I Remember

by Julie Cannon

  “Just clearing the air with Bethel. Nothing for you to worry about.”

  “It didn’t look like that from where I was standing.”

  Dana glanced at the front door of the restaurant, ensuring that Bethel had left before she indicated for Emery to take the seat in front of her. She waited for Emery to settle in. “Nothing for you to worry about.” Emery started to reply but Dana stopped her. “At this time. If I need your political muscle I’ll let you know. Have you had breakfast?” She caught Pam’s eye and signaled her to return to the table.

  “I had something in my room,” Emery replied.

  “Coffee, then?” she asked. As hard as Dana knew it would be, she enjoyed Emery’s company.

  Emery’s eyes flashed and she knew her innocent question had sparked a memory. It was probably the same one she had.

  “I can’t do anything without at least two cups of coffee.”

  Dee chuckled. “You sure could have fooled me.” They were on top of the tangled sheets, Dee snuggled against EJ. The ceiling fan spinning slowly above their heads cooled their hot, sweaty bodies.

  “You know what I mean,” EJ said, slapping her playfully on the butt, then returned to gently stroking up and down her arm.

  The beat of EJ’s heart was strong under her palm. After several minutes it was finally settling down into a normal cadence. Her own was still beating a little faster than normal, a tribute to just how powerful her orgasm had been. She poked EJ in the ribs. “I just asked if you wanted to soak in the Jacuzzi tub, not swim the English Channel.”

  “I repeat myself. Without my coffee I might drown.”

  She rolled on top of EJ, sitting up and straddling her. They were both naked, their skin-to-skin contact sending a jolt of desire crashing through her yet again. “Does that mean I’d get the chance to be your knight in shining armor and rescue you?” she asked playfully.

  EJ lazily took her time moving her eyes over Dee’s bare chest and below. When she finally looked her in the eye, Dee’s desire kicked up a notch. The look in EJ’s eyes was one she had seen many times in the last few days. It held passion, promise, and fulfillment.

  “You’re definitely not a knight and you’re hardly dressed for it.” EJ’s voice was husky, the same tone she’d heard many times during the night. EJ’s wandering hands were getting pretty close to where Dee wanted them to be.

  Slowly she leaned over EJ. Her nipples skimmed EJ’s chest, sending shock waves through Dee yet again. Her juices allowed her to slide over EJ’s pubic bone with little difficulty, and Dee couldn’t hold back her moan. “Well then,” she murmured, just before placing several light, teasing kisses on EJ’s ready mouth. “Far be it from me to keep you from getting what you need.” She kissed EJ again, this time a little more seriously. EJ reached for her but she reached for the phone on the bedside table instead. She punched a button.

  “Room service? This is EJ Connor in the Penthouse suite. I’d like a pot of coffee, please, two cups. How long? Fifteen minutes? Perfect.” She hung up the phone. “Now, where were we?”

  “I don’t want to intrude on your breakfast,” Emery said hesitantly. “I saw you with Bethel and—”

  “And you thought I needed help.” She was pissed off and didn’t bother to hide it. Emery had the grace to blush a little at being so obvious. “I told you before, Emery. I appreciate your help, but I’m a big girl and I can handle the likes of Bethel. And no, you are not intruding on my breakfast. As a matter of fact, this is cold and I’m going to reorder.” She motioned Pam to the table and ordered again. “Coffee?” She repeated her question, looking at Emery.

  Pam brought Emery a fresh cup and refilled hers. “So what did you think of the meeting yesterday?” she asked, steering the conversation to a safer topic.

  “This was very different.” Emery added cream and one sugar to her coffee.

  The action was very familiar, and Dana told herself to stop looking at Emery’s hands and thinking about all the other times they’d shared morning coffee. “How so?” she asked, trying to get her head back on the topic she’d brought up.

  “This builder normally doesn’t work like this. Usually the company sends out the RFP and we reply with our quote for each line item. Gremlin Aerospace has a new CEO, and I guess he’s trying out something different instead of the standard request-for-proposal format.”

