buildings are right on top of each other. I live in a townhouse, and we hardly have any of this common area, let alone something so pretty as a lake.” Wynne was truly impressed with the complex.
“Well come on in. Let’s see if you like the inside as much.” Paula led her friend on a tour through the kitchen and living room, which were hard to miss as they entered through the front door. Since she was on the second floor, she had a cathedral ceiling with skylights in the living room and dining area. In the hallway was the door that led down to the garage, a guest bedroom and bath, and finally, the master suite with a larger bath and walk-in closet. “But here’s my favorite room.” Paula opened the door off the master bedroom that led onto the sun porch, where Slayer lay curled on a cushioned chaise lounge.
“Hi there, handsome,” Wynne cooed, stretching out a hand slowly to pet the indifferent orange beast.
But after three strokes, he was fully on his back, now quite interested in these soft new hands that adored him so. This tall person could stay.
“I’d say you have a new friend.”
“He’s adorable,” Wynne offered, still stroking the white belly as Slayer lay in nearhypnotic bliss.
“Let’s see if you say that when he tries to eat off your plate. I won’t even tell you some of the other adorable things he does.” But when coaxed, Paula did share a few of the cat’s more colorful exploits.
“Sounds to me like he’s just doing his job,” Wynne defended the cat, who had followed her back into the living room.
“Figures you’d take his side. You’d be singing a different tune if he dropped a squirming lizard in your bed!”
Wynne chuckled softly, still scratching her new furry friend. “I really like this place, Paula, everything about it. I bet you’re really comfortable here.”
“I am. I sort of wish I’d bought a three-bedroom so I’d have a little more room, but I don’t get much company. My mom comes over from Cocoa once in a while, and my best friend stayed with me when her place got tented for termites.”
As she talked, Paula poured them each a glass of cabernet sauvignon to enjoy with crackers and cheese as their dinner simmered. Shaking her head in resignation, she watched as her guest shared the cheese with the now positively slutty Slayer.
The friendly cat was a welcome distraction for Wynne, who would otherwise have fumbled nervously for conversation. It was practically tormenting to be here in Paula’s home, to witness her in such a casual, familiar way. The blonde was barefooted, dressed in faded jeans with a tightly fitted long-sleeved top that crept up her muscular midriff each time she moved. Wynne had never before been so aware of another woman’s sensuality. Coming here was not a good idea, she now realized; but she didn’t want to be anywhere else.
“Dinner should be ready,” Paula announced. “Go ahead and have a —”
“Let me lend a hand,” Wynne cut her off, following her host into the kitchen.
“Why don’t you pour more wine? I have white on the top rack of the refrigerator if you want it.”
“The red is fine with me. You want the other?”
“No, I’m fine too.”
Together, they carried dinner to the table. Paula noticed as they ate that her guest gradually relaxed. She’d seemed nervous when she first arrived, almost standoffish. She wondered if that was the residue from Wynne’s discomfort after running into her CEO.
“So how are things going at work?”
Wynne talked about how their presentation was shaping up. “Cheryl walked through it today in her office with Martin and me. He’s the assistant VP for operations. Tomorrow, she’ll give it again to Ken and the guy who handles the analysts.”
“What do you do next time?”
“Just wrap it all up, I guess. I suppose I’ll work a couple of days with the human resources department to lay out how they might shift some of the talent around in the company. It would be a shame
“Well come on in. Let’s see if you like the inside as much.” Paula led her friend on a tour through the kitchen and living room, which were hard to miss as they entered through the front door. Since she was on the second floor, she had a cathedral ceiling with skylights in the living room and dining area. In the hallway was the door that led down to the garage, a guest bedroom and bath, and finally, the master suite with a larger bath and walk-in closet. “But here’s my favorite room.” Paula opened the door off the master bedroom that led onto the sun porch, where Slayer lay curled on a cushioned chaise lounge.
“Hi there, handsome,” Wynne cooed, stretching out a hand slowly to pet the indifferent orange beast.
But after three strokes, he was fully on his back, now quite interested in these soft new hands that adored him so. This tall person could stay.
“I’d say you have a new friend.”
“He’s adorable,” Wynne offered, still stroking the white belly as Slayer lay in nearhypnotic bliss.
“Let’s see if you say that when he tries to eat off your plate. I won’t even tell you some of the other adorable things he does.” But when coaxed, Paula did share a few of the cat’s more colorful exploits.
“Sounds to me like he’s just doing his job,” Wynne defended the cat, who had followed her back into the living room.
“Figures you’d take his side. You’d be singing a different tune if he dropped a squirming lizard in your bed!”
Wynne chuckled softly, still scratching her new furry friend. “I really like this place, Paula, everything about it. I bet you’re really comfortable here.”
“I am. I sort of wish I’d bought a three-bedroom so I’d have a little more room, but I don’t get much company. My mom comes over from Cocoa once in a while, and my best friend stayed with me when her place got tented for termites.”
As she talked, Paula poured them each a glass of cabernet sauvignon to enjoy with crackers and cheese as their dinner simmered. Shaking her head in resignation, she watched as her guest shared the cheese with the now positively slutty Slayer.
The friendly cat was a welcome distraction for Wynne, who would otherwise have fumbled nervously for conversation. It was practically tormenting to be here in Paula’s home, to witness her in such a casual, familiar way. The blonde was barefooted, dressed in faded jeans with a tightly fitted long-sleeved top that crept up her muscular midriff each time she moved. Wynne had never before been so aware of another woman’s sensuality. Coming here was not a good idea, she now realized; but she didn’t want to be anywhere else.
“Dinner should be ready,” Paula announced. “Go ahead and have a —”
“Let me lend a hand,” Wynne cut her off, following her host into the kitchen.
“Why don’t you pour more wine? I have white on the top rack of the refrigerator if you want it.”
“The red is fine with me. You want the other?”
“No, I’m fine too.”
Together, they carried dinner to the table. Paula noticed as they ate that her guest gradually relaxed. She’d seemed nervous when she first arrived, almost standoffish. She wondered if that was the residue from Wynne’s discomfort after running into her CEO.
“So how are things going at work?”
Wynne talked about how their presentation was shaping up. “Cheryl walked through it today in her office with Martin and me. He’s the assistant VP for operations. Tomorrow, she’ll give it again to Ken and the guy who handles the analysts.”
“What do you do next time?”
“Just wrap it all up, I guess. I suppose I’ll work a couple of days with the human resources department to lay out how they might shift some of the talent around in the company. It would be a shame
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