A Weekend in the Poconos

by Apple Annie

When Jo and Blair visit a resort that Natalie and Tootie are working at for the summer, things heat up between them. This story is based on TFOL episode "Jazzbeau." It is a one shot (rather long), but hopefully the beginning of a "They're So Gay!" series based on actually eps from the show. Very gay. There is a sex scene. All the usual disclaimers apply!

"Hey!"

The voice coming over the phone crackled indistinctly in Jo's ear.

"Blair?" she guessed.

"Yeah! It's me. Hey, I'm back from Europe and was wondering if we could get together, go to the Poconos… or something?"

Jo pulled the receiver away from her ear and shook it. "The connection must be bad, Blair, because I'm thinking I just heard you ask me to the Poconos."

"Um, I did… " There was a pause. "You don't want to go?"

"The Poconos? That's like a romantic place, right?"

"Well, yeah," Blair's voice lingered over the word yeah.

"So why would I go there with you?"

"Like I would take you to a romantic place on purpose?" Blair's voice turned sarcastic. "It's just that Nat and Tootie are working at a resort there. I thought it would be nice to see them… but, hey, never mind!"

"Now, hold on there," Jo stepped her back. "I didn't say I wouldn't go."

"So you will?" Blair brightened.

"I can't leave 'til Friday, but I do have the weekend off."

"No, Jo! Let's leave on Thursday! That would give us three full days and nights there!"

"I'm working Thursday. I'd have to switch shifts with Peggy or Beth or my Mom," Jo complained.

"Good, you can switch with your Mom! I'll pick you up at, um, the restaurant or…"

Jo placed the receiver on her shoulder and sighed. She could argue with Blair, which meant spending the next twenty minutes or so trying to impress upon her the vagaries of life as a waitress and how much of an imposition it was to switch shifts, plus put up with a series of return phone calls badgering her to do so, or just agree now. She was pretty sure her Mom would switch shifts with her.

"Jo? Jo?" she heard Blair's voice calling into her shoulder.

"Just come to Mom's apartment. I'll be ready by noon."

"Noon, then! Great!"

"Alright."

"Good. See you then?"

"See you then," Jo smiled as she returned the receiver to the cradle.

It had been a mere six weeks since she had seen Blair last, but Jo had to admit to herself that she missed her. She had many friends in the Bronx, where she was working for the summer, but no one like Blair. She had changed profoundly in her time at Eastland and Langley. She found it increasingly hard to maintain her tough-girl veneer. It was particularly tedious trying to pretend around her old chums that she was the same street tough who had left the Bronx all those years ago. She had grown. She was different. She was beginning to embrace who she was on the inside… who she had always been. She didn't want to pretend anymore. It was a somewhat disconcerting realization, but no one got to her the way Blair did. Most wouldn't try. Jo had built up a shell that was difficult to penetrate. But Blair… she was something different. As hard as Jo tried to be around her, Blair somehow got through.

When it counted most, Blair always saw right into the truth of her heart.

And what was that truth? Since as long as she could remember having such thoughts, Jo realized she had an attraction towards other women. She had tried to deny it. She had done her best to date men and maintain relationships that were deemed appropriate by her family and friends. Hell, she had even gotten engaged! But Blair had changed all that. She had gotten under her skin from the moment they first met and she just stayed there! And Jo had come to rely on Blair: her friendship, her perceptions, her advice. Plus, she had the prettiest eyes she had ever seen. It wasn't just that they were warm and brown, or that they were huge and expressive… there was something beyond that which touched her. There was love, hurt and deepness in Blair's eyes, for anyone with the discernment to see it.

What? Why was she thinking of Blair's eyes? Forget it. If anyone found out, she'd be mortified. Yet… she touched the framed photo that sat on the dresser of her cramped bedroom. It was of her and Blair embracing at high school graduation.

"Blair," she shook her head and whispered.

---

"Move it!" Blair yelled out the window of her Porsche as she sat in traffic between Manhattan and the Bronx. As much as she hated coarseness… these people were just in her way! She had been dreaming about seeing Jo since Paris. Why the image of Jo had come into her head at the foot of the Eiffel Tower still baffled her. Why she had even been at the foot of the Eiffel Tower was odd enough. Her trip was supposed to be about shopping and fashion. But, her artistic side had gotten the better of her, prompting many a trip to the older part of town: the art museums, Luxembourg Gardens and… the Eiffel Tower. She had stood alone there in the rain, looking up, thinking it probably the most romantic icon in the world. It wasn't until she reached the top that she realized just how much she missed Jo.

All of Paris was at her feet. The rain clouds parted as the sun shone through and glistened off the buildings of the old town. The River Seine ran through the heart of the city, crossed by ornate bridges. Notre Dame Cathedral shone in the late afternoon glow. And yet… it felt empty. She had turned to a stranger to remark on the beauty of the scene. But… the moment felt lost to her. Something was missing… Jo.

When did all this happen? It felt completely improbable. There had certainly been an adolescent attraction. That was undeniable. Of course we were attracted: opposites attract. But what she was feeling now went way beyond a mere teenage crush. At what point had the stars aligned and revealed her true heart to her? She didn't know. It just was. The reality was terrifying and wonderful all at once. She was truly, undeniably, deeply in love with Jo.

She popped her head out the window again. "Move it!"

---

Jo could hardly sleep on Wednesday night: an unexpected visit from Blair and a trip to the Poconos? She was excited. She rose early.

"I didn't expect to see you up!" her mother remarked as she finished cooking breakfast.

"It's like a mini-vacation!" Jo grinned.

"I'm glad Blair invited you," Rose returned her smile. "You deserve a break. I'm only too happy to switch shifts with you!"

"Thanks, Ma," Jo kissed her cheek.

She didn't have much to pack. Blair had reminded her to bring a swimming suit and shorts… as if she had needed reminding! She stuffed everything into her duffle bag. She tried to watch T.V. to pass the time until Blair arrived. She paced. She checked the window to the street on a periodic basis, just in case Blair was early. Blair… early? What a concept! Finally, at about 11:30, she saw a red Porsche pull up in front of the apartment building. Blair was early! She watched, amused, as she tried to squeeze her car into a tight space. Blair exited the vehicle and immediately looked up. She smiled radiantly as she caught Jo's eye. Jo thought, for a moment, that her heart might jump out of her chest.

She turns my world upside down with a glance? Be strong! She told herself. Don't let her see how you really feel!

Jo grabbed her duffle bag and headed downstairs.

"Hi, Jo," Blair moved to embrace her.

"Good to see you," Jo gave her a cursory hug. She immediately moved to the front of the car, waiting for Blair to open the hood.

"That's all I get?" Blair placed her hands on her hips in a defiant gesture.

"Whadda' you want, Blair? I'm here. I'm ready to go."

"I want a proper hug," Blair pouted.

"Jesus, Blair, demanding much? I switched shifts for you, what more do you want?"

Blair eyed her curiously. She had missed Jo. She was sure she was in love with Jo. Could it be that Jo didn't feel the same way? She popped the hood.

"You don't travel light," Jo shook her head as she viewed Blair's luggage.

"There's plenty of room for your stuff," Blair said as she shoved the duffle bag into the trunk and shut the hood. She tossed the keys to Jo. "You're driving," she informed as she made her way to the passenger side.

"You'll get no argument from me!" Jo looked at the Porsche keys in her hand. "But why?"

"There's a place called Blairstown in between here and there. We have to see it, Jo!"

"Of course we do," Jo nodded as she slipped into the driver's seat.

"We'll have to get off the interstate and take country roads. I'm going to read the map to you," Blair explained.

"Road trip!" Jo smiled at her as she cranked the engine.

---

"This is beautiful!" Blair enthused as Jo cruised the Porsche down the main street of Blairstown.

"Yeah, if you like white people," Jo protested.

"I can't imagine what you're talking about," Blair huffed. "This town has a rustic charm and great natural beauty!"

"And only white people," Jo reiterated.

"Why do you only look at the negatives, Jo?"

"Just because this town has your name, doesn't make it all that. It's just a tiny, little place in the hinterlands of New Jersey. Get real, Blair!"

"Well, I think it's nice!" Blair stated resolutely.

"Whatever," Jo sighed. "Can we go now?"

"If that's your attitude, of course," Blair folded her arms across her chest.

As they cruised back towards the interstate, something caught Blair's eye.

"Oh, Jo! Wait!"

Jo hit the brakes, alarmed.

"What is it, Blair?"

"There's a country fair back there with a carnival!"

"Seriously?"

"I want to go," Blair batted her eyes. "Please, Jo!"

Jo could not resist Blair's eyes.

"Alright," she sighed as she turned the car around.

They parked in a dirt lot adjacent to the fair. Blair took Jo's hand as they exited the car.

"Isn't this wonderful?"

"It's okay," Jo admitted more for the fact that Blair had taken her hand than that she was pleased with the surroundings.

Blair headed towards a booth dragging Jo with her.

"Homemade soaps!" Blair exclaimed as she started to sniff the wares.

"We're going to a hotel, Blair. I think they'll have soap," Jo expressed.

"Maybe little heart-shaped soaps, Jo. You'll thank me when we get there!"

Jo couldn't argue with that.

Blair purchased a few soaps, before slipping her arm into Jo's and directing her towards a candle booth.

"I love candles!" she stated enthusiastically. "Don't you?"

"Yeah, they're alright, for what they are," Jo shrugged.

"I'm buying some!"

"No! You?" Jo smirked sarcastically. "Buying stuff?"

"Jo," Blair punched her arm playfully. She inspected several candles before deciding what to purchase. She hit several more stands, buying an apron with matching potholders for Mrs. Garrett and a few trinkets for Natalie and Tootie. Jo followed along, just happy to be out of the city for the first time in weeks and amused at her friend's never-ending capacity to shop.

"Oh, Jo!" Blair suddenly exclaimed. "Look! A puppet show! This reminds me of the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris!"

"Do we have to, Blair?"

Blair looked at her crestfallen. "Please?"

Jo nodded and sighed. Her friend smiled brightly before scurrying over to the show with Jo in tow. As they sat before the puppet theatre, Blair slid close to her so that their legs were touching.

"You know I'm a ventriloquist, right?"

"I remember," Jo acknowledged.

"This is great!" Blair stated.

Jo didn't disagree. Although she was not thrilled by the puppet show, she was basking in the sunlight in a beautiful country setting with Blair at her side. What could be better than that? Blair watched the show with wide eyes, alternately laughing and gasping in amazement. Jo couldn't figure when she first began thinking of Blair as cute… but she was just so damn cute!

As the show ended, Blair rested her head on Jo's shoulder.

"That was wonderful. Thanks for indulging me."

"Blair?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's go check out the carnival."

Blair felt totally at peace resting her head on Jo. At last, Jo was allowing her to be physical with her. She didn't want to move.

"Why?"

"Indulge me," Jo grinned.

"Oh, all right," Blair rolled her eyes and smiled. "I guess I owe you."

"What ride do you want to go on first?" Jo asked excitedly as they approached the midway. "The Scrambler, the Tilt A-whirl?"

"The Ferris wheel," Blair nodded.

"No way, Blair! I want to go on fun rides!"

"But my bags?" Blair complained. "I bought all this stuff!"

"We'll leave it with the ride operator, c'mon!"

After a few rides, Blair noticed a game booth with stuffed toys.

"Look at that stuffed alligator, Jo! Wouldn't that be a perfect companion for Mr. Frog?"

"Yeah, if you're doing a swamp theme on your pillows."

"I want it, Jo!"

Jo stepped up to the carny. "What's the deal here?" she eyed him skeptically.

"Knock over the milk cans, win a prize!" he called out. "Step right up… no easier game on the midway!"

"These games are always rigged," Jo whispered to Blair.

"It doesn't hurt to try," Blair nudged her. "How much?" she turned to the carny.

"Three tries for a dollar!" he winked at her. Blair handed him a dollar. He placed three balls in her hand. "The lovely lady takes a chance," he eyed her up and down lasciviously.

"This lovely lady takes a chance!" Jo corrected as she stepped between Blair and the barker and took possession of the balls.

