by Alex Riordan
Nancy glanced at her watch. “Well, I guess it’s time to make my way through security.” She sighed. She needed to get back home to the family, but she wanted to stay with Stephanie, too. Still, she felt okay about leaving, since Steph wouldn’t be alone. She stood up and grabbed her purse. Before she could grab her luggage, Jessie picked it up for her.
“I’ll carry this for you, Nancy,” she said.
“Thank you, Jessie,” she said, wrapping an arm around Stephanie and walking with her to the security gate. When they arrived five minutes later, she pulled Stephanie into a hug. “Take care of yourself, Steph. I love you, Sweetheart. And…” she had a twinkle in her eye, as she added, “Take care of Jessie. She loves you very much. And, I like her.”
Stephanie hugged her back. “I will, Mom. You be careful, too. Tell Dad and everyone I said ‘hi,’ and I’ll see them all in a couple of months.”
Nancy let her go then turned to hug Jessie, too. “You take care, Jessie. I’m counting on seeing you in a couple of months. Remember what we talked about, and call me if you need to.”
“I will, Nancy. Thank you,” Jessie said, hugging her back.
Stephanie hugged her one more time, and then she watched with Jessie as her mother went through the security checkpoint. Once she was out of sight, she turned to Jessie. “Well, I guess we’re on our own again.”
“Mmm, any ideas on what we should do with our time?” Jessie asked, turning and following her out of the airport.
Stephanie shrugged. “Sit back and relax for a few days?”
“Sounds great,” Jessie agreed. “Let’s get some dinner and get started.”
* * * *
After eating a quiet dinner at home, they moved out to the living room to watch movies. Propped up with her back against the arm of the couch in a nest of pillows, Stephanie felt totally relaxed. Jessie was situated between her legs and leaning back against her, resting her head on Steph’s shoulder.
They were watching one of Stephanie’s old movies; something about eight years old, and Stephanie was busy telling Jessie all the behind the scenes stories about the filming. All the while, her hands were resting on Jessie’s stomach under her t-shirt, making small circles with her fingertips. Jessie, for her part, was listening attentively. At the same time, her hands were busy trailing up and down Steph’s bare legs, wherever her shorts weren’t covering warm flesh.
It was raining outside, and the sound of the rain hitting the window panes had been a soft background rhythm, lulling them both into a sense of bone deep relaxation. “Jess?” Stephanie’s voice sounded quietly. The warm breath ghosting across Jessie’s ear sending shivers down her spine.
“Hmm?” she responded, too relaxed to turn and look at her.
“I was wondering, would you be interested in going away somewhere? Just the two of us?” the redhead asked, the tone of her voice betraying her belief that Jessie might say no. “Just for the weekend,” she added, hoping that fact would make all the difference in Jessie’s answer.
Jessie smiled and turned to look at her, then. “Where would you like to go?”
“I don’t know,” she answered. Clearly surprised that Jessie would agree so easily, she added, “I hadn’t given it much thought, actually.”
“Well…I’d be interested.”
“You would?” her voice rose a bit with her obvious excitement.
Jessie shrugged. “Sure. It would be nice to get away from everything for a few days. And…I’d like to have you all to myself for a while,” she said, turning around more, so that she was facing Stephanie.
“Okay! So, is there any place in particular you’d like to go?” Stephanie asked, getting more excited by the minute.
Jessie shook her head. “I’m not all that picky. Why don’t you throw out some ideas, and I’ll tell you if something strikes my fancy?”
“Hmm,” Steph said, thinking about it. “How about…a boat on a lake for a few days?”
Jessie shook her head. “Nah…I’m afraid of fish.”
“What? You’re not really afraid of fish, are you?” Stephanie asked incredulously, clearly not believing the brunette.
Jessie nodded. “Yes, I am. I’ve never liked fish. Not even to eat.”
Stephanie bit her lower lip in concentration. “All right. Umm…how about…let’s rent a log cabin somewhere and go skiing or…hiking?”
Jessie smiled. Stephanie had hit on the perfect combination. “A log cabin and skiing. With a big fireplace, in the middle of the woods somewhere? It sounds perfect.”
Stephanie kissed her. When they broke apart, she said breathlessly, “Thank you, Jess! When do you want to leave?”
“How about tomorrow morning? We can look online tonight and reserve something,” she said, leaning in and kissing Stephanie again. “Where did you want to go skiing?”
“Is Aspen too far away?” she asked.
“No place is too far away, Steph. Not if you’re with me. Besides, I’ve never been there before,” she said, capturing the redhead’s lips in another kiss. This one longer and deeper than the others. When she let her up for air, she grinned and said, “Come on, let’s go make those reservations and get ready to leave.”
An hour later, reservations made and plane tickets purchased, they had just finished packing. Jessie had gone into the living room, and was waiting for Theresa to pick up her phone. She’d left Stephanie in the bedroom, calling her mom, and then her agent.
“Hey, Theresa! I didn’t wake you up or anything did I?” Jessie asked when the blond answered the phone.
“No, Jess. What’s up? Did everything go all right with Nancy’s flight?” Theresa asked.
