Part 6 (1/2)

”Five-thirty. And Lynn* thanks for last night.”

Lynn smiled as she hung up the receiver. She had to admit that she had actually heard those words quite often over the last year, but in an entirely different context. She leaned her elbows on the counter and imagined Chris lying in her bed with just a sheet covering her body, her tousled head of hair covering the soft pillow, a soft smile on her lips* Suddenly Lynn's thoughts snapped back to the condoms she had discovered. d.a.m.n, the way a mind can bring you back to reality in a matter of seconds!

Standing straight, Lynn ran her fingers through her hair. Reaching in her pocket for the customer bills within, she tried to concentrate on the tickets before her. Which ones needed to be rung up? It was no use*her mind kept going back to her daydream. The pale green sheet rising and falling with Chris's breathing. Lynn shook her head and repeated to herself*condoms, condoms, condoms. Maybe Matt was right. She was getting too involved.

Chris arrived at the house at five-thirty sharp and knocked on the front door. Lynn swung the door open and reviewed the lean legs which were swallowed up in jogging shorts at one end and short socks and tennis shoes at the other. Chris was somewhat more casual in attire this evening than she had been before. J ”Hi there!”

”Hi! Long time no see!” Chris chuckled as she entered.

”Matt just called and said that he was going to have to work late. I hope you don't mind just hanging out with me for a while.”

”How late?” Chris exclaimed. ”I was going to call it an early night so I could go home and study for my test tomorrow!”

”Oh, sorry, I didn't ask how late.”

”Great. Doesn't he realize that I have another life? I mean, I can't spend all my time on this little charade of his!” Chris quipped.

Lynn stepped back, not knowing what triggered this att.i.tude.

”I'm sorry,” Chris apologized. ”I'm just stressed. I am just so unprepared for this test. It's not anything that's your fault.”

”Okay, how about this. Let's call in for a pizza, and while we wait for delivery, if you feel like it, we can go for a run to relieve some of that stress.”

”I would like to, but I'll get sweaty, and I don't have any other clothes with me.”

”No problem, I'll find something for you to wear. What kind of pizza do you want?”

”Combination is fine with me.”

Lynn called in the pizza and quickly changed her clothes.

”Let's go!” Lynn walked to the sliding gla.s.s door and slid it open. ”Perfect weather for running.”

They went down the stairs off of the deck and began jogging out to the water's edge. The beach was empty and there was a cool breeze coming off of the water.

”So, I set my watch alarm to go off when we need to turn around, if you need to turn around before then, just tell me,” Lynn said.

”You mean if I get tired before you do?” Chris smiled.

”Well, I do this every day, I'm probably more used to running on the sand than you are.”

”We'll see who gets tired first!” Chris took off in a sprint down the beach.

Oh man, I had to open my big mouth! Lynn said to herself as she took off after Chris.

Lynn caught up to Chris. ”Okay, so you're in great shape. Take it easy on me, I'm a lot older than you.”

”How much older?” Chris asked.

”Well, I'm guessing you're about twenty-two, so about ten years older.”

”Wow! That old!” Chris looked over at Lynn with wide eyes, then smiled and continued, ”You guessed wrong. I'm twenty-six, it's just taken a long time for me to get through school. I've gotten student loans, but I've still had to work full time during the summers to be able to support myself throughout the school year.”

”What kind of jobs have you had?”

”Usually I get a job as a trainer at a gym.” Chris smiled at Lynn and took off in a quick sprint.

No wonder she was in such great shape. Lynn groaned. ”You little con woman! And I was trying to be nice about the sand and all!” She laughed and took off after her again.

”Ouch!” Lynn cried out, stopped in her tracks, and leaned over to ma.s.sage her leg.

”What! What's the matter?” Chris called out from down the beach.

”I think I pulled something!”

Chris jogged back to Lynn, stopped, and put her hand on Lynn's shoulder. ”Are you okay?”

Suddenly Lynn stood straight up, grabbed Chris by the shoulders, and pushed her down into the water, which had come up behind her. ”Now, I'm fine!” Lynn laughed.

”Oh really?” Chris reached up and pulled Lynn down beside her.

Both women were sitting in the water, laughing, when the timer on Lynn's watch went off.

Chris stood up. ”Race you back to the house!” she cried, and sprinted off in the direction of the house.

Her compet.i.tive spirit is going to kill me, Lynn said to herself, as she once again raced after her. By running at full force, she reached the soft sand at the same time as Chris. Lynn would not let Chris beat her. They were neck in neck as they trod through the sand that seemed to pull at their feet. About fifteen feet from the house, all her energy gone, Chris moaned and slowed down.

Lynn, feeling her last kick of adrenaline, was able to reach the deck first. ”Ha! Take that!” she cried out, then sank to her knees in the sand in exhaustion.

”You win. I admit it,” Chris conceded. ”You're in better shape than me!”

Lynn, not knowing if the muscles in her legs would even allow her to stand, puffed out, ”I think we're about equal. If it hadn't been for that last spurt of adrenaline, it would have been a tie.”

”Come on, you need to find me something to wear so I can get out of these clothes that are sticking to me.” Chris offered her hand to Lynn and pulled her up out of the sand.

Indoors, Lynn pulled out an oversized T-s.h.i.+rt for Chris. ”I don't think I have any shorts that will fit you. You can just wear this, and throw your clothes into the washer if you want. They should be dry by the time we finish eating.”

Lynn took a quick shower and came out of the bathroom clad in only a towel. She b.u.mped into Chris, already showered and wearing the x.x.x T-s.h.i.+rt. Suddenly, the words on the T-s.h.i.+rt ”Make Love Not War” took on a whole new meaning to Lynn, and she once again found it necessary to repeat to herself*she's straight, she's straight, she's straight.

Lynn had let Chris use the bathroom connected to her room because she thought Chris would feel more comfortable there than showering in the guest bathroom, Chris slid on the T-s.h.i.+rt that Lynn loaned her and hoped it hid all the necessary parts. She was a little uncomfortable with the idea that she was totally nude underneath.

”Oh, excuse me!” she said, as she collided with Lynn as she walked out of Lynn's room. Chris felt her heart skip a beat when she saw that Lynn was covered only with a towel. Then she felt herself blush. What was that about? she asked herself. Its just another woman. She had seen plenty of women with and without towels, especially during her job at the gym.

”Sorry, I need to grab something to wear.”

Trying to cover for how uncomfortable she felt, Chris asked, ”Do you have a hair dryer somewhere? I'd like to dry my hair.”