by Janet Albert
"What can we do?" Juliet asked.
"There's nothing for you to do. Just let me show you where everything is and what we have in the booth and we'll be ready to roll."
"Is Kim here yet?" Lucia asked.
"She's been here for an hour. She went to get some iced tea. We're already sweating and it's not even that hot out yet. I put some bottles of water on ice for all of us, but she said she needed the caffeine."
Kim returned a few minutes later and by the time the gates and ticket booths opened at nine, they were braced for action. For the first few hours, people arrived at the booth in a steady, albeit manageable, stream. But as noon approached the tent was bursting at the seams with a raucous throng of thirsty wine aficionados.
Around one-thirty, Dennis and Kim suggested Lucia and Juliet take a lunch break. Kim didn't feel hungry and Dennis said his girlfriend was bringing him something later in the afternoon.
Before they went to the food tents, Lucia pulled Juliet to the rear of the booth. It was noisy so she had to put her mouth right up to Juliet's ear. "I can't believe this is the first time we've had a chance to talk. I missed you so much I could hardly stand it. I hate that we have to be here all day."
"It can't be helped. I'm happy to be with you no matter where or when." Juliet was standing so close to Lucia she could feel the sexual tension between them.
Lucia must have felt the same. "I'm dying to touch you. I hope you can stay with me tonight because that's what I want."
Juliet rubbed Lucia's upper arm. "That makes two of us." Even if this affair did turn out to be short-lived, Juliet had made up her mind that she would take advantage of every minute Lucia gave her, even if it meant her heart would be broken in the end.
"I can't wait to taste you," Lucia whispered.
Juliet felt her knees grow weak. "Don't say that here."
"When we're alone, I'm going to say whatever I want."
"And do whatever you want?"
"And do whatever I want. I should have asked you to spend the night when we talked on the phone yesterday. I guess I'm out of practice when it comes to romance."
"I could have asked you," Juliet said. "I'm not used to being in a relationship at all, certainly not one that's equal. I'll get better at it as we go along."
"I'm not complaining," Lucia said.
"I have a confession to make. I brought an overnight bag just in case."
"You did, huh?" Lucia's smile was like a caress.
"Was it too presumptuous of me?"
"No. Presume all you want."
"I wish I could kiss you senseless right now," Juliet said. "And you know where I want my hands. The thought of it--" Lucia laughed softly. "We've both got it bad, haven't we?"
"YOU TWO LOOK cozy," Carolyn yelled into the booth. Streams of sweat trickled freely down her forehead and the sides of her face. Mother Nature had provided record heat and cloudless skies for the occasion. By mid-afternoon the sun's maximum potency had been trapped inside the poorly ventilated tents, the mass of people crammed inside only adding to the problem.
Lucia came to the front of the booth to greet her friends. "It's about time you two found your way over to see us. Are you enjoying the festival?"
"Of course we are," Carolyn answered. "We're gluttons for punishment. Did you notice it's always the hottest weekend of the summer?"
"And it's dusty and outrageously crowded?" Lisa added.
"And teeming with wine-guzzling fools," Juliet threw in.
"In other words, we're having a hell of a good time," Lucia said.
Carolyn laughed. "That sums it up."
"Are you guys drunk?" Lucia teased. "You're both flushed."
"We're not drunk, we're overheated," Lisa said.
"I can't drink wine in this heat," Carolyn said. "It gives me a headache. Speaking of getting drunk, did you hear that the state troopers are using a breathalyzer to check all the drivers before they leave the exit gates?"
"I heard about that," Lucia said. "I guess you can't blame them."
While Lucia and Carolyn talked, Juliet went over to one of the coolers and grabbed a couple of bottles of water which she gave to Carolyn and Lisa. "Here, this will help."
"You are an angel," Lisa said as she reached for one and downed half of it.
Lucia rested her hand on Juliet's shoulder. "She is an angel, isn't she? She's one of two angels I have in my life."
"Is something going on here?" Carolyn asked. "What did you mean she's one of the two angels in your life?"
