Heart Failure

by Chris Zett

  “Thank you for the invitation. But how will we get home now? I’m so stuffed.” Lena patted her belly. Fortunately, her dress was loose enough that she didn’t feel restricted after the three-course meal.

  Jess laughed. “You know, I’m so happy you came with me. This is the first time on a date I didn’t feel like a pig because I wanted to have an appetizer and dessert too.” Her smile faltered. “Um…not that we’re on a date, but…”

  Lena loved it when Jess got flustered, but the evening had been so amazing she decided to let her off the hook. “Don’t worry. I know what you mean.” She grinned. “You need better dates. Or to go out with friends instead.”

  “You can say that again. Apart from the food issue, you’re much better company in all respects. Intelligent conversation, no whining about unimportant details, and best of all, no selfies.” She put down her spoon and pushed the bowl to the side. “But I don’t want to talk about former dates. Have I told you that you look lovely? And I mean that in a totally non-datey way.”

  A tingle spread through Lena’s chest. The dress, Jess’s attentiveness, the excellent restaurant—the evening did feel too much like a date. At first, the admiration in Jess’s eyes when they’d met at the car had reassured her she wasn’t underdressed in her teal sundress and dark-brown leather sandals that had way too many tiny straps to be called practical. But now it confused the hell out of her.

  “Are you flirting?” Lena batted her eyelashes exaggeratedly. “Is flirting allowed when two friends go out to collect a bet on a non-date?” Light teasing and humor was always a good shield to hide behind.

  “Don’t we make our own rules?” Jess sipped from her wine glass, and a lovely drop of red stained her lips.

  “Good question. I have another one: Do we even need rules?” She reached for her own glass, only to find it empty.

  Jess held up the bottle, but Lena placed her open hand over the glass.

  “I’m already a little bit tipsy. And I need my wits if we’re negotiating rules of conduct.”

  “No.” Jess put down the wine and played with the saltshaker.

  “No?” Maybe she was more than tipsy because Lena didn’t follow.

  “No, you don’t need your wits. I wouldn’t want to take advantage of you. But I also don’t think we need rules. We’re both adults and can have a little fun flirting.” Jess raised her eyebrows and flashed a smile that made sure Lena would agree to anything she asked. “Don’t you think?”

  “Okay.” Lena placed a finger on Jess’s hand, drawing spirals outward and inward and back again. Two could play this game.

  The goosebumps on Jess’s skin could be because Lena’s finger was cool from holding the bowl of sorbet. Lena grinned. Or maybe she was enjoying their evening as much as Lena was. The twinkling in her gaze suggested the latter, and Lena couldn’t look away as the cornflower blue of her eyes slowly darkened to the color of a summer evening sky.

  “More wine?” Tyler appeared out of nowhere and picked up the bottle without waiting for a reply. With an exaggerated flourish, he poured in a wide arc into Jess’s glass.

  Just as the glass was full, the bottle slipped from his grip and hit the rim of the wine glass. It swayed precariously.

  Jess reached out to steady it at the same moment as he tried to grab it.

  Their hands met, and the glass toppled over. Dark-red wine splashed over Jess’s shirt and face, then spilled all over the table cloth like an angry modern painting.

  For a moment, nobody moved until Jess picked up her napkin and wiped her face. She lowered the linen and studied the stains for a second with a frown.

  Tyler stared at her, open-mouthed, his face almost as white as the tablecloth. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I’ll get you another napkin, and…I’m so sorry I ruined your evening.”

  “I’m fine. We were about to leave anyway.” Jess’s voice was calmer than Lena had expected. “Could you bring us the check please?”

  “Check?” Tyler swallowed visibly. “Um…the meal is on the house.”

  Oh no. Lena had waited in enough cafés and restaurants to know on the house meant it would probably be deducted from his pay. And by the glimpse on the prices, it was quite possibly more than he would make this evening. If Jess accepted his offer, Lena would leave a tip on the table, everything she had with her, which, unfortunately, wasn’t all that much.

  “No, absolutely not.” Jess smiled at him. “We had a great meal and will pay for it. And I won’t even leave a bad review online.”

