by Lyn Gardner
“What?” Diana replied, snickering.
Shrugging her shoulders, Jamie said, “All I know is that you’re Gwen’s friend.”
“What do you wan’s
“A little.”
“Why?” Diana asked, settling back in her chair and crossing her legs.
Unable to resist, Jamie stole a quick glance of Diana’s nicely-formed calves before raising her eyes and finding Diana smiling back at her. Remembering what Diana had asked, Jamie said, “I guess I always thought that prison officers were a bit more…um… burly.”
“Well, there are a few like that, but it’s not a prerequisite for the job.”
Allowing herself the pleasure of taking in the view of Diana’s shapely legs one more time, it took several seconds before their eyes met again.
Raising an eyebrow, Jamie smiled.
“Obviously not.”
Inwardly, Diana sighed at the woman’s sexual tone. Swallowing the moisture building in her mouth, Diana drank some wine to wash it down.
“Wait. You said you were a prison officer? You aren’t now?” Jamie asked.
“No, I resigned my position a few weeks ago.”
“Can I ask why?”
“I actually started as a teacher, but when budget cuts came along, they did away with most of the classes offered to the prisoners. Since I already had the training to be an officer, I took the job when it was offered. Unfortunately, the difference I thought I was making by teaching the women skills in the classroom all but stopped as soon as I put on the uniform, so I took my non-burly self and called it a day,” Diana said with a grin.
“So what now?”
“Well, I still have a teaching degree, so I’m hoping I can find a position in one of the youth offender programs. Maybe, in my own small way, I can actually help a few of them realize that there’s more to this world than just gangs and drugs.”
“So you still want to make a difference then?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Admirable.”
Deciding it was time to turn the tables, Diana said, “Speaking of admirable, since I already know what you do for a living, Gwen told me that you do a lot of pro bono work. Can I ask why?
“Because it keeps me grounded.”
“How so?”
“I live in a world of corporations and three-piece suits, where the higher-ups take home bonuses in the millions, while sometimes forgetting that there are people below them that struggle to make ends meet. I don’t ever want to be like that. I’m not saying that a free turkey at Christmas or some spare change dropped into a basket doesn’t help, because it does, but sometimes people need more than that. Sometimes they need a bit of guidance, or knowledge, or just a little help understanding words they don’t know.”
“And that’s where you come in?”
With a nod, Jamie said, “It started when I was in law school. I knew my father volunteered his time, and one summer he asked if I’d like to clerk for him on some of the pro bono stuff. Eager beaver that I was, I agreed, and before too long, I was there even when he wasn’t. And now, he helps me.”
“Wait. I thought your father retired?”
“He retired from the firm, but not from the law. He still practices, only now he does it for free,” Jamie said with a grin.
“It sounds like you like working with him.”
“I do, very much. He’s a brilliant man, and we both love being able to help people in need.”
“So if you love it so much, why not do it full-time?”
“Because I like nice things,” Jamie said as she refilled their wine glasses. “I like fancy cars and living in the country, and being able to afford to go on vacation wherever I’d like. My position at the firm gives me the opportunity to live the life I want, while helping those that I can. It’s the best of both worlds, and I wouldn’t want to give up either.”
“Even though you work with Phelan and Willoughby?”
Rolling her eyes, Jamie chuckled.
“I’ve learned to take them both with a very large grain of salt. Since we have our own divisions, our paths don’t often cross, and when they do, let’s just say I try to leave my personal feelings at the door. My work is far too important to me to let their idiosyncrasies get in the way. It’s not a match made in heaven, but it’s doable.”
“You’re amazing,” Diana said in a breath.
The sultry tone forced Jamie to shift in her seat, and taking a taste of wine, she waited for the throbbing between her legs to subside. Managing to find her voice a few seconds later, she said, “I’m just me.”
“I like just you,” Diana said, and then instantly blushed when she realized that the words she was thinking had just slipped from her lips. Swallowing hard, she quickly changed the subject. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“Um…yes. I have a younger sister, Stacy.”