She knocked a milk can off the top of the stack with her first throw.

"Good one, Jo!" Blair encouraged.

She whiffed on her second throw. On the third throw, she hit the display perfectly; the only result being that another milk can toppled off the top.

"Hey! I hit that dead center!" Jo complained to the carny.

"Gotta' hit 'em harder than that, little lady!" the man shook his head. "Try again! It's only a dollar!"

Blair plopped down another dollar. "You can do it," she whispered in Jo's ear.

Jo reached back and hurled with all her might. She had thrown it so hard… she missed everything!

"Damn!" she complained.

She took aim again. She missed a second time.

"I'm startin' to feel a breeze!" the carnival barker joked as he winked at Blair again.

This guy is just pissing me off! Jo thought to herself as she gripped the final ball. She reared back and let it fly. Dead center again! But his time, all the cans came tumbling down!

"Ha!" she raised her fists in the air as she eyed the carny triumphantly.

"We have a winner!" he proclaimed half-heartedly. "Pick your prize."

"Oh, Jo! You did it!" Blair placed her hands on her shoulders and jumped up and down behind her.

"I'll take the alligator," Jo smirked at the smarmy game operator. She handed the stuffed toy to Blair as they walked away.

"Thanks, Jo," Blair hugged the alligator. "I knew you could do it. You're amazing!"

"Yeah, well…" Jo shrugged, blushing slightly. "Hey, let's hit the Ferris wheel like you wanted!"

As the ride loaded passengers, Blair and Jo were momentarily left swaying on the top.

"I hate this part, Jo," Blair stated nervously as she looked over the edge. "Way up high with only this little bar between us and certain death."

"I thought you said you liked this ride."

"I do… when it's moving! I don't like this part, just sitting here," Blair bit her lower lip as the cart creaked back and forth in the breeze.

"Ah, don't worry! I fell out of a sixth floor window once and survived. Nothing's going to happen to you as long as you're with me!"

"Seriously, Jo?"

"Yeah! Just look at the view, Blair!" Jo distracted her. "This sure is pretty country out here."

Blair looked around. A cloudless blue sky melted in to rolling hills, densely populated by lush green trees. As she felt herself calm down, she looked back to Jo. She always knew just what to say to make her feel better. She slipped her hand into her friend's. "It is."

"Are you okay?" Jo queried.

Blair stared into beautiful green eyes. She felt a charge go through her body as she squeezed Jo's hand tighter. If ever she was going to tell her how much she loved her, this might be a good time.

"Jo, I uh…" the ride suddenly jerked forward and began to move.

"You wanted to tell me something, Blair?"

"I'm having a really good time," Blair smiled at her.

"Me too, Blair," Jo smiled back.

As they left the midway, the strains of bluegrass music wafted on the air. Jo grabbed Blair's hand and led her to where the band was playing. Nothing was organized. It was just a band and a bunch of people dancing.

"Wanna' dance?" Jo gave her a crooked smile.

Blair dropped her bags, took one of Jo's hands into her own and placed the other on her waist.

"Let's go!" she smiled.

They danced in an exaggerated country-style, until they were both laughing hysterically. They lost all notions of others around them, so focused were they on each other. They spun dizzily to the music until the song ended. At which point they stood, breathlessly, face to face.

"Um, Blair, I…" Jo began, but was cut off by a loudspeaker.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" a voice boomed out as Jo and Blair jumped back. "It's pig auction time!"

"Time to hit the road. Unless you want to buy a pig!" Jo teased. "I mean, you've bought just about everything else in the place."

"Thanks for reminding me. I've always wanted a pig, Jo."

"Yeah? Since when?"

"Since I lived with one in a college dorm room for a couple of weeks… clothes, tools, and fast food wrappers everywhere!"

"Very funny, Blair. It can sit in the passenger seat with you and the rest of your junk," Jo smirked.

"Oh. We are a bit cramped," Blair mused. "Guess I'll have to wait 'til I have a bigger car."

"Good call, Blair."

---

"I booked last second, so I had to take what they had available," Blair warned Jo as she slipped the key into the door of their hotel room.

Jo dropped their bags as they entered. She gazed around the room. "What the fuck, Blair!"

"It's not the Plaza, I know," Blair sighed.

"Are you kidding me? This room is huge! I've never been in a room this nice!"

"So you like it?"

"Um, yeah… but it must've set you back some."

Blair looked confused. "Come again?"

"It must cost a lot, Blair!"

"Oh, that," Blair waved her off. "It's my treat. I told you that before we came. Let's not start arguing about money."

"Easy for you to say," Jo shook her head.

Blair walked over to the closet and set one of her bags inside, hoping against hope, that Jo would just let it go.

"Hey!" Jo called out.

"Shit," Blair whispered to herself.

"What's with this bed?" Jo complained.

Blair walked over to where she was standing.

"What's wrong with the bed?" she eyed Jo curiously.

"It's round!" her friend glared at her.

"At least it's not heart-shaped, Jo," Blair offered as she shrugged.

"Is this the only bed in the room?"

"I told you I had to take what they had available. So, yeah, it's the only bed in the room."

"So," Jo shook her head, "I'm supposed to sleep with you in the same bed?"

"It's not like we haven't shared a bed before, Jo, really."

"Yeah… but not a round one!"

"What difference does that make? It's plenty big enough!" Blair was becoming irritated. "I'm sure we can get a roll-away bed in here, if that's what you want!"

That wasn't what Jo wanted. She just wasn't expecting… this!

"No," she conceded. "It's pretty big, like you said. Besides, I don't want to be uncomfortable on a roll-away all night long while you're over here snoring in the lap of luxury."

"I do not snore!" Blair complained.

"Yeah ya' do," Jo mumbled to herself as she headed to the bathroom.

As Blair started unpacking her belongings, Jo's head suddenly popped out of the restroom.

"Um, Blair?"

"Yes, Jo?"

"Can you come here for a second?"

Blair walked over to her.

"The bed might not be heart-shaped," Jo smirked as she gestured towards a large bathtub.

"A heart-shaped Jacuzzi?" Blair began to laugh.

"You bought me to a resort in the Poconos with a heart-shaped bathtub and a round bed and you think that's funny?" Jo stared at her.

"It's completely cheesy! C'mon, Jo! You don't think that's funny?"

"Christ, Blair! This is like the Honeymoon Suite, or something!"

"We're in the Poconos, Jo… every room is the Honeymoon Suite!"

"Yeah, well… just don't be getting any ideas," Jo warned.

"Ha! Like I would even go there," Blair felt insulted, but also somewhat hurt by her insinuation. She had no idea what the stupid room would look like when she booked it. The notion that she would purposely choose a room with such gauche accouterments was offensive. She did have to admit that she had entertained ideas about being with Jo on this weekend getaway. But the nerve of Jo to call her on it when she had no idea what was going on in her head! This called for a stinging comeback.

"Besides, if I was going to do something like that… and that's a big if… I could find someone much more suitable than a guttersnipe from the Bronx to do it with, I'm sure."

"Yeah, well I wouldn't want to do it with a pampered princess like you neither!" she shot back as Blair stomped off.

Jo slammed the bathroom door and leaned on the sink, eyeing herself contemptuously in the mirror. "Don't be getting any ideas? Why did I say that?" she chastised herself. "Do you want her to know that you think about her like that? Real smooth, Polniaczek. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

A thought suddenly occurred to her: Blair had said "if." Maybe she felt the same way! Yeah, maybe… don't get ahead of yourself. But she did say "if." Jo gave herself hope, held on to that.

"Don't be getting any ideas!" Blair mocked as she continued to unpack. She opened one of her shopping bags and pulled out the gifts she had purchased for Natalie and Tootie. She reached down into another bag and pulled out her stuffed alligator.

"I love you, little stuffed alligator," Blair cooed as she smiled and hugged it. "That mean, horrible creature, Jo, won you for me. Shhh! Here she comes," she whispered dramatically as she set it on the bed.

Jo exited the bathroom and sat down beside her without saying a word. They both just sat there, not speaking.

"What do you think I should name her?" Blair finally ventured.

"It's a girl?" Jo looked at the alligator quizzically.

"Well, yeah. Isn't that obvious?"

"If you say so, Blair."

Jo held the stuffed toy up in the air and examined it.

"Welp, you were really imaginative with naming your frog Mr. Frog. I think you should call this one Ms. Alligator!"

She handed the toy back to Blair.

"That seems kind of formal," Blair pondered.

"And Mr. Frog is not? Admit it, Blair. You were just too lazy to come up with a real name for your frog."

"Well, maybe," Blair acknowledged. "But not this time. Her name is Allie!" she proclaimed triumphantly.

Jo bit her lip in an effort not to respond. She really didn't want to squabble with Blair on this trip and they had already had one of their patented blow-ups, over not having sex together, of all things!

"Good name, Blair," she nodded.

They both sat in silence for a few moments: Blair absently stroking Allie and Jo staring at her feet.

"Wanna' go find Nat and Tootie now?" Jo asked.

"Okay. Let's do that!" Blair agreed.

---

They found their friends on a break in the resort's restaurant.

"Hey guys!" Jo called out.

"Jo! Blair!" Tootie ran up and hugged them with Natalie not far behind.

"So," Blair pursed her lips. "You guys are working in a dining room again?"

"Shades of Eastland," Jo shook her head as she looked around.

"Don't remind me!" Tootie rolled her eyes.

"Hey, at least we're well qualified!" Natalie beamed.

"So, you guys been having fun this summer?" Jo asked.

"Hardly," Tootie complained. "It's work, work, work. But we have met some interesting people."

"Tootie's obsessed with this guy, Art," Natalie informed.

"Oooh," Blair waggled her eyebrows.

"Not like that, Blair," Tootie frowned. "He's totally old. I just find him interesting."

"She's on a mission to find out his hidden past," Natalie explained.

"I just know he has a fascinating backstory," Tootie's eyes lit up.

"If anyone can find out, it's you, Tootie," Jo nodded.

"Don't I know it," Natalie complained.

"Are you guys going to have any time to hang out?" Blair inquired.

"Yeah. We've got an afternoon off coming up," Natalie brightened.

"But we've got to get back to work tonight," Tootie sighed. "We open for dinner in an hour."

"Why don't you guys take a look around the resort and come back in an hour or so for dinner?" Natalie suggested. "I'll save you a table."

"Sounds good," Blair looked at her roommate. Jo shrugged her agreement.

When they returned for dinner, the restaurant was hopping. Tootie quickly escorted them to a table.

"We're slammed tonight, you guys. Someone didn't show up for work. Can you wait for us to get your order?"

"No problem, Tootie," Jo replied.

They perused the menu.

"I'm going for the steak," Jo informed.

"Pasta looks good to me," Blair placed the menu on the table. "So, what do you want to do while we wait?"

"Dots!" Jo pulled a notepad out of her pocket.

"Not dots!" Blair groaned.

"Why not? Because you always lose?"

"I do not always lose!"

"Then prove it!" Jo began drawing a grid of little dots. "I'll let you have the first move."

Blair made a line. Jo made a line. They began to play quickly. Suddenly, Blair connected several squares, placing her initial in each one.

"Ha!" she crowed triumphantly into Jo's ear.

Jo took another turn, then Blair. On her next turn, Jo connected several boxes.

"Ha!" she crowed back.

They continued playing until all the squares were filled. They counted their initials.

Jo moved in close to Blair's face. "I win… again!" She raised her arms in triumph.

"It's just a stupid game," Blair folded her arms across her chest. "You don't have to get so excited about filling in a bunch of stupid boxes."

"I always win," Jo bragged.

"You always draw the dot grid. You probably rig it in your favor," Blair speculated.

"That's ridiculous. How can you rig a dot grid?"

"I don't know… you're the mechanical genius."

"I am the dots champion of the Poconos!" Jo continued to celebrate.

"Give me that," Blair grabbed the notepad out of Jo's hand. She ripped off the dots game, crumpled it and tossed it on the table. She then picked up the pencil and began sketching.

"What are you doing, Blair?" Jo asked suspiciously.