“Yeah, everything went off without a hitch,” she responded. “I was just calling because I had a favor to ask you.”
“What kind of favor?” Theresa asked cautiously. You could never be too careful where Jessie was concerned when it came to favors.
“Well, Steph and I are going out of town for a couple of days. I was just wondering if you’d mind checking on the house for me?”
“Sure, Jess. I can do that. So…” she asked, smiling. This relationship with Stephanie was really bringing the old Jessie back. She hadn’t known her to spontaneously go out of town or on a vacation, in years. “Where are you guys going?”
“Aspen. We rented a cabin, and we’re flying out in the morning.”
“Aspen? As in Colorado, skiing…Aspen?” Theresa was stunned. Jessie? Taking a few days off? Could she even ski? She couldn’t remember if the brunette had ever mentioned that or not.
“Yeah. Steph asked if I’d like to go somewhere for a few days,” Jessie answered. “Why?”
“I don’t know. I just can’t remember the last time you actually took more than a day off at a time. It’s just different for you, that’s all,” Theresa replied, the smile in her voice obvious.
“Ah. Well, good different, or bad?” Jessie asked.
Theresa shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Good, and you know it, Jess. I think I should be thanking Stephanie for bringing the old you back.”
“What the Hell does that mean? The ‘old me?’” Jessie asked, unclear on Theresa’s meaning.
“Jess, you know good and well what it means.”
“Explain it to me?”
“I just mean that ever since the craziness with Bobby and then the attack…Well, you were never the same after that.” Theresa’s voice held a sadness to it as she continued. “You changed after that, Jess. You weren’t the same anymore.”
“I don’t think I changed, T,” Jessie replied. “I just…”
“Shut yourself down and built a wall around yourself that no one could get through,” Theresa said. “You know you did.”
Jessie grew thoughtful, really thinking about what Theresa was saying. Then, sighing, she said, “You’re right, Theresa. I did close myself off. I was so scared to get hurt again.”
“That’s why Stephanie’s so good for you, Jess. Somehow, she managed to penetr
ate that wall and release you back into the world. It’s a nice change.”
“Thanks, Theresa,” Jessie answered shyly. Then, taking a deep breath and blowing it out, she brought the conversation around to the main topic. “Sooo, are you sure you don’t mind doing this?” Jessie asked. Theresa was such a good friend; Jessie didn’t want her to think she was taking advantage of her.
“Jessie, why would I mind? You two go on and have a good time,” Theresa answered, acknowledging the change in the conversation. “I think it’ll be good for Stephanie to get away for a few days. I’m assuming I’ll see you both in the office Monday morning?”
“You assume correctly, Theresa. Thanks so much for doing this for me. I appreciate it more than you know,” she said.
“No problem, Jess. You’ve done the same for me more than once,” Theresa answered. “Call me when you get back. I want to hear all about it.”
Jessie laughed. “I will, T. Thanks again.”
“You’re welcome. Now, go and finish getting ready,” she said, laughing as she hung up the phone. She knew Jessie well enough to know that she wasn’t near as prepared as she should be.
Jessie hung up and walked back into the bedroom, where Stephanie was sitting on the edge of the bed. “Well, that was easy.”
“Theresa’s such a good friend, Jess. We should make sure to bring something back for her and Brian. They’ve both been such a big help to me,” Stephanie said, her voice turning slightly sad for a moment. Since her breakdown Friday night, her mood swings had seemed to level out, which made her feel better. Except for momentary flashes of unexplained sadness, she was finally beginning to feel more like her old self.
“We’ll make sure to do that,” Jessie said. Walking over to Stephanie, she squeezed her shoulder. “You call your mom, yet?”
“I tried, but the line was busy. I’ll try again,” Stephanie answered, picking up her cell phone and dialing the number.
“Okay, I’ll see you in a few minutes,” Jessie said, heading for the living room to give Steph her privacy.
Nancy answered the phone, just as Jessie left the bedroom, and Stephanie caught herself smiling. Even though it had only been a few hours, she was glad to hear her mother’s voice. “Mom, hi! How was your flight?”
“Stephanie? My flight was fine, Sweetheart. But…why are you calling? I thought for sure that the two of you would be taking advantage of the empty house?” Nancy said, teasing her daughter.
Stephanie blushed, but answered. “Actually, I was calling to tell you that Jessie and I are going out of town for a few days.”
“Oh. Where are you going?”
“We’re heading to Aspen. I just wanted you to know so you wouldn’t worry about me,” Stephanie said.
“Well, have a good time, Steph. You’ll call me if you need anything?”
“Of course. I love you, Mom. Tell Dad I love him, too. Bye!”
“Bye, Stephanie. You two have a good time,” Nancy said, smiling as she hung up the phone.
Disconnecting, Stephanie took a deep breath before calling her agent. She really didn’t want to talk to the woman. For one thing, she was always nosy. For another, she really didn’t want to discuss Jessie with her right now, and she knew she’d have to. For right now, she preferred to keep Jessie all to herself. Unfortunately, that just wasn’t going to be easy.