“Is she a lawyer, too?”
“No, a photographer,” Jamie said.
“How about you? Any siblings?”
“No. Just me”
“Well, then tell me something about your parents. What do they do?”
“Oh, um…they died when I was four. A car accident.”
“Christ, I’m sorry.”
Offering Jamie a soft smile, Diana said, “Thanks. It was a long time ago, and I have only hazy memories of them now. My father’s sister, Brenda, raised me.”
“She did a great job.”
“You think?”
“Absolutely,” Jamie replied, gazing into Diana’s eyes.
Smiling back at Jamie, Diana was about to ask for more wine when she saw Jamie’s face scrunch up as another sneeze came over her. Before Diana could say a word, Jamie was out of her chair and heading back outside.
“Shit,” Diana said under her breath, getting to her feet.
“Oh, this is getting fucking ridiculous!” Jamie bellowed, trying to hold back the sneeze that was forming.
“Please…not again.”
Sneeze.
“Crap!”
Sneeze
“Enough!”
Sneeze
“Oh, someone just kill me now.”
“That would be a waste of a very good woman, I think,” Diana said, coming up to stand next to Jamie. “Here, I brought you more napkins.”
“Thanks,” Jamie said.
Waiting until Jamie blew her nose a few times, Diana finally asked, “You doing better?”
Jamie turned and was about to reply, but the words got stuck in her throat.
Between the moonlight and the Christmas lights strung here and there, Diana was awash in a soft, white glow, and she was breathtaking. Her hair shimmered in the light, and while the valley between her breasts was dark, the swells rising above the fabric were like porcelain.
“Jamie, are you okay?”
Snapped from her thoughts by Diana’s voice, Jamie quickly removed her coat. “Here take this, you must be freezing.”
“I’ll be okay. You need it,” Diana said, pushing the jacket away.
“No, I don’t,” Jamie said, holding it open. “Between all the sneezing and the sight of you in that dress, trust me, the last thing I need is this coat.”
She hadn’t meant for her feelings to slip out so easily, but once they had there was no turning back. The flirting had been fun, but somewhere along the way, it had turned into something more for Jamie, and she needed to know if the feeling was mutual. When she saw Diana’s smile, Jamie got her answer…and her heart began to race.
Taking a deep breath, Diana turned around, placing her arms into the jacket as Jamie wrapped it around her, and for a moment they were in each other’s arms. The wool smelled of crisp cologne and cigarettes, and the red silk lining, already heated by the woman behind her, felt warm against Diana’s skin. Closing her eyes, Diana breathed in the moment, committing it to memory, and praying it would be the first of many.
Feeling Diana relax against her, Jamie sighed. Intentionally lowering her mouth to Diana�
�s ear, she whispered, “Warm enough?”
The feel of Jamie’s breath on her cheek caused Diana’s body to quiver with need. Swallowing hard, she opened her eyes and turned around. Even in the muted light, Diana could see the passion In Jamie’s eyes, but there was also a hint of mischief. Deciding to turn the tables, Diana purred back, “I’m getting hotter by the minute. How about you?”
Snickering, Jamie replied, “If we keep this up, I’m going to get a tan.”
Diana laughed, and while the seductive mood was broken, the feelings were not.
“You want to stay out here for a while?” Diana asked.
Breathing in the fresh air, Jamie nodded her head. “At least for a few minutes, if you don’t mind?”
“No, not at all,” Diana said. While Jamie disposed of the used napkins in a planter, Diana walked over and looked out across the back yard. Brick-edged gardens dotted the lawn, and each was filled with animated figures of snowmen, penguins, polar bears and reindeer.
“Extraordinary, isn’t it?” Jamie said, coming over to stand by her side.
A bit disappointed that Jamie seemed to like the overblown decorations, Diana asked, “Do you really like it?”
“I was being facetious. I can’t stand all this stuff.”
“You don’t like Christmas?”