"I'm drawing you," Blair replied airily.

"Aw, Blair, not this again," Jo moaned.

"Not what?" Blair asked innocently.

"You know I hate being a model for you. It's just not me."

"Relax, Jo. It's just a little sketch."

Blair made a great production out of her sketching. She raised her thumb into the air in front of Jo's face as she closed one eye before returning her concentration to the sketch. Jo noticed that she alternately bit her lower lip and licked her upper lip as she drew. There it was again: Blair was so damn cute!

"This light flatters you," Blair raised her eyebrows at her before returning dramatically to her drawing.

After ten minutes or so, Jo had lost all patience with the process.

"Let me see it!" she demanded.

"You can't rush art, Jo," Blair smiled at her coyly.

"Christ! It's a tiny notepad, Blair. How complicated can it be?"

Blair puckered her lips and tilted her head to one side as she shrugged.

"Let me see it!" Jo insisted again.

Blair turned the notepad so that Jo could see her "work of art." It was a stick figure with a huge block for a head. The eyes were crossed and the brow furrowed comically. "Dots Champion of the Poconos!" read the caption.

"Very funny, Blair," Jo couldn't help but smile.

"I'm getting hungry, Jo," Blair complained.

"Me, too."

"Oh look! There goes Nat! Natalie," Blair called out plaintively.

"Later," Natalie blew her off.

"I wonder how much longer we'll have to wait?" Blair looked at Jo.

"Thumb wrestling, Blair?"

"You know I hate thumb wrestling, Jo!"

"Because it's just like dots… you always lose!"

"Oh! It's on!" Blair joined hands with Jo.

"Ding-ding," Jo imitated a boxing ring bell. Jo and Blair thumb wrestled furiously until Jo pinned her.

"I win again!" Jo bragged.

"Round two," Blair raised her eyebrows.

"Ding-ding," Jo said.

"Jo, do you remember how Kierkegaard said that life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced?"

"What?" Jo looked up.

Blair pinned her thumb.

"I win!" Blair beamed at her.

"Not fair," Jo complained. "You bought up Kierkegaard from our philosophy class!'

"What, Jo? You can't win a thumb wrestling match while contemplating that each individual is solely responsible for giving meaning to life and living it passionately and sincerely?"

"Oh, I get it!" Jo nodded. "You're going to try and distract me with your massive intellect while we thumb wrestle so you can win. You are so over-matched, Blair!"

She reset their fingers and thumbs. "Ding-ding!"

"There is no meaning in the world beyond what we give it," their thumbs wrestled furiously as Jo philosophized.

Blair pinned her thumb again.

"I hate existential thumb wrestling, Blair!"

"Because you're losing!" Blair smirked. "But in a broader sense, you can neither love nor hate, but thinking makes it so."

Jo reset their fingers and thumbs: "Ding-ding!"

"I think, therefor I am!" she called out as she quickly pinned Blair's thumb.

"Let's call it a draw," Blair laughed. She looked around. "Where are Nat and Tootie?"

Jo spotted Tootie crossing the room.

"Tootie, would you mind taking our order now?"

"Jo, we're swamped! You said you wouldn't mind waiting!" Tootie complained.

"We didn't… for an hour," Blair looked at her incredulously.

"Someone will be right with you," Tootie walked away.

"How about a roll?" Blair called after her.

"Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom," Jo eyed Blair sardonically.

"Enough with Kierkegaard. Maybe we should just go somewhere else," Blair suggested.

"No way!" Jo was adamant. "We've waited all this time, they should take our order!"

Blair could tell that Jo was becoming agitated. She had a tendency to fly off the handle. She saw Natalie walking towards them.

"Be diplomatic," Blair cautioned.

"Now look, we're not going to wait here a minute longer," Jo complained vehemently to Natalie. "Will you please take our order now?"

"Now? The kitchen's closed," Natalie said matter-of-factly before scurrying off.

Blair and Jo eyed each other in disbelief.

"I'm hungry," Blair pouted.

"C'mon, Blair," Jo stood up and took her hand. "Let's go get a pizza."

"Geez, Nat," Jo complained as she and Blair approached their friend.

"I'm sorry," Natalie shrugged. "Hey! I can make you a sandwich!" she offered.

"Yeah," Tootie chimed in. "We don't want you guys to go away hungry!"

"Nah, forget about it," Jo said as she unconsciously placed her hand on the small of Blair's back. "We're going to get a pizza somewhere."

"Hey, you guys want to come?" Blair asked.

"I'd love to get out of here!" Tootie piped up.

"But we've got to clean up," Natalie reminded her.

"Bummer," Tootie slumped.

"That does suck," Jo agreed.

"You two have fun," Tootie sighed as she headed for the kitchen with Natalie.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Blair reported. "Do you mind waiting?"

"I'll be right here," Jo nodded as she shoved her hands into her pockets.

As Blair ran off to the bathroom, an older woman with thick white hair and coke-bottle glasses approached Jo. She patted her arm.

"I was telling my husband, Morty," she began, "I think you two are the cutest gay couple I have ever seen."

"Oh, um," Jo began, but was cut off by the woman.

"I saw how you had your head's together and held hands while you waited for them to take your order and I said to Morty, aren't they the cutest gay couple ever?"

"No, um," Jo was interrupted by the older woman again.

"I jut want you to know that I give money to the ACLU and the NAACP and if there was a gay organization, I would give to that, too."

"I'm back," Blair announced as she returned and absently ran the back of her hand down Jo's arm.

"Martha," an old man jerked his head towards the woman. "Let's go!"

"You two are the cutest couple," the woman pinched Jo's cheek before waddling away.

"What was that all about?" Blair questioned.

"Eh… nothing," Jo said. "Let's go get some pizza."

---

Jo and Blair returned to their room a couple hours later, after having found a pizza place and finally eating dinner.

"I feel exhausted, Jo. Time for sleep."

"On our round bed," Jo shook her head.

Blair headed off towards the bathroom, as Jo pulled out the simple tee shirt she had packed to sleep in.

She slipped off her clothes and pulled the shirt over her head. As she reclined upon the bed, she had to admit… it was pretty comfortable. Her eyes started to flutter shut even before she had the blankets pulled up fully around her. That was all she remembered, until the next morning.

She awoke with Blair literally draped all over her: her head nestled into her shoulder, her arm resting upon her chest and her leg straddling her lower body. Why did she always have to do this? This was one of the reasons Jo had been leery of sleeping in the same bed as her best friend. Blair was so touchy-feely. And with how she was feeling about her at this point, that just wasn't safe.

Jo had to go to the bathroom. How was she going to extricate herself without waking Blair? She managed to slip Blair's arm off her chest and was about to move out from under her leg, when Blair stirred.

"Jo," she mumbled drowsily as she reached out and locked her in another embrace.

"Knock it off, Blair," Jo complained. "I've gotta' pee."

"But you're so warm," Blair didn't open her eyes.

Jo pushed herself out from under Blair's hold. "Here," she placed the stuffed alligator under her arm. "Cuddle this."

When she emerged from the bathroom, Blair was sound asleep with Allie clutched to her chest.

Good. I can go for a run.

Jo picked up coffee and croissants on her way back. She sat beside Blair on the bed pondering how she should wake her. I could pet her hair and whisper. Nope. Too romantic. I could gently jostle her shoulder and call her name. Nah. Too sweet. She decided to go with option three.

"Blair! Get up!" she pushed her arm roughly.

"What?" Blair's hair was a tangle in front of her face as her head rose from the pillow.

"Time to get up," Jo laughed at the spectacle of Blair's bedhead.

"Seriously?" Blair yawned.

"Yeah, c'mon. Look, I bought you some coffee and a croissant."

"Oh, Jo, how thoughtful!"

"I figured it would take you your usual hour to get ready, so we'd need something to tide us over 'til breakfast."

"Hey! I'm on vacation. I may surprise you!"

"That would be nice," Jo mumbled under her breath as Blair grabbed her coffee and headed off to the bathroom.

---

They decided to go paddle boating on a local stream. They both wore their bathing suits, tee shirts and flip-flops.

"But, I don't want to get all wet," Blair informed.

"What's with you, Blair?" Jo shook her head. "You put on a swim suit and don't want to get wet?"

"I don't know what's in that water!" Blair pointed out.

"I'm pretty sure it's not radioactive," Jo stated sarcastically.

"All the same," Blair said as she stepped into the paddleboat.

"We're going to have to work together to steer this, Blair," Jo said as they paddled out onto the stream. They didn't seem to making much progress. Jo looked over at Blair.

"You're paddling in the wrong direction!"

"No, I'm not. You are."

"Paddle forwards, Blair!"

"I am paddling forwards! You're paddling backwards!"

"We can't get anywhere if you keep fighting me on this, Blair! We'll just keep drifting!"

"That depends on who's stronger," Blair smirked at her in a superior manner.

A kid with goggles and a snorkel suddenly popped up beside them.

"Ha ha!" he mocked. "Stupid girls can't even use a paddleboat!"

"Hey!" Jo snarled at him.

Blair stuck out her tongue. The boy stuck out his tongue back before splashing water on her.

"Brat!" Blair screamed. "Do something, Jo!"

Jo was laughing too hard to respond. The kid swam under their boat and emerged on Jo's side. He spat water on her before swimming away quickly.

"Let's get him!" she turned to Blair. They started paddling efficiently together in pursuit of the brat.

"Where'd he go?" Blair started looking around.

"You can't get me!" the boy called out in a singsong voice as he popped up beside them.

"There he is!" Blair jumped up. She tripped over the pedals and fell into the stream.

"Blair!" Jo yelled.

"Where is he?" Blair bellowed furiously as she burst above the water. "I'm going to kill him!"

"Uh oh," the boy uttered as he realized just how mad she was. He began to swim away at a furious pace.

"You better swim, brat!" Blair yelled after him.

Jo reached a hand down to her as Blair struggled back on board. They looked at each other for a moment before they both started laughing.

"Well, this turned out to be more fun than I thought it was going to be," Jo chuckled.

"I'm soaking wet, Jo."

Jo viewed the drenched tee shirt now clinging to her breasts. "Looks good on ya'."

"Let's go back to the room and dry off. Then we can go to the pool."

"Why dry off before we go to the pool?" Jo was confused.

"I can't very well sit poolside looking like this!" Blair rolled her eyes.

Jo wasn't sure if she was serious. But when they got back to the resort, Blair insisted on going to their room to change. Jo headed directly for the pool.

Blair took a shower, just in case the stream was radioactive! She changed into her "show" bathing suit. "This ought to get Jo's attention," she thought. She thoughtfully tucked an extra robe and towel into her oversized bag for her friend.

Jo had wanted to swim some laps like she had gotten used to doing at Langley. It had been weeks since she had been in a pool! But it was too crowded, so she decided to work on her dives, instead. She had perfected a spring dive where she bounced off the board to gain extra height. She could also do a back dive, which didn't look like much, but was really scary the first few times she tried it. The one she liked best was a flip dive, where she would actually rotate through the air before she hit the water. It had the highest degree of difficulty, but it was definitely the most impressive dive in her repertoire. She couldn't wait to show it off in front of Blair.

Blair arrived and picked out an open lounge chair towards the middle of the pool, for optimum visibility. She dropped her bag on an open chair next to it, removed her robe and reclined comfortably. She scanned the pool area for Jo and spotted her near the diving board. Jo began showing off her best dives.

What is she doing? Blair wondered. It looked dangerous.

Jo couldn't tell if Blair was watching her from behind her huge, Jackie Onassis sunglasses. She thought she probably was, but her eyes could be closed for all she knew!

Blair could not understand how Jo had not immediately come to join her. She knew she looked fantastic! What was with all this silly diving business anyway?

"Why is she ignoring me?" Jo questioned. This would just not do! Jo swam over to where Blair was lounging.

Ah… here she comes! Blair was pleased.

Jo pushed herself up from the water.

"Hey, Blair."

"Oh, Jo, there you are," Blair replied nonchalantly.

"Watch this!" Jo called out as she cannonballed back into the pool splashing water on her friend.

