Eyes narrowing to slits, Jess sat up on the side of the bed. "You're not going to let this go — are you?"
Sam sat up directly opposite Jess. She met Jess's eyes and held her gaze. "I love ya, sis."
Jess muttered something that sounded like "no fair" as she dropped backward onto the bed. She flung her arm over her eyes. "You'll think I'm being stupid... and pathetic."
"I won't." Sam slid her foot across the distance between them and nudged Jess's foot. "When have I ever told you I thought you were stupid?"
With an exaggerated huff, Jess sat up again. She closed her eyes and her face contorted.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm thinking. Hush."
"You're a nut." Sam laughed.
"Shh..." Jess's eyes popped open. "Ah..." A little half smirk twitched at the corner of her mouth. "We were at Dovers for your birthday, and you told me I was stupid."
Racking her brain, Sam tried to remember the incident Jess was talking about. When the memory hit, she burst out laughing. "Jess, I was eight!"
Crossing her arms over her chest, Jess said, "Still. You did call me stupid." The struggle to keep up the stern demeanor clearly showed on Jess's face.
Sam tried to put as much righteous indignation into her voice as she could, which wasn't much. "I did not." Sam mirrored Jess's stance. "I called you a stupidhead because you wouldn't let me use my birthday money to buy that five pound block of chocolate."
They both dissolved into laughter.
Sam wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. "Seriously. What's got you so down?"
Jess's gaze dropped. The bedspread was suddenly fascinating. She picked at a loose thread. "I miss her," she said, her voice almost a whisper.
There was no need for Sam to pretend she didn't know Jess was talking about Kim. "What's wrong with that? You guys have become good friends. Right?"
"Yeah. I just..." Jess looked up, her expression open and vulnerable. "I just didn't expect it to be this hard." She sighed. "I hate the fact that I wasn't there to spend Thanksgiving with Kim. She said she didn't mind. And that she was just going to hang out and catch up on her journals. But still, I keep thinking about her, wondering how she's doing."
Shock rendered Sam momentarily speechless. If Jess could see the look on her own face, she would freak. Sam knew despite Jess's continued insistence that it could never happen, she wanted more than friendship with Kim. She just hadn't realized until this moment how far gone Jess was. This went way beyond friendship. I hope like hell Kim feels the same way about Jess. I've got to talk Jess into introducing us. Sam was thrilled that her sister was finally opening her heart to someone, whether Jess realized it or not.
"There is nothing wrong with caring about someone, Jess. It feels good, doesn't it?"
A bright smile spread across Jess's face. "You're right. It does."
"So call her and see how she's doing. Have you called her at all while we've been gone?"
Jess's smile dimmed. "I tried twice on Thanksgiving." Her brow furrowed. "She wasn't home."
"Maybe she got a last-minute invitation."
"That's kind of what I figured."
"Did you try her cell?"
"No." Jess's shoulders slumped. "I didn't want to be... I mean if she... I thought..." She scrubbed her hands over her face.
It took a minute to sink in just what Jess was trying to avoid admitting, but Sam was pretty sure she had figured it out. "You're worried she was out with another woman, because you weren't there."
Jess's head snapped up. "That's not true. I have no claim like that on Kim. She can see whoever she wants. We're just friends."
"Whoa. Easy." Sam held up her hands. "My mistake." You are so gone on this woman, Jess.
"I'm sorry, Sam." Her breath blasted from her in an audible huff as Jess flopped back onto the bed. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with me."
I do. The question was how could she help Jess realize the depth of her feelings for Kim without making her panic and run for the hills. She would have to think on that one. Right now, she would be happy just to get Jess's mind off her troubles for a little while. "Well, I don't know about you but I'm starving. Let's go out and hit Chinatown. It'll be fun. We haven't spent much time together recently."
"Okay." Jess stood, her expression contrite. She offered Sam her hand. Sam clasped her wrist, and Jess tugged her off the bed. "I'm sorry about that too. I know I haven't been around much, especially lately. I'll start making more frequent trips to San Diego again. I promise."
Sam bumped shoulders with Jess. "Don't worry about it. Maybe you and Kim could come down and we'll hit the zoo or, better yet, the botanical gardens. That way the big guy can come too."
Some of the tension left Jess's face and she smiled. "Maybe we'll do that."
Sam tried hard to hide her shock. She never expected Jess to agree so readily.
Jess walked across the room to her suitcase and pulled out a pair of jeans. "You still remember any good places in Chinatown? It's been years since you lived here."
Rubbing her hands together, Sam said, "I know just the place."
* * *
Jess sat at a small table in a dark corner and sipped her beer. How in the hell did I let Sam talk me into this? After leaving the restaurant in Chinatown, Sam had led them to a bar she remembered from her college days. A heavy bass beat pulsed through the room. Strobe lights overhead bathed the gyrating bodies on the dance floor in random patterns of shadow and light.
Sam was out on the dance floor. Jess had already turned down several invitations to dance. She wasn't even vaguely tempted. Sighing, she leaned back in her chair, determined to finish her beer and then find Sam. When she spotted Sam making her way toward the table, Jess pushed to her feet.
Sam stepped out of the crowd, carrying two beers.
"I thought we agreed to one beer," Jess said when Sam reached the table.
"One more round, then we'll go." Sam's cheeks were flushed, and sweat glistened on her forehead. She took a big swig of one beer and offered the second to Jess.
Jess grumbled under her breath, then accepted the beer.
Sam glanced over Jess's shoulder, and her eyes widened. "Wow," she mouthed.
A hand landed on Jess's shoulder.
Jess turned and her breath caught in her throat. The woman standing before her was beautiful — tall and lithe with long blond hair.
The blonde looked Jess up and down and, judging by her wide smile, liked what she saw. "Dance with me?"
Jess hesitated.
Sam bumped her arm. She leaned close and whispered, "Go on. What will one dance hurt?"
The fact that the woman's coloring and body type bore a resemblance to Kim's was not lost on Jess. What the hell. Why not? Jess could not remember the last time she had danced with a woman. She nodded and held out her hand to the blonde.
The woman led them to the dance floor. Without preamble, she stepped into Jess's arms and pressed their bodies together.
As they moved against each other, Jess's arousal soared. It had been way too long since she had felt a woman against her like this. Heat rushed through her. When the woman tightened her arms around Jess's neck, she gave in to her rapidly growing excitement and pressed her leg between the woman's thighs. Jess slid her hands down and squeezed the woman's ass, drawing her closer.
The blonde groaned and began to move against her.
Jess moved her own hips in counter point. The woman's hand came up and palmed her breast, then gave it a firm squeeze. Whoa! She grasped the offending hand and removed it from her breast. Oh, no, you don't.