  “It is a bit unusual, but hey, I guess if it works for them that’s all that matters.”

  While Dana ate her breakfast they talked about the strategy Martin might take to secure this bid. Emery was again impressed with Dana’s intelligence. She captured concepts quickly, suggested innovative solutions, and didn’t hesitate to ask questions if something wasn’t clear. She easily displayed her thoughts. She frowned when she was concentrating as effortlessly as she smiled. She had a habit of pursing her lips when she was thinking, and even now she was making notes on a spare napkin.

  Dana was impeccably dressed this morning in navy pants with a royal-blue sweater. The matching suit jacket was draped carefully over the chair next to Emery, and a quick glance showed the label of an exclusive boutique in New York. Emery recognized her shoes as Cole Haan for women, and the wide band of diamonds on the ring finger of her right hand was large enough to be tasteful and subtle enough to say successful. Her nails were painted a calm shade of peach, accenting her long fingers. The fashion-conscious would consider her watch a fashion faux pas, but it fit her character perfectly. A Breitling Navitimer, it was definitely not from the smaller woman’s line. It looked heavy and sturdy on her wrist. On any other woman it would have looked ridiculous, but on Dana it simply looked sexy.

  “I’m sorry, what did you say?” she asked when it was apparent Dana was waiting for an answer.

  Dana looked at her questioningly. “I asked if you were ready to go. The next session starts in fifteen minutes.”

  “Uh, yes, sorry,” she said quickly, berating herself for losing focus.

  In the hotel lobby they elected to take the stairs adjacent to the large aquarium instead of the escalator to the third-floor meeting rooms. Yesterday when Emery had checked in she noticed that the aquarium contained fish similar to those they had seen while scuba diving in Bonaire.

  Don’t go there, she told herself, carefully putting one foot in front of the other on the next step. Dana was beside her and one step above, and Emery almost tripped when she let her eyes drift to her backside. Dana didn’t need Spanx, uplifting undies, or any other artificial ass-contouring equipment. Emery knew what was under the linen pants and it was perfect.

  During the break she noticed that Dana avoided being anywhere near Jim Bethel. Her evasion wasn’t blatant enough to be apparent to anyone who didn’t know the situation, and Emery admired the way she handled herself. She watched as Dana spoke to several groups of people and handed out her business cards to others.

  But the green monster of jealousy gripped Emery’s stomach every time one of the men looked at Dana in that way. What was it about the opposite sex that made them believe they had permission to ogle every woman they found attractive? Emery had once read an article about how some scientists believed this tendency had become ingrained in a man’s DNA over centuries of adaptation. The theory was that for man to continue to exist and not become extinct, males were constantly on the prowl to mate. She’d laughed when she read the research report and viewed it a convenient excuse for men who wanted to stray. Her own sex wasn’t immune to cheating, but to say it was genetic was pure bullshit.

  Finally the day was over and she and Dana were in a cab headed back to the airport. She had a throbbing headache, and the flight back to San Diego was not going to help. Neither was sitting next to Dana again. The flight over had been stressful enough, but now after spending two days with Dana the return trip would be unbearable.

  She gazed out the window on her side of the cab. She was being rude, but she could only answer Dana’s questions or comments with monosyllabic responses. After watching Dana all d
ay yesterday, her sleepless night, and another six hours of being asked, “Where is Dana,” she was exhausted.

  “Emery,” Dana said from her left.

  “What?” She knew she sounded pissed off, and frankly she was. In addition to the constant awareness of Dana and fighting the memories of the cruise, she was angry at herself for not being able to keep the two separate. Dana as Dee kept infiltrating her mind and she had no idea how to stop it. But she had to. Her career and that of Dana’s and Martin Engineering depended on her ability to focus and lead the company forward.