"Damn it, Jo! This is my show bathing suit! I didn't want to get it wet!" Blair complained as Jo jumped out of the pool again.

"Your what?" Jo stood over her and looked at her quizzically.

"My show bathing suit," Blair glared at her over the top of her sunglasses. "I wear it to relax by the side of the pool and be seen. It's not to swim in."

"That's ridiculous, Blair!"

"Now, move," the blonde waved her hand at her regally. "You're blocking my sun!"

"Aw, too bad. The little princess doesn't want to get wet!" Jo shook her hair out directly over Blair, making sure to splash water on her again.

This time Blair jumped up.

"You're such a barbarian! You're as bad as that little brat back at the stream!" she yelled.

"What you gonna' do about it?" Jo began to run. Blair chased her.

"No running poolside," the lifeguard's voice came over a megaphone.

"Now look what you've done!" Blair fumed, her face turning red. "You've gone and gotten us in trouble with the lifeguard!"

"You look a little hot, Blair," Jo laughed as she pulled her into the pool with her.

"Jo!" Blair called out as they hit the water. Their bodies intertwined beneath the surface as they pulled and pushed at each other. They popped up and began laughing and splashing each other, until Jo dragged her down again for more underwater fun. But, this time, as their heads emerged, they were greeted by the vision of the lifeguard's very lovely cleavage. She was on all fours at the side of the pool, staring at them.

"If you two cannot obey pool rules, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. No roughhousing in the water! Understood?"

"Oops. Sorry," Jo looked up at the young woman sheepishly.

"We'll be good," Blair added.

As they climbed up the ladder and walked towards the lounge chairs, Blair lightly backhanded Jo's thigh.

"Hey," Jo protested. "No roughhousing, remember?"

"I can't believe you got us in trouble like that," Blair replied as she attempted to fluff out her wet hair. "Now just sit down and try to act civilized."

Jo reclined in the chair next to Blair.

"Forgot to bring a towel," she sighed.

"Oh," Blair reached into her huge bag. "I brought one for you."

"Thanks, Blair," Jo smiled as she toweled herself off.

Blair pulled a magazine out of her bag and started to read.

"Don't suppose you got another magazine in there," Jo asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Blair said as she reached into her bag again.

"Yeah, probably Cosmo or Vogue," Jo shook her head.

Blair placed the most recent copy of Popular Mechanics into her lap.

"I stopped at the gift shop on my way over here," Blair mentioned. "They didn't have a big selection, but I thought you might like that."

Jo didn't know what to say.

"You're welcome," Blair offered huffily.

"Um, thanks, Blair," Jo grinned at her as Blair grinned back.

They sat in the sun for some time, reading their magazines, sneaking glances at each other on the sly. Jo's stomach suddenly rumbled. Blair began to laugh.

"Hungry, Jo?"

"Yeah, uh-huh, I haven't eaten since breakfast. How 'bout you?"

"Famished," Blair informed.

"Let's go get changed. We can grab some food somewhere, okay?"

"Works for me," Blair began to gather her belongings.

"So, you're not still mad at me about getting you wet, are you?" Jo asked as they approached the hotel.

"Jo, Jo, Jo. After all these years, you don't think I'm used to your childish ways?"

"Hey, now," Jo objected. "I was just having fun. Something you might accomplish if you pulled that giant stick out of your ass!"

"I was trying to work on my tan. I can't accomplish that with you doing cannonballs," Blair replied as they stepped into the dining room where Tootie and Natalie were working.

"Blair, a pool is to swim in," Jo turned to her. "Swimming pool, you get it? We splash, we have fun, we actually get wet," she added caustically.

"A swimming pool must be like a novelty to you," Blair eyed her mockingly. "I mean, you're used to them opening the fire hydrant on the corner," she continued with a sarcastic grin.

"Hey, did you hear this one?" It was Carl, the creepy resort comedian Nat and Tootie had introduced them to the day before. He had followed them into the dining area.

"Yes!" they cut him off curtly in unison.

"You know, uh, people say comedy isn't hard work," he continued, oblivious. "Man, oh man, if they only knew the truth."

"Carl," Blair began in her haughtiest tone. "We don't care."

They both began to laugh as they rounded the corner.

"Good one Blair," Jo nudged her.

"That guy's so irritating," Blair rolled her eyes. "Is he following us, or what?"

"He's following you, Blair. The guy's got it bad."

"Of course he does," Blair flipped her hair. "They all do. But, I think he has a special thing for you."

"Ah, no. Blair. Carl is all yours!" Jo winked at her.

"Oh, there you two are!" a voice called out as they were about to enter their room. Jo and Blair turned to see the lifeguard from the pool approaching them.

"I've been looking for you since I got off my shift."

"Wow! They take their pool rules seriously at this place," Jo whispered to Blair.

"We promise: no more shenanigans at the pool!" Blair smiled nervously at the young woman.

"Oh, that's not it," she shook her head and smiled. "I just wanted to invite you guys out to a club!"

"Us?" Blair was surprised. "Why us?"

"Yeah. There's a club up the road, The Limbo Lounge. It's a cheesy name, I know. But it's a great place and it caters to girls like us."

"Girls like us?" Jo was confused.

"Yeah, you know…" she eyed them knowingly.

"Oh!" Jo's eyes went wide. "Oh!"

"What Jo?" Blair asked.

"She thinks we're a couple," Jo explained.

"A what?" Blair was still not getting it.

"A couple, Blair," Jo responded acerbically. "You know, like you and me… together?"

"But we are together, Jo," Blair responded.

"In that way," Jo looked her directly in the eyes.

"Oh. Oh!" the light finally went on in Blair's head. "Oh!"

"You're not?" the lifeguard regarded them skeptically.

"Um, well, no, uh…" Jo stuttered.

"I'm sorry," the young woman apologized. "I just assumed because of how you were acting at the pool that you two were a couple."

"She should be so lucky," Blair had recovered herself.

"Watch it!" Jo glared at her.

"Look, I apologize, my mistake," the woman turned to leave.

"Thanks anyway," Blair called after her.

The lifeguard stopped and turned back to them.

"If you change your mind," she smiled, "the club is open every night. Just off the old state highway. Music, dancing, good food and drinks."

"We'll keep it in mind!" Blair returned her smile sweetly.

"We'll keep it mind?" Jo mimicked her as they shut the door to their room. "What was that?"

"I was just being polite, Jo. You might try it sometime!"

"That was kind of crazy, huh?" Jo chuckled nervously.

"I know, right? Why would anyone ever mistake us for a couple?"

"Totally random," Jo nodded.

"Completely ridiculous," Blair agreed.

They stood for a moment in silence… just staring at each other.

"So, um, lunch then?" Jo suggested cheerfully.

"I'm so hungry!" Blair moaned.

---

Jo and Blair had found time for a couple sets of tennis after lunch. They followed that up with a swim in the resort's lake. By the time they had finished dinner and returned to their room, they were both ready to kick back and relax. Jo flipped on the T.V. as they sat on the luxurious couch.

"Ow," Blair rolled her neck. "My shoulder's killing me after I kicked your butt in tennis today."

"Um, okay, first of all," Jo complained, "you did not kick my butt in tennis!"

"6-3, 6-3 is a butt kicking, Jo."

"Whatever," Jo rolled her eyes. "If I get a little more time on the tennis court, you won't beat me… ever. You've just had more practice, is all!"

"I will always beat you in tennis, Jo. Just admit it. You're the dots champion, I'm the tennis champion," Blair blew on her fingernails and burnished them on her shirt. "We'll call existential thumb wrestling even."

"Whatever," Jo repeated as she rolled her eyes again.

"I hope there's more on this TV than just porn," Blair mentioned.

"You have to special order the porn, Blair. Don't you know anything about cheesy, romantic hotel rooms?"

"As a matter of fact, I don't," Blair informed. "I was just thinking it would be included in the price."

"So, did you pay extra for it?"

"Not to my knowledge. But, let's check it out, Jo. See if we can get some dirty movies!"

"No way, Blair!"

"Why not? It'll be fun, don't you think?"

"No, Blair!" Jo was adamant. There was no way she was going to sit on an overstuffed couch in a hotel room in the Poconos and watch porn with Blair. What was she thinking?

"Ow," Blair complained again.

"So what's hurting you?"

"My shoulder, Jo. Can you massage it for me?"

Jo stared at her and contemplated. They had danced around this subject for years. But, Blair was coming close to actually hitting on her, at this point. Maybe it was time to come right out with it. She decided to take a chance and be direct.

"First you want to watch porn, now you want me to massage you. Blair?" Jo looked her directly in the eyes. "Are you coming on to me?"

Blair's mouth dropped open. She was coming on to her. But she didn't expect Jo to come right out and say it! She was supposed to engage in suggestive flirtation, while skillfully dodging the erotic undertones, not verbally expose her machinations! Jo wasn't playing by the rules. This angered her.

"Of course not! I mean, what do you think I am, some sort of sex fiend?"

She jumped up off the sofa and plopped herself on the bed.

"Oh, that hurt," she whimpered.

Jo followed her. "Does it really hurt, Blair?"

"Of course it does, not that you'd believe me," Blair huffed in an offended tone. "All I wanted was a simple massage, for crying out loud. You act as if I… well I don't know what you think," she sighed dramatically.

"You're such a princess, Blair," Jo offered with only a half-hearted complaint. "There are massage therapists on staff here."

"But not this late! I bought some massage oil at the fair, yesterday. Can you get it from the bathroom and rub my shoulder for me?"

Jo shook her head, once again helpless to deny Blair.

"Where is it?"

"On the bathroom counter," Blair replied, smirking to herself: it worked!

Jo had trouble finding the oil amidst Blair's arsenal of beauty products. By the time she emerged from the bathroom, the room had been darkened, only lit by candlelight. Blair was on her stomach on the bed with the sheets pulled down to the crest of her rear-end… naked.

"Just do my whole back, okay, Jo?" Blair yawned.

Jo stood, dumbstruck, grasping the oil in her hand. Everything on Blair's body looked perfect, from the mane of blonde hair that ringed her neck to the line of her spine, which led down her flawless skin to the lift of her gorgeous ass.

Oh God! She thought. She is coming on to me.

"Um, Blair, you're naked," she managed to iterate.

"In a true massage environment, you would be, too," Blair threw caution to the wind.

"I've gotten tons of rubdowns at Langley after field hockey matches and never has the trainer been naked," Jo informed.

"Not surprising," Blair yawned again. "The world of sports is so Neanderthal!"

"So do you want a massage, or do you want to start a fight?"

"I want a massage," Blair's eyes were partially obscured by thick tresses of blonde hair, but Jo could still see the twinkle in them.

"I'll take off my shorts," she announced, "but that's all you're getting."

Jo dropped her shorts so that she was only in her underpants and a tee shirt. She felt a sudden nervousness in her stomach as her palms began to sweat. Am I ready for this? She placed the oil on the nightstand and straddled Blair. The contact with Blair's skin caused a tingling sensation in her crotch, which quickly spread throughout her entire body. This is really turning me on. She poured oil on her hands and rubbed them together. As soon as her hands touched Blair's back, she felt her relax and heard a sigh. She pushed hard into her muscles, alternately kneading and rubbing. She manipulated the skin and muscles of Blair's neck, moving down to her shoulders. She put all her effort into her back, dislodging the sheet covering her rear end. When she got to the small of her back, she gazed longingly at Blair's luscious derrière. Her cheeks were so very well rounded. As she let her hand slip down across them, she could feel their firmness. Without thinking, she began to rub and knead them, grasping each cheek firmly in her hands.

"Oh God, Jo, that feels wonderful," Blair sighed. "Don't stop."

So fixated was she on Blair's wonderful rear end, there was no possibility of her stopping. No wonder she had beaten her at tennis: she just put her ass into the serve! She had noticed what a fantastic butt Blair had before, but until her hands were actually on it, she had no idea how lovely it really was. She was very much enjoying this. She was becoming thoroughly aroused! She continued to knead the cheeks beneath her hands until Blair suddenly turned to her, breasts exposed, and if she looked down further…

"Jo?" Blair breathed huskily. "Remember how you told me not to get any ideas?"