“What? No, that’s not what I mean. I adore Christmas. I just don’t like it when people placard their properties with all this crap. It’s like they’re in some sort of competition to see who can use the most electricity.”
“I totally agree.”
“Fuck!”
Surprised by Jamie’s outburst, Diana looked up just as Jamie sneezed again, and then again.
“Oh, damn it all to hell,” Jamie growled, fumbling in her pockets for a napkin. Taking a few steps away, she sneezed a few more times and then hung her head in defeat.
“You okay?” Diana asked.
Running her fingers through her hair, Jamie said with a sigh, “I’m afraid this isn’t going to stop, and my head feels like it’s about to explode. I’m sorry.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me you had a headache?”
“Because I didn’t want to ruin the evening. I thought it would go away, but I’m afraid that ridiculous potpourri has done me in.” Stopping as the pain between her temples pulsed again, Jamie said sadly, “I’m sorry, but I really think I need to go.”
“Don’t apologize. It’s okay. We can continue this later.”
“We can?”
“Well, if you’ve invited Gwen to your party, I’ll see you then,” Diana said, smiling.
Returning the grin, Jamie said, “I did, and I can’t wait.”
“Then it’s settled,” Diana said as she removed the tuxedo jacket and handed it back to Jamie. “Now, let’s get you out of here so you can take care of that headache.”
Across the room, Lillian Willoughby watched as Jamie and Diana walked back inside, pursing her lips in disgust at the sight. Up until that moment, Lillian hadn’t recognized Diana as the woman who Jamie had kissed at Ted Phelan’s house, and now that she had, her party mood was quickly being replaced by that of disdain. Watching as they walked toward the entrance hall, Lillian’s first thought was good riddance, but when she noticed something hanging over the archway, her eyes bulged.
Having always believed that public displays of affection were unnecessary and offensive, Lillian Willoughby had never adorned any of the doorways in her house with mistletoe during the Christmas season. Seeing that someone had taken it upon themselves to hang a sprig of the aphrodisiacal weed in her home, her temper fired instantly. While she may well have tolerated a playful smooch between those of the opposite sex in her home, Lillian had no tolerance for homosexuality. In her mind, it was loathsome. Angrily pushing her way through her guests, she marched to the door in her sequined, open-toed pumps.
Walking through the room, Diana had unconsciously held out her hand, and in an instant, she felt Jamie’s fingers mesh with hers. Smiling all the way to the doorway, they both stopped and waited as other guests were helped on and off with their coats. Their eyes met for a moment, and then all of a sudden, a voice rang out.
“None of that, Nash. Not in my house.”
Furrowing her brow, Jamie glanced as Lillian approached. “What was that?”
“You know very well I don’t appreciate your kind,” Lillian scolded, glaring first at Jamie and then at Diana.
Pointing to the front door, she said, “Don’t let it hit you on your way out, and make sure you take your friend with you.”
“You’re way out of line, Lillian,” Jamie growled under her breath. “We were just talking.”
Wrinkling up her face in disgust, Lillian pointed to the mistletoe hanging above the two women. “Do I look like I was born yesterday? You put that mistletoe there so you could have a repeat performance of what happened at Ted’s last week. Well, not in my house, missy.”
Glancing up, Jamie couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the seasonal decoration, and then returned her attention to Lillian Willoughby. Even though her head was pounding, Jamie couldn’t resist pushing a few of Lillian’s buttons.
“What? You mean you didn’t put it there for me?”
With her face getting redder by the minute, Lillian said, “Like that would ever happen. Now, take it down!”
“I’m not the one that hung it there, Lillian.”
“I’ve been around too long to believe that you didn’t.”
“Well, they do say miracles happen at Christmas.”
“Miracles, my foot,” Lillian said, eyeing her business partner from top to bottom. “Your kind doesn’t believe in miracles.”
