Northern Proposals Read online

  Northern Proposals

  by Julia P. Lynde

  Table of Contents

  Heading North

  Settling In

  In A Daze

  Shopping For A Cabin

  First Time

  Cuddling

  Morning

  The Truth

  The In-Laws

  Offer

  Moving Forward

  About The Author

  Heading North

  "It's not happening," Jessica said to me. "I am not giving up my weekend to work on this. I have plans."

  Frustrated, I stared into her green eyes. "I only need a few hours from you," I told her. "You can come in for three hours."

  "No, I can't," she said. "I have plans."

  "If you can’t come in, I'll come to you."

  "I am going out of town," she said. "I have been working my ass off, I begged my sister-in-law for the use of her cabin, and this was the only weekend I can get it. I am not giving it up."

  We were standing in her cubicle at work. Jessica and I weren't exactly friends at the office, but I thought we got along. The project was due Monday, and it had taken longer than I expected to finish it. She had waited all week for me to finish my part so that I could hand it over to her for the portion she needed to do. I needed her statistics expertise to lend weight to the presentation.

  And now she wasn't going to do it.

  "Please, Jessica. You know it's due right away on Monday."

  "I have been bugging you all week to get it to me." She looked at her watch. "It is now 3:30 on Friday. I wanted to leave a half hour ago. I still need to stop by my house then pick up my date for the weekend. It's a long drive, and I didn't want to drive during rush hour, but now I either do that or wait until after six. Thanks a lot."

  Her phone chose that minute to ring. She picked it up from her desk and looked at it. "It's Susan," she said. "Probably wondering why I'm standing here arguing with you instead of picking her up." She answered the phone. "Hey," she said with a smile. I watched the conversation. First, her features froze. Then the smile began to evaporate. "I thought we were doing well. I know we haven't known each other that long, but-" She paused for a while, listening. "Oh." Her features finished their dissolve into sadness. "No. I hope it works out well for you."

  She hung up her phone. "Fuck."

  "I'm sorry," I told her quietly.

  She turned away for a moment, staring into space, then turned back. "It's not like we were in love," she said. "But I was looking forward to this weekend." She sighed. "Well, I'll find someone else to bring. It should only take a few phone calls to find a fun playmate." She paced around her office. I tried to judge her mood after being dumped over the phone. She seemed frustrated by the situation more than anything else. Finally she turned back to me. "As far as I am concerned, it is not my fault you didn't get this to me yesterday. If you had, I could have done it today."

  "I agree," I told her. "Entirely my fault. I should have stayed late earlier in the week. Please, Jessica."

  She looked me up and down, and I felt she was evaluating me for something. "What is my help worth to you?"

  "Anything."

  "Do you really mean that?" she asked.

  "Yes."

  "All right," she said. "Pack up your laptop. You are my date for the weekend."

  "What?"

  "My companion for the weekend just cancelled. I had to grovel to get the cabin. My sister-in-law doesn't like me, and the kissing up I had to do to get the cabin was humiliating. I am not giving it up. I want a nice weekend. I hope you like to swim."

  I looked at her. "Your date?"

  "Oh don't be so shocked," she said. "You knew I was gay."

  "Yeah, but I'm not," I told her. "I like boys."

  "I'm not asking for sex. Think of it as an extended slumber party."

  I thought about it. When Jessica said she wouldn't help me over the weekend, I'd felt as if she wanted me to get into trouble on Monday when the project wasn't done. I couldn't finish the project without her, and she was right. It wasn't her fault I'd gotten to her late. But I could do the remaining work from a laptop, so maybe doing it out of town would not be a problem.

  "Tell me about the cabin."

  "Four hour drive," she said. "Quiet lake in northern Minnesota." She smiled, and it was like the tension left her body while she thought about the cabin. "It's a small cabin with only one bedroom for us to share. But Marcy told me I was free to use the pontoon boat, and the swimming is good. We can bring laptops out on the boat. It will be nice. When have you worked from a boat? I already bought all the groceries. It's not going to cost you a dime. We'll take my car, and you can work on the presentation during the drive if you don't want to talk to me."