"Yeah, uh huh…" as hard as she tired, Jo couldn't keep her eyes on Blair's face.

"I'm getting some ideas," Blair gazed at her longingly.

"Blair," Jo's eyes continued to wander over her body. Her heart was pounding. "Is this it? Are we really going to do this?"

"If you don't touch me now, I think I'll die."

Jo stared at the ample breasts being offered to her. She paused, a slight concession to consequences playing through her mind. Blair placed her hand on her cheek, then moved it behind her neck and guided her down close to her face… their lips almost touching. They searched each other's eyes, desperate to communicate what their words no longer could.

Blair could not contain her desire any longer, wrapping Jo into her arms and kissing her wildly. Jo met her passion as she returned her kisses. Blair grabbed at her tee shirt, clumsily trying to remove it. Jo pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it from the bed.

"Oh God, Jo," Blair gasped as she gazed at her. Her hand reached up tentatively and cupped a breast. Jo's head fell back as she exhaled loudly. Blair ran her hand across her chest. Jo looked down at her adoringly, as she fondled Blair's breasts in return. This was so amazing: better than she had dreamed it could be! It wasn't just that she was making love to a woman, which she had fantasized about many times. She was making love to Blair! Blair, whom she loved with every fiber of her being! Her skin tingled. Every sense seemed to be amplified. She wanted to take it slow and savor each new sensation, each and every moment of this wonderful experience.

Blair was of a different mind. She could scarcely contain herself: all these years of wanting Jo, desiring Jo… and, now, here it was! She grasped desperately at Jo's underwear, pulling it quickly down her legs. Jo nimbly extricated herself from her underpants, tossing them across the room where they joined her shirt on the floor. Blair wasted no time reaching for her center. "Oh God," Jo moaned as her friend rolled her over onto her back and took a nipple into her mouth. Blair began to stroke up and down her wet folds as she sucked hungrily on her breasts. Nothing had ever felt like this: Blair's fingers… there? Blair landed on the place that Jo knew would drive her crazy. It was only a few moments until she was writhing and breathing fitfully into Blair's neck.

"Blair, Blair… Blair!" she finished with a cry as her release overwhelmed her.

As her breathing became less ragged, she looked over to the woman who had just become her lover.

"What was that, Blair? I didn't know it was possible to feel something like that."

"I love you, Jo," Blair claimed her mouth again as she kissed her. "I always have."

Jo's eyes travelled down her body to the light brown triangle between her legs. She ran her fingers over the hair down there. Blair gasped at the feel of her. She breathed heavily as Jo began to stroke her. She had waited so long for Jo to touch her down there, that she literally exploded at the mere suggestion of her fingers close to her center. There was no calling of names, invoking of God, just a loud and prolonged scream as she shivered and shook into her lover's arms.

"Jesus, Blair! I hope these rooms are sound proof!" Jo was only half joking.

"Do it again, Jo," Blair breathed throatily.

"I think we can do better than that," Jo took one hardened nipple into her mouth, then the other. She began trailing a series of kisses down her torso until she was between her legs, exploring with her mouth. She placed her tongue inside her. Blair reared up and pulled her head closer. Jo's tongue darted in and out, before she licked her way back up to what she could feel was Blair's throbbing nerve center. She dared to take a look. Wow! She could actually see her engorged clit! Leave it to Blair to have a big one of those! Blair moaned at the lack of contact from her partner and Jo quickly dove back down upon her. Blair was overcome immediately as she let out an impassioned wail and Jo was rewarded with the sensation of a multitude of tiny spasms in her mouth.

She looked up from between her legs. "Was that okay?"

Blair's eyes looked different: heavy lidded and dark with passion. Jo was taken aback for a moment. She had never seen this look before. It dawned on her, as if for the first time, that Blair was a woman: not the girl she had pined for at Eastland, nor the friend she had flirted with in college, but a fully realized, sexually awakened woman. It took her breath away.

"You're beautiful," was all she could manage as she felt the meaning of what had just transpired flood over her.

"Get up here," Blair held out her arms. Jo complied. She was rewarded with a tongue-jarring kiss before Blair wrapped her arms around her and held her tight.

"That was…" Blair had no words as she sighed heavily.

"It was," Jo grinned. She traced the contours of her lips with her finger as her expression changed to an adoring one. "Blair?"

"Jo?"

"I guess I never saw you like this before."

"That's an understatement," she sucked on her finger.

"I mean, we're lovers now," Jo continued as she felt her arousal begin again as Blair took another finger into her mouth.

"Jo?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up," Blair claimed her mouth with her own.

She made her way down Jo's body, nipping at her breasts as she went. She parted her legs and stared at Jo's sex.

"I love this, Jo," she ran her fingers up and down her wet folds. "I love looking at you."

"I love you looking at me," Jo swallowed hard. Being so wide open, exposed, to another woman's eyes… to Blair's eyes… was almost an even more stimulating sensation than when Blair had touched her there. "What are you going to do?"

"I want to go deep inside you. I want to be the one who takes you like that for the first time."

Blair slid her fingers up and down again.

"Do it, Blair!" Jo positioned herself so as to coax Blair's hand inside her.

"Not here," Blair thought. "Not in this cheesy hotel room."

"I want it to be you," Jo moaned. "I need to feel you inside me."

"We'll get to that," Blair's tongue descended on Jo as she began to suck and lick. "Later."

Jo could not argue as her head fell back at the sensation of Blair's tongue upon her most private parts. The feeling was different from her fingers touching her there. It was softer, more erotic. She pressed up against Blair's tongue until her body gave over to a pleasure that was beyond anything that she thought was possible.

Blair looked up between her legs. "Did I do it okay?"

"I, uh," Jo breathed out heavily.

Blair dove back in, driving Jo over the edge again and again and again, until she finally grabbed her head and cried out: "Stop, Blair! You're killing me!"

Blair thought about what she had just done as she rested her head on Jo's inner thigh. She had made love to another woman. It wasn't that she had just liked it; she had loved it… she couldn't get enough of it! God, I'm totally gay! She felt by every measure there was… a woman. It was as if a huge puzzle piece had been fitted into place at the center of her being. She was complete. Her eyes were getting heavy. It would have been okay with her just to fall asleep between Jo's legs.

"Blair?" Jo's voice seemed to come out of a fog.

"Uh-huh."

"What are you doing?"

"Thinking."

"Can you think up here?" Jo laughed as she reached for her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Jo," Blair smiled at her as she regained herself.

She placed herself at Jo's side. They just lay together, stroking soft skin. Blair reflected on the fact that she had just had sex for the first time. Jo could not get enough of Blair's body. Her eyes thirstily drank in every curve. Who was this woman next to her? Finally, she couldn't help herself. She had to tease Blair.

"So," Jo grinned at her mischievously as she placed her hand between her legs, "this is your natural color?"

"It would be blonde, if it was in the sun… ever!"

There was the Blair she knew!

"C'mon, Blair," Jo chided. "You're not a natural blonde."

"Actually, I am," Blair snuggled up to her. "My hair always turned blonde in the summer as a child. I liked it. Since then, I've been helping it along a little, so that I could have the summer look all year long."

"It's a good look, Blair."

"Thanks, Jo," Blair yawned as she rested her head on her shoulder. "Tell me you love me."

"What?"

"You never said I love you, Blair. I need to hear it."

"Isn't it obvious?"

"I still need to hear it."

Jo examined her inner feelings. After what they had just experienced together, she loved Blair deeper than she thought it was possible to ever love another human being. Why was it so hard to say?

"Aw, you know how I feel," she turned her head.

"Jo!" Blair was alarmed. "I was saving myself for marriage… you know that! I just gave myself to you, heart, body and soul! You can't say you love me?"

"That's not it," Jo frowned.

"Then what is it?" Blair demanded plaintively.

"It's that I love you too much, Blair! Things like this don't happen to me, you know? Nothing has ever come easy to me. I've had to struggle for everything. Sometimes it seems that every time I've felt strongly about something in my life, it's been snatched away. Don't you get it?"

Blair pondered this. She thinks I'm not serious, that I'll leave her. Why?

"Jo?" she lifted her lover's chin and gently prompted her to make eye contact. "I won't leave you. I have loved you since the moment we first met. And after what just happened between us? This is meant to be," she placed a gentle kiss upon her lips.

"I know, Blair."

"So?"

"I love you, Blair Warner. Satisfied?"

"It's a start!" Blair smiled at her radiantly.

"Oh… and Blair?"

"Yes, Jo?"

"You are a sex fiend."

"Jo…" Blair playfully slapped her hip.

"Let's get some sleep," Jo pulled her into her arms.

Blair woke up in the middle of the night. Jo was asleep next to her. She gently stroked her hair, careful not to wake her. Her eyelashes were so long, Blair marveled at them. Jo was so beautiful. She couldn't believe how lucky she was. She had had her first sexual experience with the person she was in love with! She didn't understand why Jo had struggled to tell her that she loved her. There was no issue for her: she was ready to move forward with Jo at her side. She couldn't imagine any other life at this point. She had saved herself for the one she loved. It was Jo. What was going on inside that brilliant mind, she wondered, that caused Jo to hesitate to do the same? She's here with me now. That's good enough. She snuggled in close to Jo as she fell asleep.

In the morning, Blair was on top of Jo… again. Her head was nestled into her shoulder, her arm resting upon her chest and her leg straddling her lower body. Wow, Jo thought as she tried to untangle herself delicately to use the bathroom. This is just like yesterday!

But, there was one huge difference… this morning they were lovers! She moved a strand of golden hair from her forehead as she gazed at her. Her lashes lay peacefully upon impossibly high cheekbones. They were light brown, like all of her hair that wasn't tinted golden. She imagined Blair as a little girl, curly hair turned blonde by the summer sun; she must have been so adorable. What a beautiful woman. Even in her sleep, she was gorgeous.

"What are you doing?" Blair mumbled.

"I need to go to the bathroom," Jo replied.

"Okay," Blair shifted in the bed as she yawned.

As Jo exited the restroom, she noticed that Blair had grasped Allie and was fast asleep again. She quietly slipped into her jogging gear and went out for a run.

She felt a sense of euphoria as she ran. She was so happy to have finally been able to express her love for Blair, not to mention her pent-up sexuality. She felt exhilarated and alive. She stopped at the lake and began to skip stones. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven… yes!

As she skipped another stone, she began to feel unsettled. A troubling thought occurred to her: Blair would probably want to be out to everyone. Jo knew that Blair was raised to believe that everything she did was golden. Why would this be any different? Jo wasn't sure she was ready for their relationship to become public. So many people had already thought her gay. She had fought the perception for years. She had fought herself for years. She had thought she had become immune to people assuming she was gay: their hurtful comments, their hateful insinuations. But now, when faced with the reality of all those people smirking in self-righteous vindication, she allowed doubt to creep in.

It was true, she was in love with Blair: madly and deeply. It was true: last night had been the most incredible night of her life. But… was it also true that her love could destroy Blair? There was just no way she could expose her to that kind of ridicule. If she really loved Blair, and she did, she might have to let her go. For her own good, she reasoned.

But there was no reason to this. She loved Blair with a passion that just gripped her and held her, forever bound, forever faithful. This was a dilemma she hadn't anticipated. Half of her wanted to just say, "Fuck you!" to the world and move on with Blair. The other half wanted, desperately, to protect her.

She skipped another stone. That's Blair, skipping across the water: one, two, three, four, five... the stone finally sank. That's me...

---

"Hey!" Tootie called out to Natalie. "Jo just ran by."

"What?" Natalie was still shaking the sleep from her head.

"Jo just ran by," Tootie repeated.

"She must be out for a morning jog," Natalie yawned.

"We have to catch to her, Nat. Yesterday, when she and Blair came into the dining room, they didn't even talk to us!"

"So?"

"So, I think they're still pissed about not getting dinner that night!"

"No they're not," Natalie rubbed her eyes.

"Oh look, Nat, here she comes again!"

"Fine!" Natalie jumped up from her bed and opened the cabin door. "Jo!" she called out.

