” She moved her gear into the tent.
“I’ll stay with you.” Jordan didn’t sound convinced.
“Are you sure?” Drew asked.
“No,” Jordan said, “but I’d like to try. I’ve never slept in one. If you’re going to sleep in one, then I’m willing to try.”
Drew’s admiration for Jordan went up another notch. Jordan was a trooper.
“I think I’m calling it a night then. I’ve got all three bedrolls out if you still want to try the tent.”
Mark chose the motor home when he realized it had actual beds. “Good night, you two. Don’t let the bears bite.” Mark marched off.
Drew secured her sleeping bag on the air mattress and crawled in. She unrolled Jordan’s sleeping bag and opened the zipper.
“Aren’t you afraid?”
“No. First, all our food is put away. Second, with the army outside, we have nothing to worry about except that young agent flirting back with Mark.”
“Does he fool around?”
“Never, but he does flirt. Says he may be attached, but he’s not blind.”
“Do you feel that way?” Jordan whispered.
“I’m not attached and not looking.” Drew tried to feign fatigue, but Jordan’s last question resurrected queasy feelings. “Good night.”
Drew heard Jordan tossing and realized her air mattress hadn’t been inflated. “Shit.”
“What’s wrong?” Jordan asked, panicked. She looked around to see if something had crawled into the tent. She jumped up and started brushing herself off.
Drew tried to keep from laughing. “I forgot to inflate your mattress. It’s the only way to keep the critters off the sleeping blanket.”
When Drew laughed, Jordan realized she was again being teased. “Oh, you. You need to be taught a lesson.” She pushed Drew down and sat on top of her.
Drew tried rolling back and forth to toss Jordan off her back. No one had ever pinned her down, but there was not a lot of room in the tent. Finally, with a quick move, Jordan was tossed to the tent floor. Drew quickly grabbed Jordan by her foot.
Jordan couldn’t get up or reach Drew.
“Give?”
“Not fair. You’re stronger.”
“And faster.”
“Let go of me.”
“And faster,” Drew insisted.
“Never.”
“Okay. Guess I’ll just hang you on the tent ceiling.
“No!” There was more of a plea in her voice.
“And faster, then.”
“And faster. Now let me down.” By now Jordan was laughing. No one, including her brother, had ever played with her like this.
“Come on.” Drew pulled Jordan up. She got out her battery-operated pump and filled Jordan’s air mattress quickly. “Sorry, I forgot to fill it earlier. I really didn’t think you would want to sleep on the ground.” She patted the bedroll. “Come on and try it now. I think you’ll find this much more comfortable.”
Drew enjoyed teasing Jordan, but she also wanted to be gentle. Jordan
brought that out in her. She was carefully pulling the zipper on the sleeping blanket when Jordan reached up with a free hand and caressed Drew’s cheek.
“You are such a great friend. You’re so different from anyone I’ve ever known.” She slipped her hand back into the sleeping blanket. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She finished gently tucking Jordan in. Jordan’s touch had been like fire on her skin. It would be so easy to lean down to kiss her. And so wrong. “Good night.” She quickly moved over to her sleeping blanket.
“Suppose I have to get up in the middle of the night?” Jordan asked. “How do I get out without waking you up?”
“Well, you could inch your way out of the top until you finally had your whole body free. Most people just unzip it, though. There is a zipper puller on both sides.”
Drew grinned as Jordan explored the zipper. She crawled back into her own sleeping bag and wondered if either of them would get much sleep. Jordan was so close she could smell her somewhat sweet, almost flowery perfume. She could hear every breath. Her brain was filled with too many thoughts.
*
Shortly after sunup, she dressed and used the motor home’s bathroom. When she returned to the tent, she found Jordan sitting outside. “Want to go for a walk?”
Jordan nodded, ran to the bathroom, and quickly returned. As they set out, Drew noticed agents in jeans and dark glasses not far behind. They remained far enough back to allow them some privacy but close enough to intervene. Drew needed to be on her best behavior.
Jordan spoke first. “Do you like me?”
Drew tripped on a root and nearly fell into Jordan. This was not a way to be on her best behavior. She stood up and moved a few inches away.
“I mean, am I just someone you tutor? Or am I a friend?”
“I hadn’t thought much about it,” Drew lied. Jordan was frequently in her thoughts.
“What?” Jordan stopped walking.
Drew smiled. “I’m teasing.” They resumed walking quietly
“I definitely consider you a friend,” Jordan finally said.
“Why?”
They walked several more yards. “My brother, Jack, said part of the initial attraction to his fiancé was that she didn’t know who he was. I realized you, Mark, and your brother are the only people I got to know as Jordan Thompson, not as the president’s daughter.” She reached for Drew’s arm and hooked her hand threw it.
Drew wasn’t sure where this was going. She needed to focus, but that old stomach fluttering was starting.
“My brother and I grew up in my father’s political shadow. Friendships have been with sons and daughters of his political allies. If Brandan’s father wasn’t a family friend, I wouldn’t even have him around.” She paused before offering the next very personal comment. “One of my sorority sisters was dating him and she told me he thought I was a…slug. A stupid, fat slug. There were other things he said, but I’m embarrassed to say them.” She turned to walk back to the camp.
Drew caught her and turned her around. “Jordan, don’t listen to ass—idiots like him. You’re smart, funny, and very attractive. If someone doesn’t recognize that, that person isn’t worthy enough to even talk to you. He’s an asshole. Sorry about the swearing. Especially to say that to one of your sorority sisters.”
Jordan nodded. “She told me he said that and then said he was going to marry me anyway. She broke up with him.”
“Then he is a real shit.” She stopped and faced Jordan. “You’re an incredible woman, Jordan, and you’re too good for that asshole. I admire your courage and determination. Most of all, I see your friendship as a special gift I treasure.”