"Do you mind if I tell them, Juliet?" Lucia asked.
Juliet shook her head. Some of her earlier doubts had started to dissolve now that she and Lucia were together. First Lucia had told Luke about them and now she wanted to tell her best friends. She wouldn't do that if this was only a fling, would she?
"We can't talk in here," Lucia yelled. "We can't hear each other. We were about to get some lunch. Why don't you go with us?"
"That'd be great," Carolyn said. "We were going to eat soon anyway."
"Let's go and I'll tell you all about my angels."
Chapter Thirty
AT SIX-THIRTY THAT evening, Luke let Lucia and Juliet off in front of the barn. Once they said goodbye to him, Juliet drove Lucia to her cottage. The moment they got inside they made a bee line straight for the refrigerator. Angel jumped up on their legs, her tail whipping back and forth, but they didn't stop to pet her. They didn't even bother to close the door to the refrigerator as they stood gulping two full bottles of spring water each.
"I can't get enough to drink," Juliet said. "What a hellishly hot day."
"Me either," Lucia said between swallows. "I must have lost a gallon of fluid. And I've never seen that many people in one place, have you?"
"Not around here."
Angel jumped up in the air to lick Lucia's hand. That got her attention and she bent to pick up the little dog. "Did you miss us, my little angel? We missed you."
"She must be hungry. We should feed her," Juliet said.
"I'll do that." Lucia closed the refrigerator door. "Why don't you sit down?"
Juliet took Lucia's advice and sat in one of the kitchen chairs. "My feet hurt."
"I can't believe Luke has to go back there tonight with more wine. Who would have thought we'd sell that much, let alone need more for tomorrow?"
"That's good, though," Juliet said.
"It's good for business, but I swear I couldn't have poured another glass of wine if someone had paid me a million dollars."
"A million dollars? Are you sure about that?"
"All right, maybe for a million dollars, but not a penny less," Lucia said. "It feels good to be in air-conditioning. I'm tired of being hot and sticky."
"And dirty. I smell like I crushed grapes with my feet."
Lucia changed the water in Angel's bowl. "You should be used to that."
"I should be, but I'm not." Juliet stood up and went to Lucia.
Lucia encircled Juliet in her arms. She sniffed her neck and nibbled the skin. "You smell good to me. Your skin is warm and you taste salty."
"I wouldn't recommend you get any closer until I've had a shower."
"We both need one," Lucia said, stepping away.
"I am so happy we don't have to work that booth tomorrow."
"That's why Luke and I split the weekend," Lucia said. "Nobody wants to do both days. We'll have to cover the winery tomorrow but that'll be a piece of cake after what we went through today."
"Dennis and Kim will be in, won't they?"
Lucia nodded. "And we don't open until noon, so we can sleep in."
"You were planning on sleeping?" Juliet asked. "I wasn't."
"Aren't you exhausted?"
"Yes, but I don't care. Some needs take precedence over others."
"We don't have to sleep a lot, although a few hours would be nice."
"That can be arranged," Juliet said.
"Come over here. You're too far away." Lucia gestured with her index f
inger for Juliet to come to her. With her back against the counter, she held Juliet to her. "Are you hungry at all? I could make us something to eat."
"Only for you." Juliet kissed Lucia's neck. "I'm not the only salty one."
"Why don't we take those showers and get in bed?"
"Showers? As in two separate ones?"
"Or we could go in together and just get washed," Lucia said.
"What? No sex in the shower?"
"Let's skip that. I don't have the strength."
"Can I at least soap your body?" Juliet asked.
"Mmm, I can't say no to that."
"Then let's quit talking about it and go do it."
HALF AN HOUR later, Juliet rested on the bed wearing only a pair of panties. She had her hands tucked behind her head and her ankles crossed while she waited for Lucia to finish drying her hair. When Lucia came into the bedroom, she stood at the side of the bed and gazed at Juliet, openly savoring every enticing aspect of her. She was exposed, there only for her, and the way she looked at her made her bones melt. "You are a truly beautiful sight."
