Looking for Julie by Jackie Calhoun

laughing about her and just possibly they’d end up in bed because of it. It made her a little sick thinking about it.
    “There’s a state meeting in Madison next weekend,” Lynn said. “Do you want to go with me?”
    She refocused. “I’ll be up north communing with the trees.”
    “Alone?” Lynn was looking at her as if guessing something was being withheld from her.
    Edie studied Lynn’s almond-shaped eyes, made small and dreamy by thick lenses. She sighed. “I’m going to hit the sheets. I’m tired.”
    “You aren’t going alone, are you?” Lynn said, mildly accusing.
    “Don’t I usually go alone?” she said defensively, cleaning up her dishes and heading for the bedroom.
    “You didn’t take long to find someone else.” Lynn hurried to keep up with her.
    “I haven’t found someone else,” she snapped, changing into a large T-shirt and getting under the covers. The flannel sheets and goose down blanket wrapped her in a cocoon.
    Lynn slid in next to her. It had been months since they’d had any sex, which had occasionally bothered her before she made love to Claire. “Tell me about Dr. Julie Decker.”
    “Blonde, gray eyes, great figure, smart, fun. Whoever got her is lucky. She left late this afternoon. Said something about a horse show tomorrow.”
    “I always wanted a horse. Maybe every girl does.”
    “I wanted a dog.”
    Edie started drifting into sleep, jerking awake when Lynn spoke. Finally, she said “Good night,” gave Lynn a kiss on the cheek and turned her back.
     
     
     
    The week went by slowly. Every moment she wasn’t preoccupied, she spent in anticipation of Friday. Claire and desire had become one. Why, she sometimes wondered, when Claire had proven to be lousy in bed?
    When Claire pulled into the driveway Friday a little after three, Edie felt a rush of excitement that both thrilled and appalled her. She watched as Claire got out of the Escape, her bright brown hair flying. She looked around and hurried toward the front door. Edie opened it before she touched the handle, and they looked at each other briefly before Claire stepped over the threshold and Edie closed the door behind her, shutting the cold out.
    “Where is the john?” Claire asked. She pushed her boots off in the small entryway and dropped her jacket on the carpet.
    Edie pointed the way. “Down the hall on the right.”
    When Claire came out, Edie asked if she’d like coffee or something to eat before they left.
     Claire smiled slowly. “You know what I’d like more than coffee?”
    Edie’s heart picked up speed as she asked, “What?”
    “I want you to do what you did last time we were going to have a cup of coffee.” Claire took her upper lip between her teeth, the smile gone.
    Heat rushed to Edie’s face. “It will give us a late start.”
    Claire appeared not to notice the blush. Perhaps she too was trembling inside. “It’s only three fifteen.”
    She was glad that Lynn was already gone to Madison. “You’re right,” she said, switching gears.
    In the bedroom, she hardly knew where to start. “I’ll change the sheets.”
    Claire grabbed her arm as Edie pulled the comforter back. “I don’t care about the sheets.”
    She looked at Claire’s hand on her arm and Claire let go. Her heart was thudding in her ears, and she felt big and clumsy as she had that morning at Claire’s before she realized what Claire wanted from her.  She had thought they’d have a few hours to work up to this point. She lifted her gaze and saw Claire’s face expectantly turned upward.
    She bent to kiss her, gently, and Claire’s tongue snaked into her mouth. Startled, Edie found the hem of Claire’s sweater and pulled it over her head, breaking the kiss. She then tried to smooth the golden brown strands, which seemed alive with the same electricity that flared between the two women.
    Edie kissed Claire’s eyes and the lashes that curled on her cheeks. She bent further to nibble at her neck. When she