Page 48 of July (New Orleans #7)

“S o, I’ll take care of that if you can watch the front,” Melinda said.

“No problem,” Jill replied. “But after lunch, right?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Because it’s Saturday. My girl is coming by for lunch,” Jill said with a smile. “She’s getting off a shift at the gift shop. Her last one, in fact. We’re celebrating over lunch and then again tonight.” Jill winked.

“Does this mean I don’t have to take you out to meet someone?” Enid asked as she walked into the back office. “To get laid and meet the–”

“Yeah, I’m good,” Jill interrupted. “You can just hang out with me voluntarily now.”

“I’ll think about it,” Enid teased. “Care and I were going to hang out tonight. She’s displaying some art on the Square and is going to be there for an hour to test the waters. Then, we were going to get a drink. Want to come?”

“I have plans with my lady,” Jill replied. “So, one drink, and then I get to take her home.”

“One drink is about all Care and I can afford anyway,” Enid said.

“Why don’t you go to Candace’s?” Melinda suggested. “She always gives you discounts. I’m not sure how she plans to stay in business, though, giving us all free drinks or discounts on food all the time.”

“Well, she’s got the regular after-work crowd now, so that probably helps,” Jill replied. “And I’m down if you are,” she added to Enid.

“Sure. I don’t think Care cares where we go.”

“Did you just say, ‘Care cares?’” Melinda teased.

“Yeah. Yeah.”

“Melinda?”

“Oh, Myra! Come on back,” Melinda said. “We’re talking about the office remodel today. Ky has no idea.”

“She’ll love it,” Jill added.

“Well, I’m off,” Enid said just as Myra walked into the back office to join them. “I’m going to pick up my girl from her place, where she has a roommate with a girlfriend of her own, and take her to my place, where we can be alone.”

“Sure you still want that drink tonight? Sounds like you might be busy,” Jill teased.

“We’ll take a break. Mel, do you and Kyle want to come with us?” Enid asked.

“I’ll see if she’s up for it and text you.” Melinda turned to Myra. “Ready? We can go upstairs.”

“Yeah, I’m ready. I think I’ve got a good plan of attack here, and it’ll come in under budget because I’ve got a supplier willing to discount me on the wood you want.”

“Really? That’s awesome,” Melinda said as they walked up the back stairs to the apartment.

“Should we just text everyone?” Jill asked Enid. “Seems like we might as well just see who wants to go.”

“Go where?” Rory asked, walking into the back office. “I clocked in, so I’ll check in the group outside now.”

“Cool. Thanks,” Jill said. “And we’re going to Candace’s tonight. Want to come?”

“Logan’s working, so I was going to go anyway.”

“So that you can stare at the hot bartender?”

“Yes,” Rory replied with a laugh. “I’m going to ask her to move in with me.”

“What? You two have–”

“I know it’s only been a couple of months, but she hates her apartment, and it’s not in a good part of town.

She keeps having to fix stuff around it because the super won’t do it, and she– Well, she used to sleep with her neighbor, and I kind of want her out of there as soon as possible,” Rory said.

“Also, you love her,” Enid offered.

“That too,” Rory replied. “But seriously, I do love her, and she stays at my place practically every night anyway.”

“That’s true for Caroline and me, too, though, and we didn’t get together all that long after you and Logan,” Enid said.

“So?” Jill asked.

“So, is Care going to think that we should move in together?”

“No, you’re an idiot,” Jill said. “You know she doesn’t want that yet. You two just signed separate leases, and she’s living with her two best friends.”

“I know. But sometimes, when people hear that other couples are taking steps, they think they should take them, too.”

“I don’t think that’s Caroline,” Jill replied.

“What’s not Caroline?” Caroline asked, waking in.

“This office is not that big.” Jill laughed.

“I thought I was picking you up,” Enid said before she leaned in to kiss her girlfriend.

“I decided to meet you here instead. It’s easier. I’ve got my car at your place then. Now, what were you talking about?”

“Do you want to move in with Enid?” Rory asked.

“What?” Caroline asked, looking at Enid in confusion.

“Rory, what the fuck?” Enid said. “She didn’t mean that I was going to ask–”

“I’m asking Logan to move in with me, so we were just talking about that,” Rory explained.

“Oh. Good.” Caroline smacked Enid playfully on the shoulder. “You scared me.”

“Me? Rory said it.”

“Will you two get out of here? And, Rory, will you get out there and get to work, please?” Jill said as she laughed.

“We’re gone.” Enid waved her off and took Caroline by the hand to pull her out of the office.

“And you,” Jill said to Rory. “Congrats!” She winked at her.