"You think so?"
"I most certainly do." Lucia scanned the length of Juliet's body. "There's one thing, though. You aren't going to need that underwear."
Juliet wiggled out of her panties and tossed them on the floor. "There, all gone."
"Much better."
Juliet shimmied over a bit and patted the empty space beside her. "Come and sit by me for a minute."
Lucia sat on the edge of the bed. "Where did Angel run off to?"
"I don't know. She left and I closed the door for privacy."
"She's probably downstairs. She loves to sleep on the sofa." Lucia stretched her arm across Juliet's waist. "That day you came for your interview I was by the window waiting for you. You got out of your car and brushed the dust off your suit and I said to myself, she's the prettiest thing I've ever seen."
"I thought you were cute," Juliet said. "And I liked you."
"And later you didn't like me so much." Lucia frowned.
"True, but we got past that."
"And now we're lovers," Lucia whispered, moving her hand to Juliet's chest.
"Yes, we're lovers. Who would have thought?"
Lucia's hand rose and fell with each breath Juliet took. She loved the way Juliet's eyes changed when she touched her, how her breathing deepened, and how her nipples hardened as she brushed against them. She loved the sharp gasps and soft moans Juliet could not contain. "I want you so much."
"Why don't you lie down next to me?" Juliet asked.
"I will. Just let me look at you a little longer." What an astonishing thing it was to be filled with breathless anticipation, aching to have another's skin against your own.
"When you look at me that way, it excites me as much as your touch."
"I'm grateful you came into my life," Lucia said softly. Juliet had become her future, the prospect of a new life, the promise of hope. Lucia wanted to invest all she had into that life, her only fear being that she would lose this and Juliet would decide it wasn't the life she wanted after all.
"Why are you sad? Are you upset about something?"
"How could I be upset when I'm here with you?" Lucia stretched out next to Juliet and held her. "I've been dying to touch you all day. I've waited to be with you for days and I don't think I can wait any longer. I don't want to eat or sleep. I only want to make love with you."
Juliet brought Lucia's hand between her legs. "Feel how wet you've made me with your eyes and your words."
"Oh God, yes." Lucia groaned as she touched her.
Juliet's hips reached for more. "That feels so good. I'm so sensitive there."
"Juliet. I feel so much," Lucia murmured through a haze of desire.
With her lips lightly touching Lucia's, Juliet whispered, "Show me how you feel. Show me with your mouth."
MUCH LATER, JULIET rested with her head on Lucia's lower abdomen, her arm outstretched and her hand nestled between Lucia's breasts. She waited while they both caught their breath and then she moved up on the bed into Lucia's arms. "I love the way you taste, the way you feel. And I love it when I make you go crazy like that. To share that with you is--"
"Incredible, amazing," Lucia said. "You're amazing."
"I wanted to make you feel as good as you made me feel."
"You did." Lucia pulled Juliet closer. Making love with Juliet was pleasure beyond description, but lying next to her, holding her, breathing with her went way beyond that. It was home, it was comfort, it was peace and everything else worth having.
"I love being with you," Juliet said. "I love making love to you. I want to rest for a while and then I want us to do that to each other again. Just the thought of it makes me want you all over again."
"We've got all night, you know."
"I know. It's just that I've never known anything like this."
Lucia adjusted her position so she could see Juliet's eyes and observe her reaction to what she was going to say next. "I have known it, you know that, but I want you to know that doesn't diminish how much being with you has meant to me."
"Thank you." Juliet touched Lucia's cheek.
"I never thought I could feel this again." Lucia heard her voice quiver.
Juliet silenced her with a kiss. When it ended, she said, "And I want you to know how good you feel and how much I want to be with you." As Juliet said that she brought her hand to Lucia's breast.
Lucia moaned as Juliet pinched her nipple. "I have a feeling we're not going to get those few hours of sleep, are we?"
"No, it doesn't seem like we are."
