Lexington Connection Read online

  “Oh!” The disappointment was sharp, unexpected. Diana got out of bed, not caring about her nudity. “I’m so glad I woke up then. I’d have been so disappointed to wake up and find you gone.” She approached Jessie and slid her arms around her neck. “Do you really have to go?”

  Jessie pulled her arms down. “Yes, I really have to go.” Just the same, she didn’t look disappointed at Diana’s coaxing.

  “I mean,” Diana said in a coy voice that she didn’t believe was coming from her, “I knew this wouldn’t be more than just a one-night stand, you don’t have to make excuses.” She ran her hand up Jessie’s arm. “But I’m only in town for the weekend. We could make it a weekend fling. If you want to. No strings. Just warm memories in our golden years.”

  Jessie chuckled. “And I thought you were a reserved little tourist who just stumbled into the wrong bar.” She shook her head.

  “I can be, if that’s that you want,” Diana said with a sideways look at Jessie. Then she stepped away and slid open the closet door for her silken kimono. “Or I can be more forward.” She slipped into the knee-length kimono and turned back to face Jessie, who had a bemused expression on her face as she watched Diana. “I thought last night was great. Besides being a beautiful woman, you proved Mama’s theory correct. I’d love to spend more time with you. No strings. Just a good time. But if you’ve got things to do and places to go, then that’s fine too. Last night was truly a pleasure.”

  Jessie shook her head in an amused way. “Can’t get more direct than that.” She wrapped her arms around Diana when Diana came back to her this time. “It was great for me too, but I do have to work. How about dinner tonight? Maybe tomorrow I could give you a tour of the area. How does that sound?”

  “Wonderful.” Diana didn’t hesitate. This woman was something to enjoy. She wasn’t going to bypass this opportunity.

  “I’ve got to run. Pick you up here tonight. Okay?”

  Tonight. Diana shivered with gleeful anticipation as she stepped into her shower a few minutes later. Damn, I never expected anything like this! She had thought it was going to be a dull time when Papa had asked this favor. Of course, she would do anything Papa asked for…but Lexington? She let the hot water run over her as she closed her eyes and thought about Jessie’s hands on her. Long and lean. God, she loved women like that. Firm touch, like she knew what she was doing, confidence in herself. A certain amount of boldness. None of this hesitation, tentative stuff. Give and take. No, Jessie was the best she had found in a long time, a long long time.

  Diana shivered as she turned off the water and stepped out. She wrapped the towel around herself and stared at herself in the full-length mirror. Sometimes she wished she were tall and lean like the women she was attracted to, but she liked being an inch or so shorter; then she fit better against them. And she liked having some meat on her bones, a cushion, although she guessed that as she aged, she might have a problem with the weight. That was a future she really didn’t worry about now.

  She dried herself, still examining herself in the mirror. She had nice legs. Was Jessie a leg woman? She hadn’t said anything about Diana’s appearance. Maybe she liked asses. Diana turned around to examine her tush. She wasn’t bad in that department, considering she hated exercising. She turned back around, cupped her breasts. Jessie had caressed her breasts, oh, Lord, that had been nice. She was glad that she wasn’t so big in that area either; she knew that some of the sensitivity was sometimes lost. She shook off this self-assessment. What difference did it make anyway? In all likelihood, she would not be back to Lexington. If goofis hadn’t been driving around with a broken taillight, he wouldn’t have gotten pulled over. And if he hadn’t gotten pulled over, he wouldn’t have gotten nailed. So the odds of her coming back to Lexington were somewhere between slim and none. She looked in the mirror again. Vanity, Margaret said it was. Beauty didn’t last and she supposed Margaret was right. She’d seen a lot of good-looking women who had nothing when they lost their looks. Papa’s holdings were littered with them.

  She leaned forward to examine her face, just the same. Dark curly hair, the high cheekbones, the tawny skin, the slanted green eyes. Past lovers had said she had an exotic look, and Diana had been flattered. She didn’t want to be like everyone else; she liked being different. But that had its drawbacks too. She liked being attractive; she didn’t want to be memorable. That could be dangerous.