Drew wiped away a tear rolling down Jordan’s cheek. The tenderness was more than Jordan could handle. She leaned into Drew, struggling for control. “It’s so hard when you’re never sure why people like you, or even if they really do. And it is so hard to trust.” Jordan looked up, her eyes liquid with feeling. “I trust you completely.”
Drew took a deep breath and slowly let it out as she absorbed the intensity of Jordan’s gaze. “It’s okay.” Drew spoke softly and slowly. She wanted Jordan to hear and feel the truth of her words. “I’m your friend. I care about who you are as a person. The person I know is strong, kind, and amazing.” Drew brushed the tears from Jordan’s cheeks, put her arms around her, and held her. “It’s okay.”
More soothing words came, hopefully, salving the pain. She continued to reassure Jordan while she stroked her long, silky hair. When Jordan’s breathing was once again even, they turned and walked quietly back to camp. Drew was aware that she had let down another barrier, and now she didn’t know what she was going to do if Jordan didn’t want more than friendship.
*
Drew lit the camp stove and they started mass producing breakfast, feeding the eight agents, Mark, and themselves. A competition surfaced. Drew cutting and chopping omelet ingredients and Jordan cooking and serving. “Come on, Thompson, these folks are going to starve if you can’t keep up.” Drew emptied more mushrooms into a mixing bowl.
“My cooking is worth the wait. You probably can’t cook anything that isn’t heated in a microwave and tastes like paste.”
“Oooh, girlfriend,” Mark added between mouthfuls, “she has a sharp tongue as well as a sharp mind. Maybe she should be a surgeon.”
Drew threw a mushroom at him, well aware how much he hated touching them before they were cooked. “Don’t encourage her. She may operate on you.” She made some snipping motions with her hand so that only Mark could see and he was sure of what type of surgery she had in mind.
“I can see the headlines. Jordan Thompson arrested in wilderness illegally performing surgery.” Mark smiled at his pronouncement.
Jordan made a face and tried to ignore the humor.
“How about this?” Drew said. “The religious right will proclaim you a saint. President’s daughter castrates a homo. Claims he said, ‘Well, cut it out.’ So she did. Video at eleven.”
“No one would ever do that anyway.” Jordan stopped and stared at Drew and Mark staring at each other. “No! I don’t believe it.”
Drew was quick to change the subject. Jordan’s life had been sheltered from too many things.
The remainder of Sunday was spent exploring, hiking, and talking. Jordan was enjoying the time away from her other life. She particularly enjoyed hugging Drew, touching her, walking arm in arm.
She was often quiet when Mark and Drew picked at each other. She didn’t know how to respond when their teasing became sexual in tone. She listened and watched, wondering how much was teasing and how much was truth. None of what she knew about either of them meshed with the comments they made about each other. There were so many things she wanted to learn about them.
*
After the weekend camping, Jordan was often in Mark and Drew’s company. She was thoroughly enjoying the time with them. It also made it so much easier to avoid Brandan Carter. The result, however, was he kept calling. She even found she was staying away from her own house because he would show up. Even that didn’t seem to work. Brandan found her studying in the undergrad library.
“You don’t return my calls and you continue to make excuses for not attending parties I’ve accepted for both of us. Imagine how I feel when I have to make excuses for you.”
Jordan was furious. He had walked up to her in stacks and started yelling at her. “Brandan, since you make the plans before checking with me, it’s your problem.” Jordan was surprised how easily she was standing up to him. “I’m sorry. I’ve been busy with school.”
Brandan put his arms around her and pulled her close. “I’m sure you are. We can choose a couple of things to go to. How about if we just go to the dinner for Representative Miller next Friday?”
Jordan pushed him away. “Fine,” she said, hoping that would end any more obligations for a while. “I can meet you—”
“How about if I come pick you up at seven?”
Jo
rdan was tired of the haggling. She couldn’t stand to have him touch her. “No. My security won’t allow it. Besides, I need to be back by ten, and now I need to study. I’ll see you then.” She left the library wondering how Brandan had found her since he usually studied in the law library. If he studied. She was glad that he only had a couple of weeks left until he graduated.
*
“Miss Thompson, please tell your father hello.” The host and his wife escorted Jordan and Brandan to the door as they prepared to leave the dinner on Friday night. “And I can’t remember having a more delightful, or successful, evening. Let your father know how much we appreciate his support during his last visit.”
“Good night, sir. I will. Good night, Mrs. Miller.” She shook hands and headed out the door.
Brandan, holding the door, offered his farewells. “Thank you, sir, for inviting us. We hope to see you again.” Hearing the “we” incensed Jordan as she hurried to the car, causing the Secret Service agents to alter their step. She was already in the secure vehicle before Brandan finished his good-byes.
Once in the back seat, he reached for Jordan’s hand, but she pulled away. “I’m quite capable of speaking for myself, Brandan. Please don’t do that again.”
“What’s the matter with you? We’ve been dating for three years, and lately you’ve been distant, different. It’s probably hanging around that queer and his redneck dyke girlfriend. What the hell do you see in them?”
Jordan fumed but spoke in a soft, controlled voice. “They are my friends. That redneck graduated magna cum laude, scored in the top ten percent on the MCAT. She also is responsible for my doing well in engineering. Mark Garcia is a second generation American who has supported his family through high school. They’re both dedicated to being caring physicians. Do not ever, and I mean ever, speak that way about them again.”
“Jeez, Jordan, I’ve never heard you ever talk to me that way. Hanging around those two is changing you.” He paused before offering the final cut. “Just think what your parents would say about you hanging around with queers. It’s got to stop.”