  “Thank you. I’ll be back in a second.” With a relieved sigh, Tyler hurried off.

  “Are you okay?” Lena studied Jess for signs of distress or anger.

  But Jess’s shoulders were relaxed, a smile played around her lips, and her eyes shone with amusement. “It’s only wine. Either the stains will get out of my shirt, or they won’t.” She shrugged and dabbed the napkin against her chest.

  “Um, yeah, maybe.” Lena had difficulty focusing on the conversation. Her mind was on the light-blue shirt with the burgundy stain that molded itself perfectly to Jess’s right breast. She tore her gaze away when the waiter returned, and Jess handed him her credit card.

  Lucky for them, the restaurant was only a couple of blocks from Jess’s condo in Belltown. Jess phoned her mother for an update on Ella during the short walk, and Lena had time to study the area.

  Everything was shiny and oozed money. Maggie lived in a well-to-do neighborhood too, but the contrast between the busy city and her serene gardens couldn’t be more pronounced. Lena couldn’t see Jess taking her evening walks with Ella here. But she hadn’t accompanied Jess to question her. Jess had asked for support, and she would offer that. Just because she wouldn’t prefer to live here herself wasn’t a good enough reason to doubt Jess would be happy here.

  “Give Ella a kiss from me, and tell her I love her. Sleep well, Mom.” Jess hung up as they reached the high-rise.

  They detoured to the garage to pick up their bags from Jess’s car. Afterward, the elevator to the thirty-fourth floor didn’t take long. In fact, it was so fast Lena’s stomach dropped. Or maybe it was nerves because she would be alone with Jess and her wet shirt in her home.

  Jess opened the door by entering a combination on a keypad and stretched her arm invitingly. “Welcome. Make yourself at home while I change.” She switched on the lights.

  Wow. After a few steps, Lena froze. The apartment was gigantic, with an open floor plan. A monstrous white couch and a couple of sleek white-and-chrome chairs dominated the left side of the room. They were placed around an area rug in several shades of cream, which sat next to a gas fireplace. An enormous abstract painting in pale blue and cream hung on the side wall. On the other end was a dining area with a glass-topped table made of an intentionally rusty metal structure that looked like something you’d either find in a museum or a junkyard. Eight modern chairs with high backs surrounded it. A breakfast bar was the only separation from a kitchen that seemed larger than Lena’s whole house. Stainless steel appliances gleamed as if they’d been polished recently.

  They probably had been. Someone who owned such a condo would hire a cleaning crew. And that explained why everything looked as if she’d opened an architectural magazine. No chair stood out of line, no cushion showed an imprint of a head, no mug sat forgotten on the bar. The closed blinds added to the eerie feeling she was on a staged set, not in a home.

  Especially not in a home with a kid. Lena couldn’t picture someone playing in this room. Would Ella be allowed to use crayons while lying on the cream-colored rug or play hide-and-seek under a table that looked as if it would crush a kid’s skull like a snowball when it toppled over?

  What had Jess said? Make yourself at home? Lena wouldn’t even know how to begin here. A corridor on her left caught her interest. Maybe she’d find Ella’s room there.

  The first door opened into
a bathroom. It seemed small compared to the main room and uncluttered. Maybe it was for guests? Lena didn’t bother to switch on the light and moved on. Jess could have all the bathrooms she wanted; it wasn’t any of her business. Next door was a guest room that looked like a hotel in even more shades of cream and gray—not that interesting either. Since she’d probably be staying there overnight, she didn’t bother exploring and closed the door again.

  The next door stood open. Bingo. Ella’s room. The walls were painted in a soft buttery yellow with a wide border running all the way around, depicting cartoon animals playing with toys. The furniture looked brand new, but for the first time Lena detected a hint of personality. An old, handmade blanket in the same warm yellow covered a bed. Someone had stitched the silhouettes of animals, flowers, and trees on it, and it seemed the colors of the room were chosen to match it. The bed was too big for Ella, and Lena didn’t see a cradle. Next to the bed, a mixture of old and new plush toys sat in a neat row on one side of the changing table. Bottles of lotion, baby powder, piles of diapers, and boxes of wipes were stacked on a board above it.