  In her entire professional life she had never been as distracted as she had been since returning from the cruise. She was confident and secure in her single-minded drive regarding what she needed to do and had never before been tempted to deviate from that path. Work was work, and she devoted one hundred percent of her attention and energy to it. Even when she played, which wasn’t very often, she was thinking about work. And look where that had gotten her. Half dead with doctors’ orders to rest, and instead she ended up meeting the fascinating woman next to her.

  “Have I said something to upset you?”

  She couldn’t resist Dana’s soft tone, which added to her self-imposed anger. She wanted to blame Dana for her growing lack of self-control but it wasn’t her fault. “No, of course not. It’s just been a long couple of days. I’m a little tired and have a lot on my mind.”

  Emery watched as Dana decided whether to push the issue or let it go. She was grateful when the cab driver announced their arrival at the airport and she could busy herself with getting through the throngs of other Friday-night travelers.

  They didn’t say anything to each other as they maneuvered through the security checkpoint and the myriad shops and restaurants that dominated every airport in the world. Dana excused herself to stop in to a bookstore, and Emery walked down the long corridor to their gate.

  The flight was as quiet as the cab ride, Dana with her nose in a book and Emery pretending to read. After gathering their bags and disembarking she made polite small talk as they headed for the parking lot.

  “Are you in the garage?” she asked, pointing to the massive structure in front of them.

  “No, someone’s picking me up,” Dana replied, looking to her left, then her right at the line of cars waiting at the arrival curb. “There she is.” Dana waved and picked up her briefcase. “See you Monday.”

  Dana hurried down the sidewalk and right into the arms of a stunning woman standing beside a red BMW. The woman was tall, blond, gorgeous, and pregnant. They hugged tightly for several seconds, and the woman gave Dana a quick kiss on the lips before dropping her bag in the trunk.

  Chapter Twelve

  Emery’s heart stopped. It wasn’t a jaw-dropping passionate kiss, but it was more than a casual-friendship kiss. Did Dana lie to her on the cruise about being single? Emery knew next to nothing about pregnancy, but even with her limited knowledge she realized this woman was far too pregnant to go on the cruise. Had they already paid for the tickets and then discovered she was pregnant? That made no sense. Lesbians don’t discover they’re pregnant. It takes planning and timing, all of which meant they would know exactly when something like this would happen.

  Maybe it was the woman’s gift to Dana—one last vacation fling before she got tied down with a baby. Maybe the woman had just thought Dana was on an extended business trip. That could happen. She knew a man who had a complete other family in another country. He spent two weeks a month in Tokyo and two weeks in the States. He had somehow managed to keep his two lives separate for eight years until his car slid off an icy mountain road in Colorado. Then the shit hit the fan when both wives claimed his death benefits.

  Dana would never do something like that, she thought as she watched the car drive away, its red taillights getting smaller and smaller until they were barely a speck in the night. Would she? Emery thought she was a good judge of people and character, but what did she really know about Dana? She’d known nothing when they met and next to nothing about her personal life when they said good-bye three weeks later.

  Her normally clear, focused brain was so muddy she couldn’t remember where she’d parked her car. After fifteen minutes of wandering around two different levels of the garage she remembered she had written her space number on her parking ticket. It was habit for her to do this because she traveled so much she often forgot where she’d parked without it. Eight minutes later she paid the clerk at the exit booth and was on her way home still thinking about Dana, the woman, and the kiss.

  *

  “How was your trip?” Lauren asked.

  Dana had put her car in the shop for some much-needed service work while she was in Columbus. “Pretty good, really interesting. But I’m not going to bore you with the details.”

  “You’re right. I probably wouldn’t know what you were talking about anyway.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short, Lauren. You’re one of the smartest women I know.”

  “It’s not that. Lately I can’t seem to keep track of anything anymore.” Lauren maneuvered the sleek car through traffic.

  “You’re six-and-a-half months pregnant with your first baby. Duh. You’re not supposed to keep track of anything other than getting ready for her to be born.”