"What's up, Nat?" Jo jogged over to her.

"Tootie thinks you're still mad at us for the kitchen snafu the other night."

"Not at all," Jo replied sincerely.

"All the same," Tootie blurted, "let us treat you to breakfast this morning. Where's Blair?"

"Still sleeping," Jo offered as she blushed slightly, hoping the other two hadn't noticed.

"We'll take care of it, Jo," Natalie grinned. "We'll have room service send breakfast over to your room, okay?"

"That's completely unnecessary," Jo shook her head. "We're not pissed off or anything, we've just been, um, busy."

"All the same," Tootie insisted.

"Fine, then…" Jo smiled before she began her jog back to the room.

"Where were you?" Blair shouted at her as she came through the door.

"You were snoozing, I decided to take a run," Jo replied.

"I woke up alone," Blair protested as she threw the alligator at Jo.

Jo caught the stuffed toy with both hands. "Hey! Careful with Allie!" she joked.

"It's not funny," Blair insisted. "I may be new at intimate relationships, Jo, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to wake up alone after a night of sex!"

"Chill, Blair! You didn't wake up alone. I told you I had to go to the bathroom!"

"Yeah, but you didn't come back," Blair eyed her angrily.

"You were asleep again! I didn't want to wake you! Are we really going to fight this morning?"

"Come and hug me," Blair pouted.

"I'm all sweaty. Let me shower first."

"At least give me a kiss," Blair gave her an adorably winsome look.

Jo crossed over to her and handed her the stuffed alligator. She kissed her.

"Can I shower now?" she sat on the bed and kissed her again.

"Yeah," Blair drew out.

"Oh, by the way," Jo called back to her on the way to the bathroom. "Nat and Tootie ordered breakfast for us. Be listening for a knock on the door from room service."

Blair hugged Allie as she heard the shower in the bathroom begin to run. She didn't have to wait long for room service, as a knock came upon the door almost immediately. She wrapped herself in her robe and went to answer it still clutching her stuffed toy.

"Surprise!" Natalie and Tootie smiled at her radiantly.

"What?" Blair eyed them, confused.

"We brought you guys breakfast!" Tootie grinned.

"Jo said it was going to be room service," Blair responded.

"It is room service!" Natalie informed. "And we're your room servers!"

Blair nodded and yawned. "Come on in, then."

"So, Blair, what have you and Jo been doing?" Natalie asked innocently as she and Tootie set the breakfast trays on a table.

"Oh um, you know, swimming, boating, playing tennis… the usual," Blair smiled sweetly at them.

"Where'd you get the new stuffed toy?" Tootie inquired.

"Jo won it for me at a fair!" Blair hugged it.

The shower stopped. Jo walked out of the bathroom drying her hair with a towel... completely naked.

"Blair, I've been thinking," she began.

"Jo!" Blair called out with a warning that came too late.

Jo quickly scanned the room.

"Whoa!" she hastily covered herself with the towel. "I didn't know anyone was here!"

"Surprise!" Natalie laughed.

"What are you guys doing here?" Jo asked embarrassed.

"We brought you breakfast?" Natalie shrugged.

"I thought it was going to be room service, Nat, geez!" Jo complained.

"We haven't spent any time together here and Tootie and I thought this would be a nice way to make it up to you guys for the other night," Natalie explained.

"Yeah, but…" Jo looked at Blair.

"Breakfast, Jo?" Blair smiled.

"Um, let me get dressed," Jo retreated into the bathroom.

Blair, Natalie and Tootie looked at each other uneasily for a moment before they all three began to giggle.

"Um, Blair?" Jo stuck her head out of the bathroom. "Could you bring me my clothes?"

Blair picked up Jo's duffle bag and walked over to her. Jo jerked her head towards the bathroom and Blair followed her inside.

"A little warning would've been nice," Jo complained bitterly as she rifled through her duffle.

"How was I supposed to know that you were going to walk out of the bathroom naked?"

"You could've knocked on the door and mentioned that our friends were here!"

"They only just showed up!" Blair defended herself.

Natalie and Tootie could hear their friends' muffled voices arguing through the bathroom door.

"Never a dull moment in Blair-and-Jo-Land," Natalie rolled her eyes.

"It's their way," Tootie nodded.

"I'm surprised to see Jo walking around naked. That's usually Blair's thing," Natalie observed. "Jo's got modesty issues."

"That is odd. Maybe they've just gotten to that comfort level in their relationship," Tootie shrugged.

"Seriously?" Natalie eyed her. "If we ever get to that comfort level, do me a favor and just shoot me, promise?"

"If you ever start walking around me naked, I won't be around long enough to shoot you," Tootie looked at her dubiously.

They both laughed.

Blair and Jo emerged from the bathroom a minute later, Blair smiling sweetly and Jo still looking perturbed.

"What are you guys doing today?" Blair asked as they sat down to eat.

"We have the afternoon off," Natalie beamed.

"Great!" Blair said. "You can do something with us!"

Jo kicked her under the table.

"Ow!" Blair eyed Jo.

"What's wrong, Blair?" Tootie asked, concerned.

"Bug bite," Blair dissembled. "I accidentally scratched it."

"Oh, there are lots of nasty little critters up here in the Poconos!" Tootie informed sincerely.

"I know," Blair gave Jo a scathing look.

"So, uh, guys?" Natalie started. "We can't hang out with you today. Art is driving us over to some lake he used to visit a long time ago. We'll probably be gone all day."

"Oh. That's too bad," Jo shook her head as she placed some eggs into her mouth and glared at Blair.

"But, we'll be back for dinner shift. Drop by, okay?"

"Sure thing, Nat," Jo agreed.

They ate and chatted amiably with their friends until it was time for Nat and Tootie to go.

"Bye, guys," they hugged. "Have a good time today!"

"What was that?" Natalie asked Tootie when they were out of earshot.

"Their energy was totally weird, wasn't it?" Tootie agreed.

"I just never know with those two," Natalie shook her head.

---

"So, what do you want to do today?" Jo asked as she shut the door to their room.

"Watch porn all day," Blair remarked flippantly. "I'm sex fiend, remember?"

"Don't be an asshole, Blair."

"Why'd you kick me?"

"Why'd you invite Nat and Tootie to spend the day with us?" Jo shot back.

"Why'd you glare at me all breakfast long?"

"Why'd you allow me to walk out naked as a jaybird in front of our friends?"

They stood and stared at each other for a short while, before neither of them could resist smiling.

"I'm sorry, Jo," Blair relented.

"Me, too," Jo grinned.

"Hey! I know," Blair looked at her excitedly. "Let's take a row boat out on the lake! It will be so romantic!"

Jo flipped through the pages of Popular Mechanics while she waited for her to get ready. She was glad for the distraction, as she wasn't looking forward to the serious conversation she intended on having with Blair.

When they finally made their way down to the lake, Jo took the oars. She rowed the boat capably as her lover relaxed. Blair wore a large, stylish hat and sunglasses. She looked every inch a society princess.

"I can take a turn rowing, if you want," Blair offered.

"Nah. It's okay. I haven't been able to use a rowing machine since we left for the summer. This feels good."

"Works for me," Blair relaxed.

"You know," Jo suggested, "if you ever ventured out into the summer sun without a ginormous hat on, your hair might turn back to blonde naturally."

"If I did that, I could get wrinkles!"

"Christ, Blair! You're a little young to be worried about that!"

"It's never too early for proper skin care!"

"Says the woman who was working on her tan yesterday."

"I had scads of sunblock on, Jo, believe me."

"Then what's the point of working on your tan?"

"I was toning. Getting tone."

"So you have swimming suits that you don't swim in and you tan without actually tanning?" Jo sighed as she continued rowing. "Rich people," she shook her head.

"It all worked out nicely," Blair responded.

"How do you figure that?" Jo eyed her quizzically.

"I got you," she smiled broadly.

Jo couldn't help but smile back, as she continued rowing. As they approached the center of the lake, Jo rested the oars on the side of the boat.

"Um, Blair, I want to talk to you about something."

"What's that?" Blair asked idly as she twisted a strand of hair.

"About our relationship. It's one thing to be doing what we're doing up here in the Poconos, but I'm not sure we can be doing this when we get back to Peekskill."

"What are you talking about, Jo?" Blair was suddenly riveted.

"It just won't do to be carrying on a relationship like this for all the world to see, is all."

"Oh, is that all," Blair removed her sunglasses. "You listen to me, Jo Polniaczek, I've waited years to be with you. If you think I'm going to walk away now, you're crazy!"

"It's for your own good, Blair! You don't know how people can be!"

"Meaning?"

"Look, for years now, I've had to put up with people talking behind my back or, worse yet, insinuating that I was gay right to my face. We live in a fiercely heterosexual society and you're not prepared for how cruel people can be!"

"I don't care what stupid people think," Blair looked her directly in the eyes. "I love you and I want the world to know it!"

She stood up in the boat and pulled off her hat.

"Careful, Blair," Jo reached for her. "You're going to capsize us!"

Blair steadied herself. "I'm in love with Jo Polniaczek and I don't care who knows it!" she yelled to the sky at the top of her lungs.

"Jesus, Blair, sit down!" Jo was getting nervous.

Blair returned to her perch at the back of the boat.

"You're nuts, Blair!" Jo shook her head.

"Maybe so, what's your excuse, huh? Are you ashamed, Jo? Are you feeling sorry about what we did?"

"No!" Jo was emphatic. "Last night was," she stopped, feeling inadequate to put her emotions into words. "I never knew such things were possible." She grinned bashfully at Blair.

"Then what's the problem?" Blair searched her eyes for some sort of clue.

"It's just that I don't know what offering you my love will do to you," she sighed. "You have a wonderful life waiting for you. I'll be like an albatross around your neck, dragging you down."

"That's ridiculous," Blair was more confused than ever.

"No. It's not, Blair. People will talk, put you down, call you names!"

"They do that already," Blair stated adamantly. "I may put on a brave face, but you don't think I hear the voices ridiculing me because I'm rich, because they think I'm shallow and vapid and just getting by on my family's money? I've been called plenty of names… most of them by you, I might add!"

"Yeah, but that's different," Jo eyed her sardonically. "I do it 'cause I love you."

"Oddly, I've always known that," Blair offered in a self-reflective tone.

"This will be so much worse," Jo shook her head. "You have no idea what it's like."

"I can face anything, so long as I'm with you," Blair offered sincerely.

"We should just go on with our lives, when we get home," Jo was not persuaded. "Act like this never happened. I love you too much to hurt you like that, Blair."

"You're the worst date ever!" Blair returned her sunglasses to her face so that Jo could not see the tears beginning to well up in her eyes. A cloud passed over the sun. "Now look what you've done," she mumbled. "Darkened the sky with your horrible words."

"Looks like a summer storm's coming in," Jo looked up. She quickly picked up the oars and started rowing. "Better get back to shore!"

Jo tried to make small talk on the way back, but Blair was having none of it! Her arms were crossed over her chest. She was not speaking to Jo! As they returned to shore, Blair stepped over Jo, jumped out of the boat, and began running back to their room.

"Hey!" Jo called after her as she replaced the oars and handed their life vests to the attendant. "Wait up!"

A bolt of lightning hit the lake, followed by a loud crack of thunder. Jo and the attendant eyed each other in fearful surprise. Rain began to pour down as Jo chased Blair back to the resort. Blair ran into their room and slammed the door. Jo went to follow her, only to find the door locked.

"I don't have my key!" Jo pounded on the door. "Open up!"

There was no response. Jo pounded again. "C'mon, Blair! It's pouring out here!"

Jo noticed the lifeguard running up from the pool. "Hey, lifeguard person!" she called out to her.

"Julie!" the lifeguard offered her name as she jogged up to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Hi, Julie. I'm Jo. Listen, you were right about Blair and me. We are a couple. But, um, we've kind of had a misunderstanding."

"Trouble in paradise?" Julie smiled out from beneath her hoody as the rain drenched her.

"Yeah, something like that. Now Blair won't let me into our room. Do you have a master key or something?"

