Gerri Hill - One Summer Night

“End of summer party,” Shea added.

“Sounds like fun,” Jo said. “Thanks.”

Betsy left to answer the door while Jo silently prayed it was Kay knocking. She heard Kelly’s husky laugh before she saw her, and Jo cursed her luck. Everyone was all smiles as they said hello to Kelly and. . . Lucy.

“Jo, isn’t it?” Lucy asked as they shook hands.

“Yes,” Jo said between gritted teeth. “Wine’s in the kitchen. Let me get you a glass.”

“No. I’ll get us one.”

Jo turned on Kelly as soon as Lucy was out of sight.

“No trouble getting a date?” she asked sweetly.

“Oh, gosh no,” Kelly said. “Not with my reputation.”

Jo glared at her as she followed Lucy into the kitchen.

When Kay finally arrived, Jo was hardly in the mood to be civil.

“Have you met Toni?” Kay asked her.

“At the bar, yes.” Jo shook her hand, again amazed at how young she looked. Kay had ended a relationship with a much older woman only months before Nancy skipped town. Since then, Kay rarely dated anyone older than thirty.

“Are you alone?” Kay asked.

“Of course,” Jo said automatically. “Why muddle things up with a date?”

“Toni’s got a roommate,” Kay offered. “I think you would hit it off.”

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“A blind date? Be serious.”

“She’s a high school teacher,” Toni chimed in.

“Great personality, too,” Kay added.

Jo looked at Kay with raised eyebrows. “I appreciate your concern, but no,” she said pointedly. She had enough trouble.

“Oh, Kelly and Lucy are here. Good,” Kay said.

Good? Jo followed her gaze as Kelly and Lucy went with Betsy out to the deck. Through the double doors, she watched them talking, but turned away before Kelly caught her. It was as if Kelly could feel Jo’s eyes on her, and Kelly had turned to search for her.

This has got to stop, Jo told herself. She purposefully turned her back to Kelly and listened as the others carried on a conversation without her. Once again, she was the fifth wheel, the only one without a date. The only one alone.

She knew immediately when Kelly came back into the room, she could feel her presence without turning around.

“I told Janis this wouldn’t be a big deal, but I think we should sing,” Betsy said and they laughed.

“Oh, wait,” Jo said, handing her glass to Kay. “I almost forgot the cake.”

“Cake?” Janis called. “You promised no cake, Johanna Marshall!”

Jo came back in with a cake disguised as two very large breasts. The groan from Janis was drowned out by everyone else’s laughter when they read the greeting. “40. Eat ‘em and weep!”

“Jo? How could you?” Janis demanded.

“Betsy made me,” she laughed.

“Me?” Betsy cried with mock indignation.

“Good one, Jo,” Kay said. “Let’s light them.”

They gathered around Janis and her breasts, and Jo held a match to the candles in each nipple.

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“I’ll get you for this, Jo!” Janis warned.

They burst into an off-key version of “Happy Birthday”

and Janis laughed delightfully during the entire song.

“Don’t give up your day jobs,” she teased before blowing out the two candles. She punched Jo playfully on the arm, then grabbed her for a quick hug. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Jo grinned, then went in search of more wine. She figured she would have a much easier time getting through the evening if she were drinking.

To her dismay, she was seated directly across from Kelly and Lucy, and she was forced to watch them during the entire meal. She tried to be discreet, but after her fourth glass of wine, she was staring. And to Kelly’s credit, she never gave any indication that she and Lucy were anything other than friends. Lucy, however, took every possible opportunity to touch Kelly. When they spoke, Lucy leaned close, practically rubbing her breasts on Kelly’s arm. Jo was disgusted!

She picked at her food, having to force down every bite, while trying to make polite conversation with Kay on her right and Shea on her left, but she found her eyes were always drawn to the couple across from her.

After cake, everyone started taking their leave, and Jo helped Betsy clear the table.

“One good thing about dinner parties,” Betsy said,

“They don’t last all night.”

Ain’t it the truth, Jo silently agreed.

“Oh, that was fun,” Janis exclaimed, as she climbed on a barstool and watched Betsy and Jo clean up.

“I’m glad you liked it, honey,” Betsy said.

“The cake was evil,” she said and Jo laughed. “I’ll get you back,” she warned again.

“You’ll forget all about it by the time I’m forty.”

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“Don’t count on it!”

“Kelly was quiet tonight,” Betsy observed.

“Yes, she was,” Janis agreed.

Jo didn’t comment. She and Kelly had not spoken, and the few times their eyes had met, it was almost as if they were strangers.

“I wonder if she and Lucy are seriously dating?” Betsy asked.

“I can’t see it,” Janis said. “Lucy just doesn’t seem her type.”

And what is her type? Jo wondered.

“Jo?”

Jo looked up, startled.

“You’re quiet, too,” Janis stated.

“Am I?” Jo hurried into the kitchen with her load of plates. “I’m just tired, I guess.” It was an excuse that worked no matter what, and she didn’t hesitate to use it now.

“We can get the rest, Jo. Don’t worry about it,” Betsy said from behind her.

“I know. I’m leaving.” Then she grinned. “I’m sure you have a big night planned.”

“Oh? Do we?” Janis asked innocently, and Betsy blushed.

Jo hugged both of them, and kissed Betsy on the cheek as she left. “Behave tonight,” she teased. “You know Janis is getting old.”

“I heard that!” Janis called after her.

Jo’s smile vanished as soon as her car door slammed and the emptiness surrounded her. She didn’t want to feel this way, and she cursed the day that Kelly Sambino came into her life. Her attraction to Kelly was undeniable, but she certainly didn’t want it. She was getting along perfectly fine without her, thank you. Sure, she had been lonely sometimes. But never like this.

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She imagined kissing Kelly, the taste of wine on Kelly’s tongue, the feel of smooth skin beneath her fingertips. She shuddered. But it was too late. She drove home in a daze as Kelly came to her again and again, lips and tongue teasing her, tantalizing her. She offered her breast to Kelly, and soon a warm mouth closed over her. Jo moaned, the sound echoing in the quiet car, and she pushed her thoughts away.

But later, as she lay in her empty bed, she welcomed the images, and her eyes slid shut when Kelly’s mouth came to her. She wanted to feel Kelly inside her. She wanted her fingers deep inside Kelly. She groaned and rolled over, tasting Kelly’s skin beneath her mouth, feeling Kelly’s nipples swell against her tongue.

She imagined it was Kelly’s hand touching her now, caressing her breasts.

“Oh,” she breathed when her fingers felt her own wetness. Her mouth opened, waiting for Kelly’s kiss as her fingers moved, stroking herself, bringing herself closer to release.

It was Kelly’s mouth on her, her tongue sliding into her, and finally her hips rose once, hard against her hand, and she turned her face into the pillow, stifling her scream.

When her breathing slowed to normal, Jo opened her eyes, half expecting Kelly to be there, watching her. But she was still alone. Still lonely.

Kelly was, no doubt, with Lucy.

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Chapter Fifteen

Jo spent a lonely Sunday afternoon curled in the corner of her sofa, her thoughts jumping from the book in her lap to the football game on TV and finally to Kelly. She tried desperately to not think about last night. . . Kelly with Lucy.