  This was the first room Lena could see herself spending time in. If she was honest with herself, the rest of the apartment intimidated her. It hadn’t been furnished for comfort but to impress. She shrugged. Or maybe Jess did feel comfortable here.

  She left the nursery but didn’t turn back to the main room. The next and last room at the end of the corridor must be Jess’s bedroom. The half-open door hid most of the inside from curious gazes.

  Without conscious decision, Lena stepped closer, about to enter. No, it wasn’t right. She stopped with her hand on the door frame. Snooping around Jess’s bedroom without invitation was too personal.

  From her position, she could see a small part of the room between the bed and the window. The cradle she’d missed stood directly adjacent to Jess’s bed, close enough to reach inside without getting up. Right next to the window sat a stuffed armchair with a matching footstool. The warm brown leather was crinkled and faded in places, bearing scuff marks like badges of honor. A wooden side table held a couple of books and a neat stack of magazines. The table looked as old and weathered as the chair and didn’t match anything Lena had seen so far in the apartment.

  Had she found where the real Jess lived? Or maybe this was wishful and romantic thinking. The real Jess might be the one who thought raising a kid on a white couch would be a good idea, for all she knew.

  Without warning, Jess stepped into view. Her wet hair seemed even darker than usual and was tousled as if she had just run her fingers through it. She had wrapped a dark-blue towel around her chest. It reached to mid-thigh, leaving more than enough smooth skin visible and showcasing legs that were toned by frequent walks. Lena could very well remember the feel of those legs next to hers, but she’d never gotten to touch them.

  She moaned, belatedly stifling the sound with a hand over her mouth.

  Jess swiveled around and clutched the towel with one hand. She frowned, and the skin of her cheeks flushed. Her wide eyes held no anger, though, only surprise and…embarrassment?

  Lena wanted to leave, she really did, but somehow her legs didn’t comply. Every nerve ending tingled with the desire to get closer, to touch and be touched, to explore. But that wasn’t what Jess wanted.

  Lena clutched the doorframe and forced herself to keep her gaze on Jess’s face.

  Jess stepped closer as if reeled in by an invisible line. She stopped only inches from Lena, her eyes searching for an answer to a question she hadn’t voiced.

  The clean scent of aloe and something warmer, more sensual, flooded Lena’s nostrils. She shivered as a wave of arousal swept through her. She balled her free hand into a fist to keep from reaching out. “I…I’m sorry. I’ll wait for you in the living room.” She licked her dry lips.

  Jess touched her fist with a finger and slowly stroked over her knuckles. As Lena opened her hand, Jess clasped it in hers and pulled her closer. So close her breath caressed Lena’s lips. “Would you…?” She rapidly blinked, then cleared her throat. “Would you like to stay?”

  “Oh yeah.” Lena grinned at the huskiness of her own voice. She wasn’t good at hiding her desire, and why should she? Jess was a desirable woman. She leaned in and kissed her with all the fire Jess’s question had ignited in her.

  Still kissing, they stumbled toward the bed, both fumbling with Lena’s clothes, and Lena neither knew nor cared who pushed and who pulled what. All she wanted, no, needed, was to feel Jess’s skin against hers.

  Finally naked, Lena tumbled backward on the bed, expecting Jess to follow. She pushed the comforter to one side of the king-size mattress. The smooth sheet beneath her was cool, and she couldn’t wait to feel Jess’s skin on hers.

  But Jess hesitated. One hand still clutched the towel like a shield in front of her, and her eyes were fixed on something on the other side of the room.

  Lena followed her gaze. The light switch. How important was darkness to Jess? Even if talking was the last thing on her mind, she was too much Jess’s friend to ignore her uneasiness. “Jess? Whatever you want is okay.”

  Jess exhaled and looked at Lena. Her gaze was like a caress as she swept it up and down Lena’s body. “I want you.”