Diana stood there and listened to the exchange, all the while fighting the urge to punch Lillian Willoughby squarely on the jaw. The woman was clearly homophobic. The woman was wrong, and the woman was being extremely rude. Seeing the flush of embarrassment creep across Jamie’s face, Diana didn’t have to think twice. Taking one step forward, she reached up and pulled Jamie’s face to hers, and as Lillian Willoughby gasped in shock, Diana kissed Jamie solidly on the lips.
Just like their first kiss, when their lips touched, both were again lost in the flavors and the feel. Unconsciously, Jamie placed her hand on Diana’s shoulder, and the naked, creamy skin beneath her fingers was so warm and smooth, Jamie’s libido lurched. Her mind became a hurricane of images, swirling flickers of nights filled with passion, moans and gasps, and relaxing into the kiss, she drank every ounce of it in. It was to die for.
For the past week, Diana had tried to convince herself that her memories of their first kiss had been tainted by her imagination, warping reality into something divine. Now, with Jamie’s mouth pressed against hers again, she knew that she had been wrong. Jamie was divine…no doubt about it. Diana’s blood began to boil. Between her legs was born an ache that she knew only Jamie could soothe, and it took all the strength she had not to open her lips and beg for Jamie’s tongue to enter. Feeling a moan of passion rising from within, Diana sighed as she pulled out of the kiss. Slowly running her fingers across the shoulders of Jamie’s jacket to remove non-existent lint, she smiled up at the woman whose brilliant blue eyes had turned almost black with desire.
Lowering her voice to a whisper only Jamie could hear, Diana said, “I don’t know about you, but I believe in miracles.”
~~~
Reading yet another letter in a long line of letters, Santa stopped suddenly and wrinkled his nose. “Good Lord, what is that smell?”
“I’m afraid, it’s me, sir,” Percy said meekly as he chimed and tinkled his way into the room.
Smiling at the sight of the little elf, Santa said, “Well, now, I know that I sent you to a party, but I didn’t know it was being held in a perfume factory.”
“It’s potpourri, sir. I can’t seem to rid myself of the smell.”
“A bit over-the-top, isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir, but the lady who was holding the party…well,
she was a bit over-the-top herself.”
“I see,” Santa said, taking off his reading glasses. “So, tell me, how did it go?”
Two dimples appeared on Percy’s cheeks as the tiny elf smiled from one pointed ear to the other. Climbing into a chair, he said, “I’m not positive, but I think it well.”
“You think?”
“Well, they kissed again. Miss Diana and Miss Jamie, that is.”
“Jamie?”
“That’s what she likes to be called, sir”
“Percy, were you eavesdropping?”
“Me, sir,” Percy said, blushing slightly. “No, sir…well, I mean, I tried not to, but…but I couldn’t help but overhear a few things. They were too close not to.”
“I see. So, what else did you hear?”
“They just talked about their work and their families. Miss Jamie was having an issue with the potpourri in the room, so she ended up having to leave early, but not before they shared a kiss under our mistletoe, sir.”
“And that went well, I’m assuming,” Santa asked. Watching as the small man’s cheeks turned the color of Rudolph’s nose, Santa let out a hearty laugh. “Apparently, it did.”
“Yes, sir,” Percy said as his cheeks turned a few shades darker. “It went really well.”
Chapter Six
What do you mean, you’re not going!”
Looking around the shopping mall’s food court at the heads turning in the direction of their table, Gwen said, “You do realize that you’re screaming. Don’t you?”
“I am?” Diana said, lowering her voice. “I’m sorry, but didn’t you say you had to attend all the parties?”
“Yes, I was supposed to, but I got dispensation for Jamie’s since Adam and I will be out of town visiting his parents.”
“But you’re not leaving until the twenty-third.”
“That’s right, and Jamie’s party is on Christmas Eve.”
“Christmas Eve!” Diana shouted.
Gwen’s cringe got Diana’s attention, and looking around, she saw at least a dozen shoppers gawking in her direction.
Lowering her voice, Diana leaned closer to her friend. “What is she doing having a party on Christmas Eve? That doesn’t make any sense.”