“She hasn’t said yes yet.”

“She will. That woman is crazy about you. When she’s working, you visit, and she visits you here sometimes, too. You can’t even spend eight hours apart. I think you’ll be just fine.”

“It’s too soon, isn’t it?”

Jill heard the bell at the front door, so she peered out to see if they had a walk-in. Seeing Willa walking in instead, she smiled wide.

“Nope. Not too soon. I think it’s different for everyone. For some people, they wait for years to take those steps. For others, it’s much sooner.” Jill stood up. “I’m thinking I might just marry that woman out there.” She pointed at Willa.

“What? Talk about soon .” Rory laughed.

“I know. But I trust how I feel, and Willa knows all of me in no way anyone else ever had, and she’s still here.”

“Jill?”

“One second, babe,” she said, catching Willa’s eye and smiling at her. “I’m going to lunch. I’ll be back in about an hour, okay?”

“Have fun,” Rory replied as they both walked out of the back office.

While Jill continued to walk toward Willa, Rory stayed behind the counter.

“Hey, Rory,” Willa greeted, wrapping her arms around Jill’s waist. “Hey, beautiful,” she added to Jill.

“Does that mean I’m not beautiful?” Rory joked.

“I think it means your own girlfriend should be calling you beautiful,” Jill tossed back and kissed Willa. “Hey. Are you ready?”

“Ready.”

“How was your last shift?”

“Well, I’m really going to miss that discount I got on the magnets I don’t need,” Willa joked.

◆◆◆

Jill was tired but happy. She had just finished a longer shift than she had planned because they’d had a crowded tour of the French Quarter, so she’d had to divide it into two and take the second group.

The good news was that she’d picked up a hundred and fifty bucks in tips for leading fifteen people around a place she loved and telling them about its history.

She planned to use that money to spoil her girlfriend a little when they went out that night.

Having unlocked her door, she dropped her stuff by the entryway and smiled immediately.

Willa was sitting on her sofa, her computer in her lap, and she’d just turned around to smile back at Jill.

“Hey, babe,” Willa greeted.

“I love that you’re here right now,” Jill said and walked over to her.

“Yeah? Well, staying here while you finished work just made sense, so…”

“Not what I meant,” Jill replied.

She then pulled off her polo shirt and tossed it onto the floor.

“I know. You meant that you like the idea of coming home to me.”

Willa looked up at Jill, who was standing there in her bra and work khakis.

“What are you working on?” Jill asked.

“Emails. The school sent me a bunch of stuff, so I’m downloading everything, and then I’ll review it.”

“But later, right?” Jill asked. “You can review it later. Maybe tomorrow?” She lifted an eyebrow.

“I can review it tomorrow, yes,” Willa replied, closing the computer. “And we don’t have to get ready for drinks for another hour, at least.”

“I know,” she said. “I could use a shower, though.”

“Can the shower also be later?” Willa asked, sitting up and reaching for Jill’s button and zipper.

“I’m sweaty,” she argued. “I had to do a tour.”

“I don’t care,” Willa said. “I like you sweaty. I can make you even sweatier right now.”

Willa tugged at her pants, so Jill kicked them off and dropped her underwear after them. Her shoes and socks followed suit, and then she removed her bra and stared down at Willa, who was fully clothed.

“Shouldn’t you be naked, too?” she asked.

“You should do something about that,” Willa replied, sitting back on the sofa.

Jill leaned over her, and Willa took Jill’s nipple into her mouth.

“Hey, I’m trying to get you naked here.”

Willa chuckled in response and dropped Jill’s nipple, letting her pull off her shirt.

Jill had done so and was happy to see that Willa hadn’t put on a bra after her own shower earlier.

They’d had lunch together, and Jill had suggested that Willa just go to her place and wait for her there since they’d be going out later.

She had given Willa her extra key and was prepared to tell her to keep it because she wanted Willa to be here all the time.

Kneeling down, she pulled at Willa’s sweats, which were Jill’s sweats, really, and then tugged on them until they were at Willa’s ankles. Willa lifted herself to allow Jill to pull off her panties, too, leaving her blissfully naked. Jill spread Willa’s legs and just stared at her.

“Beautiful,” she muttered.

“Are you talking to my pussy?” Willa asked.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that word,” she noted. “And yes.”

“I get used to not saying words like that because I teach kids for a living, but I can still say them.” Willa ran her hand through Jill’s hair.

“Say it again, then,” Jill suggested.

“Pussy,” Willa repeated.

Jill sighed and said, “Yeah, that’s sexy. No idea why, but it’s totally sexy.”