  “And I want you. Very much. That’s all that matters.” Lena grinned. “Glad we’re on the same page here. It would be super awkward to lie in your bed naked if all you wanted to do was show me your stamp collection or something.”

  Laughing, Jess released the iron grip on her towel and hastened to switch off the light.

  It wasn’t completely dark, as the city lights bathed the room in hues of gold and cast long shadows, but it was dark enough to blur the details as Jess dropped her towel and crawled onto the bed.

  They both lay on their sides, facing each other. Lena’s skin tingled with anticipation. She leaned in for a kiss, just to connect, to tell Jess they were here for fun. It quickly escalated from affirmation to something more and seemed to last for hours.

  Breathing heavily, Jess broke the kiss but remained close enough that the warmth of her mouth still heated Lena’s lips. Somehow, Jess’s arm had found its way around Lena’s middle without her noticing. With a decisive tug, Jess pulled Lena half on top of her as she rolled onto her back.

  Lena’s leg came to rest between Jess’s, and it was her turn to gasp. Perfect. She could think of no other description for their position. All along her length, her skin warmed at the contact as if she was basking in the sunlight, naked. With a groan, she kissed Jess again, nibbling at her lower lip until she opened her mouth.

  Jess used the advantage of having both hands free to roam all over Lena’s back until she reached her ass. Her hands dug into Lena with the perfect pressure to pull her core closer to Jess.

  Moans tore apart their kiss, and Lena couldn’t say if they’d been hers or Jess’s or if they’d both reacted at the same time to the increased friction.

  Jess used Lena’s distraction to reverse their positions. With a hungry gaze, she hovered over Lena for a second, then kissed her with even more passion than before. Jess’s hand found Lena’s breast, and her nipples hardened instantly. And then her mouth and hands were all over Lena—stroking, caressing, demanding attention.

  All Lena could do was encourage and enjoy. She wouldn’t fight for the lead in this dance, not when Jess so desperately needed it.

  Besides, enjoy was an understatement. Jess was not only passionate but skilled, and she seemed to have remembered all of Lena’s sensitive spots. And found some more that even Lena hadn’t been aware of.

  Almost too fast, Lena couldn’t wait any longer and squirmed beneath Jess’s touch. “Jess, please.”

  Jess slipped her hand into Lena’s wetness.

  Both moaned as Jess entered her, first with one finger, then with two.

  “Yes.” Lena moved her hips rhythmically to m
eet her.

  When Jess added her thumb to stroke her clit, Lena couldn’t hold back any longer. Her orgasm tore through her with the delicious force of a summer storm, depleting all her energy. Lena clutched Jess against her side. She wasn’t ready to give up contact yet.

  After a few minutes, Jess’s hand left its resting place between Lena’s breasts. This time, she knew what Jess’s intention was. Lena caught the hand in her own, not stopping it but joining Jess in her journey.

  Jess blinked a few times, and her eyes roamed Lena’s face as if she was searching for something.

  Even if Lena’s eyes had adapted to the low light, it was still too dark to read Jess’s emotions.

  Finally, Jess nodded and slipped her hand out of Lena’s grasp. She rolled on her back and lay her arm on the bed, opening herself to Lena.

  The trust in that gesture filled Lena’s heart with warmth. She wanted to devour Jess, but she hadn’t forgotten Jess’s hesitation the last time.

  Taking her time, she stroked up and down Jess’s side, never taking her gaze from Jess’s face. She lingered at the side of Jess’s breast, waiting for a cue. Her fingers itched to find the areola, feel it tightening beneath her fingertip, but this wasn’t just about her.

  Jess’s breath hitched, and she shifted a little. Just enough to turn slightly into Lena’s touch. “More.”

  Nothing could excite Lena more at this moment than to comply with Jess’s wish. She turned on her side until she could bury her face in Jess’s neck to nuzzle her and brush her fingers all around her breast. Under her lips, Jess’s pulse soared. When Lena found her nipple, a moan tore through Jess and vibrated in her throat. It took only two soft strokes to harden the nipples to perfect points. Jess’s responsiveness was a huge turn-on. Lena could have spent an eternity exploring the different textures.