Chapter Thirty-One
A FEW HOURS AFTER sunrise, Lucia lay stretched out on one side of the bed, the top sheet draped across her naked body. For as long as she could she wanted to relish the state of total contentment she was in. Even with their sexual fervor in full force, they'd fallen asleep for four or five hours. For Lucia, that wouldn't usually be sufficient, yet she felt surprisingly rested and invigorated. Remembering she wasn't alone, she turned over to reach for Juliet only to find she wasn't in the bed.
She'd look for Juliet soon, but for a few more minutes she wanted to lie there alone with her thoughts. As they often did, early in the morning or late at night, her thoughts turned to Devin. The passion they'd shared was similar to what she had with Juliet. Not long after they met she knew without a doubt that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Devin. They'd promised to grow old together, never once suspecting that their years as a couple would be cut short.
Recently, something inside of Lucia had been altered. Usually, her heart hurt when she thought about her former partner, but as of late, she was able to think of her without suffering more than an intangible sense of sadness. The knife had been removed from her heart and she could go back in time without being afraid she would bleed to death.
Her spirits soared as she jumped out of bed. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she put on an old pair of jeans and a long-sleeved cotton shirt and slipped into a pair of flip-flops. Then she went to find Juliet.
The kitchen was empty and neither Juliet nor Angel were anywhere in sight. The other downstairs rooms were empty as well. Lucia went out on the screened porch and spotted Juliet sitting on the edge of the dock with Angel curled up by her side. She tried to approach them quietly, but when she opened the screened door Angel started barking and ran to her.
Juliet turned, her smile warm. Her eyes called Lucia to her.
"Stay there," Lucia told her as she picked up Angel and went to her. Handing the little dog to Juliet, she sat behind her and wrapped her arms and legs around her. Would she ever be able to get close enough? Sighing, she leaned on Juliet's back and rubbed her cheek on the soft, well-worn sweatshirt Juliet had put on.
"Good morning." Juliet took Lucia's hands in hers and pulled her arms more tightly around her chest. She rubbed her cheek against Lucia's arm.
"Good morning to you."
"I borrowed your sweatshirt. I hope you don't mind."
"My sweatshirt's never had it so good."
"Beautiful morning, isn't it? It's nice and cool."
"I suppose it won't stay that way for long. Are you chilly?" Lucia asked.
"I grew up in Canada. We invented chilly," Juliet said. "Besides, now that you're here I'm all warmed up, even hot in certain places."
"That kind of talk could get you into trouble." Lucia snuggled in closer. "I could stay here all day and do nothing but hold you."
"If only we could."
"Maybe we can't today, but there's always tomorrow. The festival will be over, the winery will be closed and we can have the whole day to ourselves."
"It's a date," Juliet said.
Lucia kissed the back of Juliet's neck. "I love it here."
"Days like this remind me of how good it is to be alive." Juliet stiffened and turned slightly in Lucia's arms. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound insensitive. I'll never forget that you lost her."
"No, you're right. It is good to be alive." Lucia kissed Juliet's hair. "You smell good. Did you take a shower?" She felt Juliet nod that she had.
"I tried to be quiet."
"I didn't even hear you."
"Did you hear Angel barking when I went downstairs?" Juliet asked.
"No. I must have been asleep." Lucia was quiet as she focused on the rippling water, the clear, cerulean sky, and the sloping mountains rising from the shoreline on the other side of the lake. Gathering her courage, she verbalized what was on her mind. "Juliet. Do you think there's a heaven?"
"I'm in heaven when I'm here with you."
"I mean after we die."
"I don't know," Juliet answered. "I like to think there is."
"I think there is. I want there to be," Lucia said. "Do you think love dies?"
"You mean when we lose someone?"
"Yeah." Lucia tightened her arms around Juliet.
"I believe love never dies. It lives on in our memories and in our hearts."
"That's what I think. The people we've loved aren't really gone as long as we don't forget them." Lucia felt her body tensing as though she was bracing for the rejection she feared might follow what she was about to ask next. "I believe we can love again, don't you?"