  Diana realized as she dressed that Jessie hadn’t been impressed with the suite. Diana wasn’t even sure that she had seen it, but then wait, Jessie had been up before Diana had woken up.

  Stupid! She should have thought of that. Diana hurriedly went through her luggage, checking. Not that there was anything there this time, but she still should have been more careful. No, it didn’t look like anything had been touched. All her little traps were still intact. She paused, nodding. That was good. Trusting could be dangerous in more ways than one.

  Her mind went back to Jessie. Another good sign was that Jessie had gotten up and showered. She said she was going to the job. Responsible. Didn’t let a night’s drinking and carousing detour her from her responsibilities. Diana nodded. Promising. Then she had suggested dinner, so she wasn’t hiding from anyone. Had offered to give Diana a tour. That meant there was something else on her mind besides bed sports. On the whole, Jessie did appear promising. She might even be a keeper. If only Diana were around.

  Realistically, it was only a Friday night pickup, a one-night stand. She had been on both sides of the coin for one-night stands, and she was well aware that sometimes it was never more than one night. Yet she found herself remembering a movement, a touch, a look. Jessie had definitely made an impression on her, on her libido. She had never had anyone affect her like this. One full night of lovemaking and she still had a hunger for the good-looking dyke. She really wanted Jessie to show up again.

  She spent the day being a tourist. The Hunt-Morgan House, the walking tour of downtown, the Henry Clay House. Weather was pleasant, temperature was good. Diana made sure she was back at the hotel by three, anticipating with a tingling pleasure.

  When early evening came and no Jessie, she was first disappointed but tried to be philosophical. As much as she enjoyed Jessie she could chalk her up to experience. After all, what could she expect from a one-night stand? She was getting ready to order a movie when there was a knock at her door.

  “Hi,” she greeted her, trying not to sound too eager. She drank in the sight of Jessie like a tall drink of cool water, a cliché she knew, but oh, my. “And how did your day go?”

  “Busy. Big day for the farm. Did you see anything of the races?”

  “Well, I had to see what the big doings were in town,” Diana answered, although she hadn’t.

  “And how was your day otherwise?”

  “Oh, this and that,” Diana said with a smile. “Got all my little details done. I like to have everything taken care of so I’m not rushed. All free and clear now.”

  “I thought I’d show you our women’s bar. It’s out on the edge of town. That is, if you’re still interested. I thought we’d go out for dinner and then to the bar, maybe some dancing.”

  “I’m in your hands,” Diana answered with a smile.

  Diana did another assessment as they approached Jessie’s vehicle. Without really considering it, she had expected a passenger car, not the Jeep Cherokee. Then again, she watched Jessie unlock the passenger door for her, Jessie might have looked strange in a car. The Jeep Cherokee fit, a little rugged, sporty, town and country, yeah, it was a good fit.

  “You travel a lot?” Jessie asked after she got behind the wheel.

  “Pretty much.”

  “Thought I’d take you to something local. I always hate going somewhere and eating at the same kind of place that I could have gone to here.” She looked over at Diana with a smile.

  The restaurant was a local steak house, very tied into the local horse scene as Diana surmised from the pictures and décor. Earth tones
, horse pictures, riders, racing saddles on the railings. Diana had to smile.

  “Did I miss something?” Jessie asked as they sat in the wooden booth set up like a horse stall.

  “When I was in France, I was on a tour with some exchange students,” Diana started as she opened the menu. “Marie was the tour leader, she was an American but spoke excellent French. She—we were having a meal at one of the pensions and Madam Derosiers said something that none of us could catch but Marie just got this strange look. She gave some answer and we went on. She told us later that Madam was just asking if we like the mean, which was very good. I knew there was something Marie wasn’t saying and I got her alone later. She finally told me that the Madam had asked if we liked the meal, she understood that horsemeat was not knowingly served in America.”

  Jessie’s eyes widened as she glanced around at the horse pictures and then back down at the steak menu. “Ahhh, should I ask how it was?”

  “Not as good as it was when I didn’t know what it was.” Diana laughed. “So coming in here and seeing all the horse pictures and steak for dinner, it just triggered the memory.”