  I looked at her hesitantly.

  "Jade, it's not like I'm going to turn you gay if you spend a weekend with me," she said. "And you might have fun."

  I offered a droll expression at the joke about being turned gay.

  "Look, keep me company. Flirt with me a little. Enjoy the cabin. It's really very beautiful. We'll finish the presentation. I won't have to give up my weekend. I promise I won't seduce you unless you look like you want me to."

  I laughed. "You know, it actually does sound fun, Jessica. Thank you."

  She offered a smile that lit up her entire face. "Really? And you'll flirt with me?"

  I laughed again. "Yes, I'll flirt with you. But it's just flirting."

  "I knew I liked you," she said, reaching out and touching my hand briefly. Her smile was infectious, and I soon found myself smiling back. "I have all our food at my place, and I'm only ten minutes away. I'll go home and pack up the car then meet you at your place." She turned to her desk and grabbed a pad of paper and a pen, handing them to me. "Address."

  I wrote it out for her. When I was done she handed me a business card. "It has my cell number on it." She looked at the address. "Oh good, you live close, too." I nodded. "I'll head straight there after collecting my things, and if you're not ready to go, I can help you pack."

  "What do I need?"

  "Casual clothes, pajamas, swim suit, personal items."

  I thought about her description of the cabin. "One bedroom cabin? Please tell me it has running water."

  She laughed. "Indoor plumbing. You won't have to use an outhouse. There is even a shower. And cable Internet. It's my sister-in-law's cabin, but my brother insisted on Internet." She reached out and touched my hand again. "Thank you, Jade. You wouldn't believe the groveling I did to get it, and I didn't want to go alone." She sighed, and some of her sadness came through.

  "You said you could make a few calls to find someone. I'm not really doing you a favor. You could probably find someone who would do more than flirt."

  "Probably, but you're outdoorsy. You go running at lunch, and last week you mentioned a camping trip. Anyone else I might find, well. My type tends to be pretty feminine, and someone who looks as stunning as you but likes it outside, well, I don't think I'm going to find her with a few phone calls. I would rather you came along than anyone else I can think of."

  I laughed. "Thank you. I know what you mean. Thank you for inviting me, Jessica."

  * * *

  On the drive home, I thought about whether I was making a mistake. The reality was simple. I needed Jessica to finish the proposal, and she was right. She shouldn't have to give up her weekend because I took too long to get it to her. And a weekend on a lake sounded like fun.

  I got home and was shedding clothes by the time I was in the house. I was wearing a business suit but quickly had it hanging up and pulled on a pair of jeans and a casual blouse. I wasn't going to wear silk, after all.

  I was still packing by the time the door
bell rang. I ran to the front door, and Jessica was standing there. She had changed, and my jaw dropped. She was wearing a black leather skirt, ankle boots, a white blouse open halfway down the front, and a stylish leather jacket. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was pulled to the side. She looked good.

  She grinned at my reaction. "I thought you weren't gay," she said.

  "I am reevaluating my choices," I told her. When she stepped past me into the house, I made a point of checking out her ass, making sure she caught me.

  She cocked her head, and her smile reached her eyes. I hoped she realized I was just teasing. Then her smile faded a little. "I'm trying too hard," she admitted. "I was feeling a little rejected. I know you're just teasing, but I appreciate it." She took a breath, and her tone became more detached. "You don't have to go, you know. You could email everything to me. If you go, we will have to share a bed. There are two bedrooms, but we can't use Jon and Marcy's bedroom. Marcy would have a cow." She looked away. "I don't want a sexual harassment lawsuit."

  I could tell she really wanted me to come, and I decided perhaps it wouldn't have been as easy as she had suggested for her to find someone else to go. And to be honest, if I had to work for a weekend, doing so at a cabin on a lake sounded like more fun than going to the office.