"Ha!" Julie laughed. "Me? I'm just a lowly lifeguard. They don't give me the keys to anything around here."

"Damn," Jo spit out.

"I'm going to catch my death of cold out here!" she yelled through the door. "I might get sick, ya' know!"

Suddenly, there was another lightning and thunder strike.

"Holy shit!" Julie and Jo glanced at each other wide eyed. Jo pounded on the door again. "We could get killed out here!"

"You won't get killed," Blair opened the door and eyed her contemptuously. "Not the tough-as-nails Jo Polniaczek! The only thing that could kill you is your fear of intimacy!"

"Oh. Hi, Julie," she turned to the lifeguard and smiled sweetly.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Jo looked baffled.

"No, Einstein," Blair informed sarcastically. "I heard you through the door!"

Lightning and thunder struck again. Both Jo and Julie scurried into the room.

"Thanks, Blair," Jo eyed her disdainfully. "I'm soaking wet!"

"You were all wet to start with, so what difference does it make?"

"Very funny. I only want what's best for you. I'm only trying to look out for you!"

"It's not your decision to make!" Blair was livid.

"Then whose?" Jo yelled back.

"Ours, you idiot!"

"Looks like I came at a bad time," Julie tried to lighten the mood. "I'd leave, but," thunder rumbled loudly outside as lightning struck again, "…I'm scared."

Jo and Blair looked at each other, both trying not to smile.

"You make me so mad sometimes," Jo's tone was apologetic.

"You make me furious!" Blair placed both hands on top of her head.

Jo stepped forward and placed her hands on either side of Blair's face. She pulled her into a long, drawn-out kiss. Blair wrapped her arms around her and buried her head in her shoulder. "You make me crazy," she breathed into her neck.

"Uh, like I said," Julie cleared her throat. "I would leave, but…"

"Don't be silly," Blair looked at her somewhat embarrassed. "It's not safe out there."

"You two look like you have some issues to work out in private."

"We always have issues," Blair rolled her eyes and shook her head. "They'll hold."

Jo challenged Julie to dots while they waited. Julie won both games.

"Looks like we have a new dots champion of the Poconos," Blair looked up casually from her magazine.

"A what?" Julie asked.

"I'm a little off my game, I admit it," Jo glared at Blair. "Distracted, I guess."

Blair gave her a dismissive look.

"How about some backgammon?" Jo suggested to Julie.

"You're on!" Julie replied as Blair flipped through the pages of Cosmo.

"Hey, it's let up some," Julie looked out the window a half hour later. "I think it's safe for me to leave, give you two some alone time!"

"Thanks for putting up with us," Jo grinned at her.

"Are you kidding me? Thanks for saving my life! That was a wicked thunderstorm, I owe you guys!" Julie smiled back at her. "Hey, I'm writing down the address to that club I told you about yesterday. Come by tonight. I'd like to buy you both a drink!" She handed the address to Jo.

"We'll think about it," Jo promised before Julie donned her hoody.

"It was nice to properly meet you, Julie," Blair rose and shook her hand.

"I'd put this on the door, but it would probably just get blown away," Julie grinned as she held up the "Do Not Disturb" sign. She took off into the rain.

"So…" Jo drew out as she turned to Blair. "Alone at last. Wanna' talk about it?"

"Talking is about the last thing I want to do," Blair threw down her magazine and grabbed her. They tumbled onto the bed. It wasn't long before they had shed all their clothes and were making love.

After an hour or so, their passion somewhat satiated, Jo rested her head on Blair's shoulder, her arm draped around her, fondling a breast. The feeling of closeness she shared with Blair in this moment almost overwhelmed her. She loved her completely. She trusted her completely. How could they ever be apart?

"The rain's lightened," she mentioned, trying to control her emotions.

"I hadn't noticed," Blair glanced towards the window.

"I'm sorry I upset you on the lake today," Jo looked up to Blair, her eyes filled with unshed tears. She could no longer control her emotions as the tears streamed down her cheeks. She quickly looked away and tried to gather herself together.

"I only wanted to protect you," she choked out.

"Jo," Blair kissed the top of her head as she wrapped her in a loving embrace. "You can't protect me from myself. I don't want this to end here and I can't believe you do either."

"I just think you may feel differently when we get back to Peekskill!" she tried to sound certain of herself.

"I won't, Jo. I've known this truth about myself for a long time."

"You have?" Jo looked up, shaken from her introspection.

"Uh-huh."

"You certainly hide it well."

"I haven't been trying to hide it, Jo. I've just had no reason to act on it, until I met you."

"See, that's what I mean," Jo's voice was thick with emotion. "You could live a regular life… if it wasn't for me."

"This is my regular life. It's the only life I want," Bair held her close. "Jo, look at me."

Jo met her gaze.

"You did not make me gay. I've had feelings for other women for some time. But I won't live a lie. I don't want to hide from the world. If you had rejected me, I would've found someone else eventually."

"Don't say that!" Jo felt a panic grip her heart. "You're only going to be with me, Blair!"

"So… if you're theory is correct, and you are my downfall, it can only be you who brings it about?" Blair asked.

"I'm not following," Jo searched Blair's eyes for meaning.

"I know my nature, Jo," Blair sighed. "I was hoping things could work out with you, but if they don't?" she shrugged.

She was trying hard to push Jo's buttons, to make her understand the consequences of her ridiculous notion that their love would, somehow, be her undoing.

"No way, Blair! You're not going to be with another woman!"

"Or you'll what?" Blair called her bluff.

Jo was completely flummoxed. The idea that Blair could be with another woman had never occurred to her. It was hard enough to watch her kissing on all those stupid boyfriends, which she seemed to do with some regularity right in front of her. But another woman? She could not accept this!

"You're just not going to be with another woman, is all," Jo glared at her possessively.

Blair was feeling frustrated. How could Jo even consider that they would not continue a physically intimate relationship when they got back home? She may have been new at this sex thing, but she was pretty sure that they were doing it right. It certainly felt right. This whole macho impulse of Jo's that she had to protect her from the harshness of life was just preposterous. But Jo was nothing, if not stubborn. Blair had hoped to push her out of her intractable position by making her jealous. She knew, the moment she saw the tears in Jo's eyes, that she had a chance. She attempted to use this to her advantage.

"You can't have it both ways, Jo. Either you claim me as your lover, as you know you should, or I'll just have to find another girl. One who's not afraid to be seen with me!"

"Stop it, Blair!" Jo buried her face into a pillow and screamed.

Wow! Blair never expected this: Jo was completely vulnerable! She had always known that her hard exterior masked a turbulent, sensitive nature. But, she wasn't prepared for how that reality would affect her. At this point, she would do anything to protect her, to shield her from whatever it was that had her face buried in a pillow screaming! The irony wasn't lost on her. Here was Jo, so anxious to protect her from the cruelties of life and, yet, it was she who would have to protect Jo. She had to say something to lighten the mood, to get her to relax.

"Don't think I didn't notice how cute you think Julie is, by the way," Blair attempted to sound light-hearted as she laid a kiss on Jo's shoulder.

Lame, Blair, lame! She beat herself up. You could've thought of something better than that!

Jo's head was still buried in the pillow.

"What?" came a muffled reply.

"Julie, the lifeguard?" Blair ventured nervously.

"I know who she is," Jo lifted her head.

"You think she's cute, don't you?" Blair smiled at her sweetly.

"She's hot, I guess, in a surfer girl kind of way," Jo rolled over.

"Hey!" Blair protested. "I said cute, not hot!"

"What about your boyfriends?" Jo asked.

"Complete non sequitur, Jo," Blair protested.

"No it's not. You said you thought I liked Julie in that way, how do you feel about them?" Jo pressed the point.

"Boyfriends are dates, Jo, duh. I mean, I have to have a social life, right? But, have you ever known me to be serious about one? I mean, really serious? Have I ever slept with one? You're the only person I've had sex with. That should tell you something."

It did tell her something. Blair had given herself to her, not to anyone else. Blair was proud to be with her, she had made that abundantly clear. She wanted to move forward together, out to the world. Jo tried to focus her mind as she reflected on what that meant.

"Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm not ready to be out yet." Jo sighed as she rested her head on the pillow again. "I thought I was. I know I'm sick of pretending. But it's not easy to face the fact that what people have said about you in a hurtful way, a disparaging way, is true."

"I would never force you to do something you're uncomfortable with," Blair reassured. "Just because I'm ready, doesn't mean you are."

Jo gave her a quizzical look. "You mean that, Blair?"

"Sure."

They regarded each other tenderly.

"Listen," Blair moved a strand of hair from her face. "Let's deal with Peekskill when we get back to Peekskill. Let's not let worrying about the future ruin our time here. But whatever our future holds, let's face it together, Jo. We make decisions together, okay?"

"Blair?"

"Uh-uh?"

"I want you to know that I'm not ashamed to be with you, or anything. I never could have dreamed I'd be with someone like you. I think you're amazing. It's just hard for me to be public with how I feel. I don't know…" her voice trailed off.

"It's okay, Jo. You're worth the wait."

"I do love you, you know… the same way you love me, I mean," Jo continued. "I want you to know that. It's just harder for me to express. Do you understand?"

Blair gently kissed her lips. "I do now."

They rested in silence for a while, holding each other, listening to the rain.

"Um, did you mean it when you said I was the worst date ever?" Jo asked after a few minutes.

"This afternoon's date wasn't stellar," Blair stroked her hair. "At least not until we got back here."

"I'd like the chance to make that up to you."

"What do you have in mind?"

"We could go to that club Julie invited us do. Get some grub, dance?"

"Oh yeah, the Lizard Lounge," Blair nodded.

"The Limbo Lounge, Blair."

"Whatever," she shrugged.

"So, will you go on another date with me?"

"A chance to dress up and go out? Have you met me?"

They laughed.

"We promised Nat and Tootie that we'd check in with them at the restaurant tonight," Blair reminded.

"We'll just tell them we're going to that place where the forest rangers hang out, okay?"

"Got it!" Blair smiled.

She rolled over so that they both lay on their backs. Blair reached up and twirled a strand of Jo's hair.

"So all this stuff about protecting me," Blair grinned at her. "You were trying to be the man, weren't you."

"No I wasn't!" Jo gave her an offended look.

"Yeah you were," Bair's smile grew. "You can't help it. It's in your nature. But then you blew it when you started to cry, which was all girly."

"Shut up, Blair."

"Don't be mad, Jo. It's one of the things I love about you most."

"That I'm a girly man?" Jo joked.

"Your duality of nature, silly," she kissed Jo's shoulder. "You're strong and protective and sensitive and vulnerable all at once."

"Okay, okay, enough with the mushy stuff already. Besides, I'm not the man!" Jo stated vehemently.

"Really? Who's going to break the news to your wardrobe?"

"Very funny, Blair," Jo tickled her.

"Stop!" Blair complained as she laughed.

"We've got a big date to get ready for. I'm going to use the bathroom first," Jo threw the covers off as she began to rise.

"No, you're not!" Blair tackled her.

"Yeah, I am," Jo wrestled back.

"You're such a barbarian!" Blair cried out as Jo pinned her to the bed.

"You love it, Blair."

"I love it to death," Blair sighed.

Jo eyed her naked body. "One more time?"

"Oh… I think so," Blair breathed out heavily before she rolled over, took Jo in her arms, and began yet another session of lovemaking.

---

They showed up at the dining room dressed like the perfect gay couple, not that either of them realized it. Blair wore a black dress and Jo dressed in a white suit with a black tie. Jo opened the door for Blair as they entered the dining room.

"Hi, guys," Tootie greeted them. "You look great. Where are you off to?"

"We're going dancing at the Pine Lodge," Blair smiled sweetly.

"Blair hears that's where all the forest rangers hang out," Jo made sure to give her a smirk as Blair gave an exaggeratedly enthusiastic look to Tootie.

"Do me a favor," Tootie asked. "It's a biggie. Take Carl with you."

"Carl," Blair responded distastefully. "Why?"

"It's a long story, guys. A career is at stake. It's for Art!"

"Oh, c'mon, Tootie," Jo complained. "It's our last night!"