During the conversation with her agent, Stephanie had walked out to the kitchen and grabbed a can of Diet Coke out of the fridge. Sitting down on one of the stools, she opened the can and drank as they talked. Fifteen minutes later, frustrated beyond belief, Stephanie walked back into the bedroom. Sighing, she flopped onto the bed. “Well, that was annoying,” she said, throwing an arm over her eyes.
“What?” Jessie asked, coming out of the bathroom and looking at her. “Talking to your mom, or your agent?” Sitting down next to Stephanie, she waited patiently while the redhead crawled into her lap.
“My agent,” Stephanie answered, wrapping her arms around Jessie’s waist. “She’s nice enough, and good at her job…she’s just so nosy.” Jessie raised a brow, but didn’t say anything else, content to run her fingers through Stephanie’s hair. “She thinks you’re after my money,” Stephanie added, looking up at Jessie cautiously. She really didn’t want Jessie to get upset by the declaration, but she felt it was only fair to tell her. After all, if they ever went public, there’d be lots of people saying the same thing.
“Ah. Well, she can rest easy,” Jessie said, understanding at once what the problem was. “Did you tell her that I have my own money and my father’s famous?” At the redhead’s nod, she smiled lasciviously and asked, “Did you tell her I’m really only interested in you for the sex?”
Stephanie looked at her and said, drolly, “Somehow, I don’t think she’d be impressed by that, either.”
Jessie shrugged. “Oh well, I’m not worried. I want you, not her. If she doesn’t like it, that’s her problem.”
“Mmm, brave words, Jessie. But you haven’t met her,” Stephanie said, relaxing into the brunette’s gentle touch.
“Hey, you’ve met my mom. If I can deal with her, I can deal with anybody,” Jessie said. “Besides,” she slid down to lay next to Stephanie and pulled her into her arms. “I love you. And if that means dealing with people who don’t trust me, that’s okay. They’ll realize soon enough that I’m not interested in all the material shit. None of that matters if you’re not in my life.”
“God Jessie, where have you been all my life?” Stephanie asked, wiggling against the brunette to get comfortable.
“I’ve been right here, waiting for you,” Jessie said, kissing her.
Stephanie didn’t answer right away, just breathed deep with contentment. In fact, she was so quiet, Jessie thought she’d fallen asleep. “We should probably get up and get ready for bed if we’re going to leave early,” the redhead eventually mumbled into Jessie’s shoulder.
“Mmm, I’m kinda comfortable right here,” Jessie said, grinning down at her. “But, you’re right. We should get some sleep. We need to get up early tomorrow.”
* * * *
The flight out to Aspen went smoothly, and they landed at Aspen/Pitkin County Airport at noon. Once on the ground, they picked up their rental car at the Hertz Counter, and drove the three miles into town. Miraculously, Jessie was able to find a parking space almost immediately and she parked, dropping coins into the meter. While she went into the rental office to pick up the keys for their cabin, Stephanie walked across the street, to the grocery.
Within ten minutes, Jessie had signed all the necessary papers, and met Stephanie in the store, cabin keys in hand. Once their groceries were paid for, Jessie grabbed two of the bags and walked with the redhead out to the car. Storing everything in the back seat, they headed toward their cabin, following the directions the rental agent had provided.
The cabin they’d rented was a smaller one, about twenty minutes outside of town. Situated about half-way up on the side of a mountain, the view from the wrap-around balcony was absolutely spectacular. From there, they were able to see Aspen in the distance, along with views of the slopes, as well.
Once they had carried their luggage and groceries inside, they put everything away. When they were finished, they got ready and headed over to Snowmass, the closest ski mountain. Already late in the day, they had agreed on the way over to sign Jessie up for snowboarding lessons for the following morning. When she’d agreed to this little getaway, she’d had to fess up to the fact that she’d never so much as been on skis or a snowboard, before. Stephanie however, didn’t seem to mind, and had offered to go with Jessie through a snowboard or ski class, whichever she preferred.
In the meantime, they drove over to the Aspen Meadow Resort, where Stephanie promised Jessie a surprise. When they arrived, Jessie pulled up to the Valet Parking Area and tossed the keys to the valet on duty. Following Stephanie inside, she found a seat and waited, as Stephanie made her way over to the front desk. Within minutes, Stepha
nie came back smiling, and took her by the hand. Leading her through the busy lobby area, they finally stopped at another counter with a sign hanging over it saying ‘Outdoor Adventures.’ Speaking quietly with the employee on duty, Stephanie signed a few papers and handed over her credit card. When the transaction was complete, she grabbed Jessie’s hand and said, “Come on, they’re waiting for us.”
“They?” Jessie asked, slightly confused.
Stephanie flashed a dazzling smile her way. “You’ll see.”
Shrugging, Jessie just held tight to Stephanie’s hand and let the auburn haired woman lead her out the door to a covered waiting area. At that very moment, a snow sleigh pulled up to the waiting area, pulled by one beautiful, chestnut colored draft mare. The driver hopped down from his bench and hurried to offer them a hand up.