than she
intended.
“ You're a grown woman. You
can handle Mitch.”
“ Oh well, as long as you
think so…”
Ruby fanned the napkin. “You want to
leave?”
“ Yes, but you can
stay.”
“ No, let’s drive over to the
Dairy Mart and get ice cream.” She sighed. “This is the last night
of my period. I won’t have an excuse to crave sweets.”
“ And coffee. I want coffee.”
Madeline worked many late nights; she could not do that and
socialize too without caffeine.
They arose and made their way across
the floor. Walking around a few of the patrons, who stood talking,
took them past the stage. Jude and Mitch were standing in their
path.
It was a weird moment for the four of
them as they all locked eyes.
“ Leaving?” Jude looked at
Madeline
“ Yes.”
He bit the inside of his cheek, a habit
she recalled from his younger days and attempted, “I was going to
come over and speak to you.”
Madeline had to laugh derisively.
“After all most twenty years? Don’t bother, Jude.”
He rushed, “I’m an ass-hole
sometimes.”
“ No kidding,” Ruby quipped
snidely.
He ignored her. “Years ago,
I—”
“ Excuse us.” she looked him
hard in the eyes. Madeline didn’t want him bringing that up. She
didn’t want it brought up in a public place, nor in front of Mitch.
She had fallen apart in front of the bastard when she was
seventeen. She wasn’t a girl anymore, and in her frame of mind, she
wasn’t sure what she’d end up saying to him.
He sighed and glanced at Mitch, whom
she supposed gave some silent signal.
Jude stepped out of the way.
Ruby couldn’t resist, it was written
all over her. Madeline saw her friend as she reached out and pat
him on his denim-cupped ass. She whispered something admiring about
it.
They were laughing in the parking lot.
Ruby leaned against the van breathless. “What made me do
that?”
“ What did?”
“ Heck, I don't know, his
ignoring me doubtless. I should have said boo or something.” She
wiped her eyes and chuckled. “You’d think after all these years
he’d chill about something I did as a screwed up teen.”
“ I think he enjoyed it.”
Madeline grinned at her. “Getting felt up.”
Ruby snorted, “I think I did too. Meet
you at the Dairy Mart.”
They met and sat in her van eating ice
cream, drinking coffee and laughing over absolutely nothing.
Releasing tension was rather more complicated when their sex life
was nil and all fantasies involved someone they swore they
despised. They didn’t have much left to hide now and it was no
secret to Ruby that Madeline had steered clear of men since her
divorce.
“ Admit it,” Madeline said to
Ruby. “There is something between yourself and Jude
still.”
Ruby took a sip of her coffee. “I never
not wanted him. Years haven’t changed that for us. There is nothing
you can do about chemistry. I can pass him in my car, him on that
motorcycle and the moment he looks over, it’s like stoking a
furnace. You know how it is; they make love to you everywhere but a
bed, and do things no other man would bother with. They wring every
drop of passion, lust, whatever. They want it all. Nothing turns a
woman on more than a man who wants you that much, who enjoys
giving, that much.
I may have been young, but the few men
I’ve had since, are either fixated on you having the big O, or
getting you over with, so they can get theirs. He wasn’t like that.
I’ll bet Mitch wasn’t either. They enjoy the journey. They are
sensual, earthy, and wild. With them it’s the whole thing.” Ruby
grunted. “Let’s change the subject. I try not to think about
it.”
Madeline began a conversation about
work and Ruby’s art. They talked about family, and kids Ruby
thought she’d never have.
It bothered her that Ruby wanted
children so badly but never married. When Madeline suggested Ruby
have one on her own, she’d replied bluntly she’d only considered it
with Jude. She didn’t want to have a child out of
intended.
“ You're a grown woman. You
can handle Mitch.”
“ Oh well, as long as you
think so…”
Ruby fanned the napkin. “You want to
leave?”
“ Yes, but you can
stay.”
“ No, let’s drive over to the
Dairy Mart and get ice cream.” She sighed. “This is the last night
of my period. I won’t have an excuse to crave sweets.”
“ And coffee. I want coffee.”
Madeline worked many late nights; she could not do that and
socialize too without caffeine.
They arose and made their way across
the floor. Walking around a few of the patrons, who stood talking,
took them past the stage. Jude and Mitch were standing in their
path.
It was a weird moment for the four of
them as they all locked eyes.
“ Leaving?” Jude looked at
Madeline
“ Yes.”
He bit the inside of his cheek, a habit
she recalled from his younger days and attempted, “I was going to
come over and speak to you.”
Madeline had to laugh derisively.
“After all most twenty years? Don’t bother, Jude.”
He rushed, “I’m an ass-hole
sometimes.”
“ No kidding,” Ruby quipped
snidely.
He ignored her. “Years ago,
I—”
“ Excuse us.” she looked him
hard in the eyes. Madeline didn’t want him bringing that up. She
didn’t want it brought up in a public place, nor in front of Mitch.
She had fallen apart in front of the bastard when she was
seventeen. She wasn’t a girl anymore, and in her frame of mind, she
wasn’t sure what she’d end up saying to him.
He sighed and glanced at Mitch, whom
she supposed gave some silent signal.
Jude stepped out of the way.
Ruby couldn’t resist, it was written
all over her. Madeline saw her friend as she reached out and pat
him on his denim-cupped ass. She whispered something admiring about
it.
They were laughing in the parking lot.
Ruby leaned against the van breathless. “What made me do
that?”
“ What did?”
“ Heck, I don't know, his
ignoring me doubtless. I should have said boo or something.” She
wiped her eyes and chuckled. “You’d think after all these years
he’d chill about something I did as a screwed up teen.”
“ I think he enjoyed it.”
Madeline grinned at her. “Getting felt up.”
Ruby snorted, “I think I did too. Meet
you at the Dairy Mart.”
They met and sat in her van eating ice
cream, drinking coffee and laughing over absolutely nothing.
Releasing tension was rather more complicated when their sex life
was nil and all fantasies involved someone they swore they
despised. They didn’t have much left to hide now and it was no
secret to Ruby that Madeline had steered clear of men since her
divorce.
“ Admit it,” Madeline said to
Ruby. “There is something between yourself and Jude
still.”
Ruby took a sip of her coffee. “I never
not wanted him. Years haven’t changed that for us. There is nothing
you can do about chemistry. I can pass him in my car, him on that
motorcycle and the moment he looks over, it’s like stoking a
furnace. You know how it is; they make love to you everywhere but a
bed, and do things no other man would bother with. They wring every
drop of passion, lust, whatever. They want it all. Nothing turns a
woman on more than a man who wants you that much, who enjoys
giving, that much.
I may have been young, but the few men
I’ve had since, are either fixated on you having the big O, or
getting you over with, so they can get theirs. He wasn’t like that.
I’ll bet Mitch wasn’t either. They enjoy the journey. They are
sensual, earthy, and wild. With them it’s the whole thing.” Ruby
grunted. “Let’s change the subject. I try not to think about
it.”
Madeline began a conversation about
work and Ruby’s art. They talked about family, and kids Ruby
thought she’d never have.
It bothered her that Ruby wanted
children so badly but never married. When Madeline suggested Ruby
have one on her own, she’d replied bluntly she’d only considered it
with Jude. She didn’t want to have a child out of
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