"He'll follow us around everywhere," Blair chimed in.

"He'll be doing comedy," Jo's face looked pained.

"You guys, please, take him," Tootie looked desperate. "You don't have to bring him back!"

Blair looked at Jo. Jo looked at Blair. Blair shook her head and sighed loudly.

"Go get him," she looked back to Jo and shrugged. Jo had a look of dismay on her face. Blair tugged at her jacket sleeve as Tootie explained to Carl that Jo and Blair would be taking him out. Jo waved at him weakly.

He approached them with a smile. "You got me!" he stated excitedly.

Jo and Blair hung their heads and turned towards the door dejectedly as he followed them.

"I hope you've got your own car, Carl. Cause there ain't room for you in ours," Jo stated once they were outside.

"Oh… right! I'll just follow you over then," he winked at them. "Meet you there!"

"We could dump him right now, Blair," Jo suggested as Blair drove towards the Pine Lodge. "I'm not going to let Carl ruin our date."

"Let's just find a way to lose him when we get there," Blair suggested. "Tootie seemed pretty adamant that she wanted him gone tonight. If we don't meet him at the lodge, he might just go back to the restaurant."

Jo and Blair sat a table in the corner as Carl entered. He made a beeline towards them.

"Who wants to dance with me first?"

Blair and Jo eyed each other.

"You go ahead, Jo," Blair smiled sweetly.

"No, Blair, I think you should have the first dance."

"Now, let's not fight, ladies. There's plenty of me to go around!" he rubbed his hands together.

"You know what, Carl?" Blair smiled her most charming smile. "I feel positively parched. Would you be so kind as to get us a couple drinks?"

"A little liquid lubrication," he winked, "to grease the love tracks. I'm on it!"

"Eew," Blair and Jo eyed each other with looks of disgust on their faces as he scurried off.

"That bar is packed," Blair nodded. "That should keep him away for awhile."

"Good thinking, Blair," Jo smiled at her.

As they sat at their table, a young man approached them.

"Would either of you care to…"

"Beat it, Bozo!" Jo snarled at him.

A few moments later, another hopeful suitor approached. He looked at Blair.

"May I ask you to…"

"Back off!" Jo barked at him.

Blair nudged her as they both started to laugh. A young woman sat down next to them. She looked to be about their age, with her hair pulled back with a simple ribbon. Her face was pleasant, with minimal makeup. She wore huge, round glasses and when she smiled, the dance floor lights glinted off her braces.

"Hi. I'm Ophelia."

"Nice to meet you," Blair was polite, as usual.

"I came here because I heard the forest rangers come here after work. I've been here an hour, but so far no one has asked me to dance."

Jo and Blair glanced at each other with looks of sympathy. "Aw," they mouthed to each other silently.

"When I saw you two sitting here together, I figured maybe you wouldn't mind if I joined you. Then it wouldn't feel so lonely."

Jo grasped Blair's hand under the table. This was so sad!

"Oh look!" Ophelia brightened. "Here comes a cute guy!"

Jo and Blair looked up to see Carl returning with their drinks.

"Carl? You think Carl is cute?" Jo blurted out.

"You know him?" Ophelia asked.

"Um, yeah," Jo shrugged. "He's our cousin!"

"He's been waiting for someone to dance with all night!" Blair joined in.

"Really?" Ophelia smiled.

"Really," Jo nodded.

"Carl, this is Ophelia," Blair made the introduction. "You're going to dance with her now."

"I am?"

"You are," Jo added with emphasis.

"I am just so popular tonight!" Carl seemed pleased with himself. As they headed to the dance floor, they seemed to hit it off. Ophelia even laughed when he did one of his silly comedy moves.

"Let's get out of here," Jo whispered in Blair's ear.

It didn't take them long to find the Limbo Lounge. Blair opened the door to get out.

"Wait, Blair," Jo placed her hand on her arm. "I got something for you."

She reached into a bag at her feet on the passenger side and pulled out a box.

"A corsage?" Blair beamed. "You got me a corsage?"

"Well," Jo looked at her shyly. "It is our first official date; our first real dance. I just wanted it to be proper."

"It's beautiful, Jo, and so sweet! When did you find the time to get this?"

"While you were in the bathroom," Jo pinned the flowers on Blair's dress. "For once, I didn't mind how long it takes you to get ready."

"So that's why you wanted me to drive. You had this stashed at your feet!"

"Uh-huh," Jo smiled. They gazed at each other amorously. Without a word, their lips met and they were engaged in a passionate kiss.

"Uh, we don't have to go in at all," Blair rested her forehead on Jo's.

"Oh no! I'm going to show you that I can be a good date tonight," Jo smiled.

"Then quit smashing my corsage and get out of the car!" Blair hit her shoulder playfully.

They entered the club and looked around. It was mostly women. Some were dancing, some were standing with drinks in their hands, talking and laughing, some were playing pool.

"Hey!" Julie greeted them. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

"You clean up nice," Jo eyed her up and down.

"Nice to see you again," Blair looped her arm into Jo's possessively.

"You, too," Julie hugged them both.

As Julie walked over to the bar to fetch them drinks, a large woman dressed in an ill fitted suit, passed them by.

"A corsage?" she smirked. "I must've missed the invitation to the high school dance!"

"Blair," Jo was upset. "She laughed at the corsage! Maybe I shouldn't have gotten you one."

"Don't be ridiculous, Jo. You can tell by how she's dressed that she doesn't know anything. I love my corsage!"

Julie returned with their drinks.

"I'm really digging the corsage, by the way," she smiled brightly. "I wish someone would do something like that for me! It's so old-school sweet!"

Blair eyed Jo knowingly. "See?"

"Yeah, but she called it old school," Jo literally folded into herself as they sat at a table. "I'm an idiot."

Blair took her hand into her own. "I love my corsage!" She kissed her cheek.

"For real?" Jo looked at her hesitantly.

"For real!" Blair reassured.

"Boy, this is really something, Blair," Jo brightened as she looked around. "All these women laughing and dancing together."

"So… Jo?" Blair looked at her expectantly.

"So what?" Jo asked, oblivious.

"Are you going to ask me to dance?"

Jo smiled one of the most endearing smiles Blair had ever seen cross her lips. She stood up and offered Blair her hand.

"Will you dance with me, Blair?"

"Beat it, Bozo!" Blair gave her best Jo impression.

They both laughed. Blair took her hand. As they danced, she rested her head on her lover's shoulder.

"This is nice," she breathed.

"What is?" Jo kissed her.

"Being able to dance with you in public."

"It is nice," Jo spun her around.

They joined in dance after dance, breaking periodically to socialize with Julie and her friends. As the hour grew late, it was Blair's hope that Jo would see the beauty of this: how it could work. She was completely ready to throw caution to the wind and come out as Jo's lover. How could it be any other way?

"It's gonna' suck being home and not being able to do this," Jo unwittingly dashed her hopes.

"But, we can do this at home," Blair continued to press her point.

"I don't know," Jo shook her head. "Maybe."

"Maybe? I'll take that as a yes," Blair smiled hopefully.

"What am I going to do with you, Blair?" Jo smirked at her.

"Everything!" Blair pulled her into an embrace.

"Last dance then…" Jo kissed her.

Blair sighed happily as she replaced her head on Jo's shoulder.

As the lights came up, Jo and Blair stood hand-in-hand.

"Time to go," Jo looked around regretfully.

"Our time is just starting," Blair smiled brilliantly.

"Let's go," Jo took her hand and led her to the door.

---

They were mostly silent on the way back to the resort: Blair driving, Jo shuffling her feet uncomfortably in the passenger seat.

"We're back," Blair stated as she pulled up the parking brake.

"Um, Blair," Jo eyed her intently. "There's one last thing I'd like to give to you to prove my love."

"You don't have to prove your love," Blair regarded her sweetly.

Jo pulled out another box from the bag between her legs. She handed it to Blair.

"A rose, Jo?" Blair opened the box. "A perfect, single red rose?"

Jo nodded. "I wanted our date to be perfect, so…"

"Oh!" Blair was overcome by the gesture. "It's beautiful, Jo!"

"So, I'm not the worst date ever?"

"That depends on what happens next," Blair eyed her seductively.

"I was thinking we should probably try out the heart-shaped Jacuzzi," Jo smiled.

"Oh, I like that idea, Jo!"

As they entered the room, Blair was shocked. It was lit by candlelight. The Jacuzzi was filled with bubbles. Champaign was chilling near the tub.

"Jo!" she was aghast. "How did you do all this?"

"I had Julie help me. She's friends with the front desk staff, so when we were leaving, she made a call and they set it up!"

"It's amazing, Jo! So romantic!" she turned to her. "This is the best date ever!"

"Yeah well," Jo shuffled her feet. "I figured I owed you, seeing as I've been kind of all over the place emotionally."

"Don't be ridiculous," Blair stroked her arm.

"I may not always have the words, like you do, so I wanted to show you, to prove my love," Jo continued. "Besides, I haven't been the easiest person to be around today."

"You're just going through your process. You don't have to prove anything to me." Blair took both her hands as she caught her glance. "I know you love me, Jo."

When it counted most, Blair always saw right into the truth of her heart.

---

In the morning, Blair was on top of Jo in a familiar position. Her head was nestled into her shoulder, her arm resting upon her chest and her leg straddling her lower body. Jo knew better than to try and move.

"I'm going to miss this," she mused as she moved a blonde tangle of hair from Blair's face. "A person could get used to waking up to this every morning."

She kissed her forehead, her lips. "Gotta' get up now, Blair," she breathed into her lover's neck.

"No," Blair complained.

"Yep, we've got a check-out time."

"I can't stand the thought of being parted from you, Jo!"

"We'll see each other in a couple weeks, Blair."

"All the same," Blair kissed her.

"I'll miss you, too," Jo whispered.

"Promise me you'll come over to Manhattan and stay with me the next time you're off work!" Blair looked at her expectantly.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously! I'll be dying of loneliness waiting for you! Until then… make love to me one last time."

Jo did.

As they packed their bags into Blair's car, Jo nudged her. Blair wrapped her arms around her waist and drew her into a kiss.

"Eh, we're in public, Blair," Jo rested her forehead on Blair's as they disengaged.

"You know that doesn't matter to me," Blair gave her a chastising look. "Besides, no one's looking," she kissed her lips again.

"Do you think anyone noticed what happened here?"

"Between us?" Blair glanced at her.

"I think we were pretty discreet," Jo nodded confidently.

"Who would ever suspect me and you of being lovers?" Blair shook her head incredulously.

They pulled the car around to the front of the resort. Blair ran inside to settle the bill.

"Have a nice stay?" the woman working the front desk asked pleasantly.

"It was wonderful," Blair responded dreamily.

"We aim to please," she gave Blair a knowing wink.

"Oh, um, good," Blair responded, oblivious to her innuendo.

As they stopped at the restaurant to say good-bye to Natalie and Tootie, an older couple passed them.

"Oh, look Morty! There's that cute gay couple I told you about!" Martha took her husband's arm.

"They are cute!" he agreed. "Very cute!"

Julie crossed in front of the dining area, about to start her shift at the pool.

"Hey, guys!" she waved at them. "Stay in touch, okay?"

After they hugged them goodbye, Tootie and Natalie stood in front of the resort and waved Jo and Blair off: Jo driving, Blair holding Allie in the passenger seat.

"Blair lets Jo her drive her car," Tootie mentioned.

"She wouldn't let either one of us drive her car," Natalie observed.

"They didn't have to get one of the honeymoon suites. There were other rooms available," Tootie added.

"They got all dressed up to go out dancing together," Natalie said. 'Blair in a dress…"

"Jo in a suit," Tootie finished her sentence. "And what's with Blair and that stuffed toy?" she continued. "She's always clutching it, like it was made of gold or something."

"Jo won it for her," Natalie lifted her eyebrows as she drew out Jo's name.

"And do you remember how Jo walked out of the bathroom naked calling Blair's name?"

"Who could forget that?" Natalie shook her head.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Tootie eyed her friend.

"They are so gay," Natalie smiled.

"So gay," Tootie echoed.