  It was my turn to reach out and touch her hand. "Jessica, I was leery at first. I wouldn't have called us friends, but we get along well at work. I think it'll be a nice weekend. May I come?"

  She turned back to me and smiled again, and I couldn't imagine she had much trouble finding dates. It felt like she was lighting the room with that smile. "Are you packed?"

  "Not quite."

  "Will it be weird if I help?" she asked. "It will go faster. If we hurry, we'll still deal with rush hour, but at least we'll be ahead of the worst of it."

  I nodded and led the way to my bedroom. The suitcase was on the bed, and I had tossed a few things in it. She looked through it. "Undies," she said. I went to my dresser and found underwear, handing her three pairs. She put them into the suitcase. "Swim suit." She listed a few more things and I handed them to her. "Something to sleep in," she said. I went into my closet and came out with a black teddy. She looked at it.

  "Jade, if you wear that, I will take it as a message you want to be seduced."

  "Oh, right. Sorry." I went back into the closet and found a pair of granny jammies. She took one look at them and sighed. "You could give me a LITTLE eye candy."

  I grinned and pointed to my dresser. "Second drawer on the left has my swim suits. Pick two. Not the thong."

  I put the jammies into the suitcase. I'm not sure why, but I still had the teddy, and I hid that in the suitcase too.

  "How about these?" Jessica asked, holding up two swimsuits, a bikini in one hand and a one-piece in the other. They weren't my sexiest suits, but I looked good in both of them. "Eye candy without being too suggestive," she said.

  I nodded and she put them into the suitcase for me.

  I looked at her in her hot outfit and I came to a decision. "Turn around," I told her.

  She turned her back to me and I stripped out of my jeans and blouse and tossed them at the suitcase. I went into my closet and found a summer dress. I slipped into it. I wouldn't look as sexy as Jessica did, but it was comfortable, and I thought she'd appreciate it.

  "You can turn around again," I told her. She smiled in appreciation when she saw I had changed attire. I packed the rest of the clothes and grabbed some things from the bathroom.

  "Jacket," she said. "In case it gets chilly. And do you have beach shoes of some sort? Sandals? And how about hiking boots or tennis shoes?"

  "Front closet," I told her.

  She carried my suitcase for me and I grabbed everything I would need to work on the proposal. Soon we had everything in her car, and she was holding my door for me. I slipped into place and watched her climb into the driver's seat. We buckled up and were soon on the road.

  "Thank you, Jade," she said again.

  * * *

  We made small talk while she drove us out of town. Traffic was heavy but not terrible, and I decided she was a good driver.

  Once we were clear of the city I asked her to tell me more about the cabin.

  "The drive is pretty," she said, "especially the second half. It's a modest, quiet lake, big enough for water skiing, but Marcy specifically told me I couldn't use the ski boat. But the pontoon boat is my brother's. We can't ski behind it, but it makes a good boat to sit out on the lake. Jon bought it used. It's very old, actually, and when he bought it, I thought it was a piece of junk. But he stripped it down and rebuilt everything. It's not fancy or stylish, but it's very practical, and I'd rather use it than the ski boat any day."

  Her tone changed, becoming almost dreamy and a little distant. "The water is nice. Clear. It might be a little chilly. At night, you can hear the loons. There's a fireplace, and Jon cuts the firewood; he told me to use all I want. I brought all the food, and we won't touch any food up there. " Her tone changed again, and I was growing to recognize the tone she used when thinking about her sister-in-law. "We need to make sure the place is spotless when we leave. If there's one grain of sand, Marcy will make sure I hear about it."

  "What's with your sister-in-law?"

  "She's a homophobe."

  "Oh," I said. "I'm sorry."

  "She hates me, but she treats Jon very well. He apologizes to me for her, but they do love each other, so I don't go out of my way to bait her. We mostly stay out of each other's way."

  "You really groveled to her to get the cabin?"