  “Oh.” Jessie shook her head. “I don’t think I could have eaten anything there again.” She gave a small grimace and changed the subject. “So you were in France?”

  “Yes. I played tourist, did some studies. My papa thought it was a good idea.” To be out of the way, way out of the way. There was something going on he didn’t want me to know about. She shifted away from that thought; it wasn’t something to remember now. “It was an experience but I was glad to get home, see familiar things.”

  “Speak French?”

  “Not well. That was one drawback. I couldn’t get into the French mentality, always felt like I was missing something. Of course, I’ve had that feeling traveling here in the States too. We’re one country but there are such different regions.”

  “Sounds like you’ve traveled a lot.”

  “Yeah, I get around.” The waitress came and they turned in their orders. “How about you?”

  Jessie shook her head. “No, with the horse races and the sales, we get the worldwide travelers coming here. Don’t need to go there and see them. Everyone comes here.”

  “It’s a nice place to visit. There seems to be a lot of history here. I did some of the tours this morning.”

  “Lots of history. We may not have the nightlife of a big city but we’re not a small town either.”

  “As long as you like horses and basketball,” Diana teased. “I’ve seen that much.”

  “It’s a good place to live.”

  Conversation continued over dinner. Diana talked about places she had been and Jessie talked about Lexington. Jessie was clearly a hometown girl, she liked where she was, didn’t put it down like so many women Diana had met who had been eager to escape their home and go somewhere else. Comfortable in her own skin, Diana decided. No pretense. She liked that. They went to the bar afterward.

  The women’s bar was a comfortable place also, bar down one side, dance floor at one end, platform for a band which performed occasionally, Jessie explained. Cement floor and plastic tables and chairs, nothing especially sophisticated but neighborly. There was a good turnout, and Diana noticed that she got more than a few curious glances. Jessie was obviously known as a Romeo here too. She was greeted often and in a friendly enough manner but everyone left them alone. Fast and loose was Diana’s guess. No need to meet whoever Jessie was with because it would change quick enough. Diana didn’t mind being the latest conquest; she also had a little black book.

  Dancing was good, crowd was friendly in an impersonal way. The place heated up in more ways than one and it was after midnight when they left. Diana moved closer to Jessie as they walked to the car, Jessie’s arm easily resting across her shoulders. The night air was chillier than Diana had expected and Jessie was warm. She moved even closer.

  “Cold?” Jessie asked as she unlocked the car door.

  “A little.”

  Jessie reached into the backseat for a denim jacket. She draped it around Diana’s shoulders. “Feel better?”

  “Feels great,” Diana could answer in all honesty.

  “Are you coming in?” she asked when they got back to the hotel.

  Jessie looked uncertain. “I’d like to,” she said cautiously.

  “Well, come on in,” Diana invited.

  “I need to make a couple of calls,” Jessie said as Diana unlocked the door. She sounded reluctant.

  “Of course.” Diana waved to the phone on the desk. “There’s the phone. I’ve got to make a pit stop.”

  “No, I’ll use my phone.”

  From the bathroom, she thought about Jessie’s change of attitude. Damn, she had thought it was going so good. She listened to hear the soft murmur of Jessie’s voice and then she evidently made another call.

  Jessie stood awkwardly in the center of the room, frowning at the phone as Diana came back out. “I’m sorry,” she said as she looked up. “I can’t stay, something’s come up and I’ve got to go.”

  At two in the morning? But Diana hid her disappointment. Maybe this was something Jessie had set up to get her out of saying a point-blank no. But the evening had gone so well, dinner, conversation, the bar, dancing. “That happens,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

  “So am I.”

  If Jessie had set this up, Diana thought, she was putting on a good acting job. She looked sufficiently unhappy as she took her jacket back when Diana coolly handed it to her. Diana didn’t want to even use a ploy to see her again if Jessie wanted an out. She wasn’t that desperate to hold on to someone.

  They said goodbye at the door, Diana becoming cooler by the minute even as Jessie was reluctant to go, dragging it out as much as she could, a lingering kiss, inviting, considering she was leaving. Diana ended it.