  Lauren chuckled and dropped her hand to her stomach. She barely fit behind the steering wheel.

  “Tell me about it. I’m way done with being an incubator. There’s no more room in this inn and this baby needs to vacate the premises.” She pointed at her stomach.

  “What did your doctor say at your last checkup?”

  “She said a lot of first babies are late, but that doesn’t mean ours will be.”

  “Are you ready for this?”

  “Yep. The crib is up, diapers are stocked, baby clothes washed and folded—”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about,” Dana said quietly. “Are you really ready for this?” Dana didn’t know if she’d ever be.

  Lauren risked a glance at her and laughed. “Well, if I’m not, it’s way too late to go back now.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She laughed. “It was kind of a stupid question, wasn’t it?”

  “Kind of, but I forgive you. How about you? You’re still going to be in the delivery room, aren’t you?”

  “Of course I am. Somebody has to catch Elliott when she faints.” Lauren’s spouse had a dreadful fear of blood. Every time they talked about the labor and delivery, Elliott’s face paled and she looked like she would pass out.

  “Are you ready to be an aunt?”

  Dana corrected her. “An honorary aunt.”

  “Details, details,” Lauren said, waving her hand as if they were trivial.

  “You of all people actually said that? You’re a lawyer, for God’s sake. Details are your life.”

  “Yeah, and my life is about to change drastically. I’m to the point that I can only focus on the big things and hope it doesn’t get much bigger than this.” She rubbed her baby belly.

  “How’s Elliott doing?”

  “Exactly as you’d expect. Hides in her work when it gets too overwhelming. But she’s there when I need her.”

  “Uh-huh,” Dana said doubtfully.

  “No, really, she is. She’s come to every doctor appointment with me, every ultrasound, every blood test, everything.”

  “But…”

  “But she’s scared shitless.”

  “You’ve taken care of babies before. How many foster children have you two taken in over the years? A bunch have been babies.”

  “I made the same argument and she isn’t buying it. She says this is different because this is our baby, not one we’re just looking after for a while. She’s so afraid she’s going to drop it or do something to break it.” Lauren turned onto the ramp to the freeway.

  “You know she really loves you,” Dana said wistfully.

  “That’s what she keeps telling me. Maybe one of these days I’ll really believe it.�
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  “What? You don’t believe—”

  “No, no, of course not. I know she loves me. I feel it. At times I’m sitting across the breakfast table and think this woman really loves me. She loves me. And I love her. I can’t even imagine my life without her. I can’t even remember my life before I met her.

  “I was lying in bed the other night not able to sleep, of course, and I realized I’m actually having a baby. I’m having a baby, Dana. Can you believe it? Elliott and I are having a baby. I’m committed to her for the rest of my life. I mean if something happens to us—”

  “Lauren, don’t talk like that. You two love each other.”

  “I know. I’m pregnant and emotional and have a right to say stupid things. But a baby changes things. It makes everything different. I will be connected to Elliott for the rest of my life. Because of this baby.”

  “And…” Dana asked carefully.

  “And I am so happy. I can’t even describe it.”

  Dana let out a silent sigh of relief. Lauren and Elliott had the most solid relationship of anyone she knew. She had never seen two people so much in love. She’d watched them at a party one night. Each one was talking to her own separate group of people yet each knew exactly where the other one was. Their eyes were constantly moving until they found each other.

  She wanted that connection at least one time in her life. Was it too much to ask? She wanted someone to love her like her two dear friends loved each other. When she was younger she dreamed about it, knew it would happen. It was just a matter of time till she met the right woman. But now, almost twenty years later, she was beginning to wonder if she would find a woman that still took her breath away eight years later as much as the first time they met, the first time they made love, and the ten-thousandth time they made love. She knew it wasn’t too much to ask, but asking and reality were sometimes two very different things. But she was determined not to settle for anything less. The image of Emery flashed in her mind.