Willa smiled at her and asked, “Are you planning on staring at it or doing something with it?”

“Fuck, babe,” Jill replied, and her head went to Willa’s thigh. “Keep talking like that, and I’ll do whatever you want.”

Willa laughed a little but said nothing else.

Jill lifted her head, spread Willa’s folds, and moved her tongue into them.

Minutes later, Willa was coming into her mouth, driving Jill crazy.

Not long after that, Willa had Jill up against the shower wall, moving inside her, bringing Jill to a second orgasm.

Jill now regretted telling Enid that they would go out for a drink because she really wanted a third one.

She also wanted to give Willa another several and wrap herself up in her so that they could go to sleep.

“Hey, are you sure about staying here again tonight?” she asked as she towel-dried her hair.

“Are you sick of me? I can stay at my place if you want to be alone,” Willa offered.

“What? No, I absolutely want you to stay. I just didn’t want you to think that we always have to stay at mine when you have a place that has all your stuff in it.”

“I was just going to slowly move all my crap here so that you wouldn’t notice it until I basically moved in. You know, the lesbian way.”

Jill laughed and said, “I think I might notice if there are suddenly two beds in my room.”

“I’ll leave the bed there, then. Good tip,” Willa joked back and slipped on a pair of jeans. “But, really, are you sure? We’ve kind of spent every night together since your mom got back and a couple of nights before that, so I’d understand if you wanted a night alone.”

“Will, I don’t need a night alone from you. I just want to make sure you don’t want to, like, go back and forth or something.”

“No way. This place is so much better than mine.”

“Okay. Then, keep the key I gave you earlier and use it whenever.”

Willa sat on the end of the bed and looked up at Jill.

“Just whenever?”

“Yeah, whenever.” Jill shrugged a shoulder.

“So, I don’t need to worry about walking in on you and other girls you meet who get crushes on you on those tours you give?” Willa pulled on Jill’s hips.

“You saw one girl looking at me today, and now they all get crushes on me?” Jill teased.

“She wasn’t just looking at you. Her eyes were moving over your body how mine do.”

“No one’s eyes look at me how yours do,” Jill replied, placing her hands on Willa’s shoulders. “And she’s a tourist who’s probably looking for a one-night stand. I’m not interested in that in the slightest. I have a sexy girlfriend who just fucked my brains out in the shower.”

“I’ll do it again when we get home, too.”

“Another shower? I’m not that sweaty.”

“I was thinking about in bed,” Willa replied, kissing Jill’s naked stomach.

“That sounds good to me,” she said.

“Get dressed, then,” Willa told her. “The faster we get there and have that drink, the faster we can get back here.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Jill replied.

Willa threw on a shirt and headed into the living room, leaving Jill to get dressed.

“Hey, babe?” Willa yelled a few minutes later.

“Yeah?”

“Can you come out here, please?”

“I’m almost ready. What’s up?” she asked, walking out of the bedroom to find Willa sitting on the couch, staring at her computer.”

“She got in,” Willa told her.

“Huh?” Jill asked and sat down next to her.

“Juni got the scholarship.”

“She did?”

“Yeah. I just got the email telling me that they accepted her application. Her tuition will be paid by the scholarship fund this year.”

“You’re serious?” Jill asked, covering her mouth with her hand in disbelief.

“I am. She’s in, and I get to be her teacher.”

“Really? She’s going to love that,” Jill replied.

“You think she’ll be okay changing schools? She’ll have to say goodbye to Freddy.”

“Oh, they broke up,” Jill said.

“What? When?”

“Yesterday. I forgot to tell you. My mom texted me last night asking me to call her because she’s a little heartbroken.”

“What did he do? I’ll kill him,” Willa said.

Jill laughed and replied, “He told her that he was too young to be tied down.”

“He did not,” Willa said, laughing. “He’s been spending a lot of time this week with Georgia.”

“Who the fuck is Georgia?” Jill joked. “Home-wrecker? Do I need to glare at her, too?”

Willa rested her head on Jill’s shoulder and said, “I love how much you love your sister.” She wrapped an arm over Jill’s stomach.

“And I love you,” Jill replied, taking in a deep breath and hoping for the best.

Willa lifted her head and looked into Jill’s eyes.

“You do?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “It’s soon, and it’s scary, but it’s the truth, and I only do the truth with you, Will.”

“I only do the truth with you, too,” Willa replied.

Jill nodded again, waiting for Willa to tell her that she wasn’t ready to say those words yet.

“So, I should tell you that I love you, too.”

Jill tilted her head, unsure she’d heard that right.

“You do?”

Willa nodded this time, leaned in, and kissed her.