  “Goodbye.” She almost shoved Jessie out the door and closed it.

  Oh, well, she thought leaning against the door. It was nice while it lasted.

  There was a sharp knock at the door. Diana turned, checked the peephole. Jessie?

  She opened the door.

  “Look,” Jessie said quickly, “I really had a great time tonight, but I’ve really got to go. Wanted to ask you: a lot of the horse farms are open tomorrow for tours. Did you want to go on one?”

  “Well, sure,” Diana said with some bewilderment at the change.

  “I’ll pick you up at one, no, make it twelve thirty. That all right?”

  “Fine.”

  “Great.” Jessie leaned forward to give Diana a quick kiss. Then she turned and almost ran down the hall to the elevator.

  Diana closed the door, leaning against it in bewilderment, shaking her head. So much for bailing out. But what the hell goes on at two in the morning that she has to leave?

  ***

  Jessie did try to explain the next afternoon when she came to pick up Diana at the hotel. Jessie sat down on the small loveseat as Diana went back to the table by the window. “About last night,” Jessie started. “I need to explain.”

  “No you don’t,” Diana cut her off. “You don’t owe me any explanation, ever.” Jessie looked at her in a puzzled way. “Besides, don’t you know? Your friends don’t need it and your enemies don’t believe it.”

  Jessie looked even more puzzled as she leaned forward, her legs spread, her elbows on her knees. “And what class does that put you in?”

  Diana shut the lid of the laptop. “The here and now. Last night’s past. You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”

  “You don’t want to know?”

  Diana shook her head. “Why should I? Your life. You don’t owe me anything.” She walked over to stand between Jessie’s legs. Jessie leaned back to look up at her, scooted back as Diana rested her knee on the seat. Jessie shook her head, giving Diana a sideways puzzled look. “All right,” she said. “If that’s your philosophy.”

  “That’s my philosophy.”

  “You don’t want to kn
ow anything else?”

  Diana shook her head. “No.” She searched Jessie’s face. “Is that a problem?”

  Jessie shook her head but she seemed uncertain. “I just thought you’d want to know more.”

  “Why? Are we going to see each other again, run into each other at the grocery store? Or the neighborhood bar?” She began to have second thoughts about this horse farm tour. There were better ways to spend a Sunday afternoon. She took Jessie’s hand and brought the fingertips to her lips. “Tomorrow I’m gone.” She examined Jessie’s hand, long, slender fingers, delicate but strong, neatly trimmed nails. “I didn’t think you were interested in exchanging life histories.” She could feel Jessie’s pulse increase. “Was it boring, darling?” She tongued the center of Jessie’s palm.

  “No.” Jessie shivered as Diana slid her tongue down to Jessie’s wrist. Jessie closed her eyes as her fingers curled.

  “Did you have a good time?”

  “Oh yes.”

  “Isn’t that all that matters?”

  With a sudden twist of her hand, Jessie caught Diana’s wrist and pulled her down across her lap. She ran her hand up Diana’s arm, went around her neck. She held her there a moment as Diana smiled at her.

  “Isn’t it?” Diana repeated softly.

  Jessie slowly pulled Diana to her. Diana welcomed the caresses, ran her fingers through Jessie’s short hair, ran her finger around Jessie’s ear, trailed her fingers down Jessie’s neck. This woman was so good; she knew just what to do.

  “Did you really want to see the horse farms?” Jessie asked breathlessly when she broke away.

  “Seen one horse, seen them all,” Diana responded. She pulled Jessie’s face back to her. As she pressed against Jessie’s lips, she came up on her knees, straddled Jessie. When she broke away, she looked down into Jessie’s face. “But you, darling, you’re one of a kind.”

  ***

  Interesting, Diana thought as she drove away on Monday afternoon. Not exactly what I expected. Amazing what gems one can find in the hinterlands.

  She glanced at her watch, already dismissing Lexington. If she pushed it, she could make it home by midnight. It would be good to sleep in her own bed even if it was late. And she could make her report to Papa in the morning. She must remember not to glow. Doing a favor for Papa promised payment. She wouldn’t want him to think she got something great out of it and he could escape any obligation.