  "Pretty much," Jessica said shortly before her tone became less harsh. "That may be overstating it. She wasn't actually being a bitch about it, but she was put out that I asked. We were together at mother's day. I hadn't actually planned on asking her, but you know what work has been for all of us over the spring. We were both in the kitchen, doing the dishes together, and it just sort of slipped out. 'Marcy, could I use the cabin sometime in the middle of June?' Marcy didn't respond right away, but once it was out, I realized how much I wanted it."

  "So what happened?"

  "She stood there, staring at me silently for a long time, then she just said, 'Jessica.' I swear, that woman thinks I can turn her gay just by getting her to say my name. I'm sure she thinks I'm going to leave gay germs all over the cabin. You know, she won't let me babysit the kids or spend any time around them unless she's watching?"

  She looked over at me, and I could see the pain in her eyes. "It's not like I'm going to have any of my own any time soon. I like kids. I could, you know, make arrangements to make a baby, but I want a stable relationship first. A real family."

  "I'm sorry," I told her. "I know what you mean about kids. I've thought about that, too. There is time."

  "So anyway," Jessica said. "I told her how much we've been working. I rented a cabin at a resort last year, but it wasn't remotely as relaxing as going to her place, and I told her that. I probably babbled for a while, then I promised to do whatever she asked in exchange." She paused. "When I was done, I realized I had embarrassed myself badly, and I wished I hadn't asked. We both stared quietly at each other, and then she offered this weekend and told me to make sure it was spotless when I left. She gave me restrictions. Stay out of her bedroom. Don't touch the ski boat, and do not act all gay in town."

  "She actually said that?" I asked her.

  "Yes. And it was 'my bedroom' not 'our bedroom'."

  "I thought you said she treats Jon well."

  "She does." Jessica appeared thoughtful. "I don't get all their dynamics, but they dote on each other, and it doesn't look like an act. I think he's the only one she lets her hair down around. She doesn't have to prove anything to him." Jessica shrugged. "She's brilliant and has a good job. She's a good mother. She doesn't have anything to prove to anyone. I'm not sure she has good parents. I met them a few times, and they seemed like the disapproving type. They certainly didn't like me, and I've been pretty conserv
ative around them."

  "Family can suck." I said.

  "Yeah. But you understand how I wasn't going to give up my weekend."

  "We'll have fun. What will we do when we're not working?"

  "Flirt."

  I laughed.

  "Seriously," she said. "I like to take the boat out into the middle of the lake and use it as a swimming platform. We can swim from shore, too. It's a nice swimming spot. But swimming off the boat is fun. Jon has it rigged for swimming, partying and fishing. He thought about it a long time before he rebuilt it. He keeps two large coolers up there with wheels. You can roll them all the way from the cabin down onto the boat and into a cubby underneath two of the benches. There are spots everywhere for putting your drinks. He built a platform that folds up against the side of the boat most of the time, but you can lower it, and when lowered, it sits right at water level for climbing back onto the boat. It's great."

  She talked for a while about making s'mores and listening to the loons.

  We continued to talk as we drove up Highway 169, eventually reaching Lake Mille Lacs, a large lake that can be considered the gateway to lakes country in northern Minnesota. We talked about family; mine was all still in Iowa. Hers was all local. We talked about friends and our social lives.

  "Do you have a boyfriend?" she asked me at one point.

  "No. I did, but after a while all he wanted to do was play his computer game, some online game. I would come over to his place, dressed a lot like you are now, and instead of paying attention to me, he'd play his game."

  "Did you ever play with him?"

  "No."

  "I had a girl friend who was a gamer," Jessica told me. "She had all these online friends, all undersexed boys, and when we would voice chat while gaming, you could practically hear them drooling."

  I laughed. "So you play computer games?"

  "I did with her. It was fun, but not something I could obsess over. She was into it a lot more than I was. She went to conventions and would dress up for them. She was very popular."

  "I bet that's why she did it."