Present
Sunshine drifts lazily in through a crack in the curtains, warming a small patch on Julie's forehead. One bare arm is crooked underneath her head, the other loosely cradling Gill's still-snoozing form, cuddled in to her. Her head lies between Julie's upper arm and her chest, nose nuzzling the side of her breast. One hand snuggles in to her rib cage, underneath the covers. A soft grunt from Gill, still dreaming, makes her smile. The soft bed linen encases them in a comforting way, and Julie almost doesn't want to open her eyes to officially wake up from this perfection. She lifts her hand to stroke Gill's hair, and slowly, opens her eyes. If only all mornings could be like this.
She ponders the little head below her: the carefully treated hair all sleep tousled; the soft skin bare of any make up, dark eyelashes gently resting on ivory cheeks; the pointed little nose, the curve of her lips. The way she can feel Gill's heartbeat through her breast, pressed firmly to Julie's midriff. It is slow and rhythmic, like her breathing. The sense of utter calm is almost overwhelming, and hard to take in.
It is, she thinks, the first time she has ever lain with Gill like this. So many times in the past, though they had enjoyed passionate sex, they had slept separately afterwards. On the few occasions when they had slept together for what was left of the night, it was always Gill who was up, and straight out of bed to make the tea and attack the day. This is the first time she has seen Gill sleeping naturally, peacefully. Not fitfully, as she tended to do on odd occasions when they'd shared a twin room at ACPO Conferences; nor alcohol-induced deeply, as after various nights out. This is what Gill looks like with no strain, no stress, no worry. It's a deeply endearing sight, and Julie sighs for the sheer pleasure of it.
The movement seems to stir Gill a little, and Julie completes her wake up call by landing a kiss softly on her forehead.
"Good morning!"
"Mmmmmmm."
"Not like you to be the sleepyhead."
Gill grins, eyes still fast shut, and mumbles, "Late night exercise, what can I say?"
"Maybe we should try for daytime exercise, if this is what it's going to do to you." Julie drops her nose to nuzzle Gill's forehead, provoking her to lift her head up, eyes still closed, for a gentle kiss.
"Both. Both is good."
"You'll have me worn out..."
"Can think of worse things to be worn out by!" Finally, Gill opens her eyes, and gazes up at Julie, consideringly. "D'you know, Slap, that's the first time we've ever...had sex...in bed. I was just thinking about it, and I don't recall us ever..." She leaves the sentence hanging, as Julie kisses the tip of her nose, causing her to wrinkle it up in response.
"You're adorable. No, I mean it," she insists, as Gill casts her eyes down. "Adorable, and beautiful and, and... Christ, you're right!" As the thought catches her up. "I was thinking there was that time when we stayed over at, oh, what was he called... Jim? Was it him? Yeah, it was, at Jim's... but..."
"...that was on the floor on sofa cushions, yeah."
"And most other times it was pretty much..."
"...as soon as I could get your clothes off in private!"
"I seem to remember I was just as impatient!" Julie grins with the thought. "Well, that just gives us all the more reason to explore what can be done with a bed, eh?" Gill smirks, and pulls herself upright. She plumps her shoulders back on the pillow, and glances round the room with contentment. Julie turns round in the bed, and props her head with her arm, so she can gaze up at Gill, an unasked query in her eyes.
"What?" Gill prompts.
"That look on your face... It's a long time since I've seen you look so satisfied with something that wasn't work-related."
Gill tilts her head to one side, focuses on Julie and responds, "Somehow, this room looks better with you in it. That's all. I mean, I haven't painted it in years. Haven't seen the need, given I come in, go to bed, get up and leave. But the other week I was thinking how much these four walls bore me...and I just realised, they don't now."
"Soppy bitch!"
Gill laughs, a physical, jerky reaction which nearly dislodges Julie's position. "Enough of that. Wanna brew?"
"Yeah alright, if you're offering."
"It'll mean me getting out of bed..."
"Don't be long, eh?"
"Heaven forbid you move yourself, y'fat-arsed bitch?"
"Oi! I'm still a respectable working woman, unlike some people I could mention. This is my one day to lie in this week, so you can piss right off!" But her grin belies her words. "Anyway, come back and I'll make it worth your while..." Her eyes twinkle up at Gill's and find a matching light.
"You're on." With one fluid movement, Gill is out of the bed and upright, hand running through tangled hair. She grabs a crimson dressing gown from a hook and disappears through the door. Julie can hear her descent downstairs, and the quiet hum of the radio underneath the clinks of mugs and the crackle of the kettle. Reflexively, she sits up, and rummages down the side of the bed for her phone. The sight of strewn clothing makes her grin.
Last night, after Gill had reduced her to a panting, keening, shaking hot body, they had lain quietly, wordlessly staring into each other's eyes. Finally, Gill had wriggled round and said, "Well, in lieu of the traditional smoke, I could enjoy a bit more of that wine now, could you?" And Julie had twitched her head in humour and assent, before getting up and making for the bedroom door, which had apparently scandalised Gill. "Oi, aren't you going to get dressed?" she'd asked.
"Who's going to see me, other than you?"
"Still, but..."
"Relax Gill, my things're in my bag, at the foot of the stairs...and if Sammy has let himself in and managed to miss the sound of his mother having loud lady sex, well..."
Gill had giggled and blushed like a schoolgirl, but shooed Julie on with a wave of her hand, before catching her up in her own nightwear, to slide cool fingers down her back.
"You're not inducing me to get dressed, woman."
"How about you take all that upstairs, and I'll get the wine?" Gill had suggested as she slipped round Julie's body, hands taking full advantage.
Smirking, she'd done as instructed, taking great pleasure in being sprawled on the bed in her lace-panelled nightie by the time Gill arrived back up. The forceful sucking in of breath as she'd come through the door had told Julie how successful her choice was.
She smirks at the memory. Downstairs, the kettle is boiling, and Gill sounds like she's arguing with the news presenter. Finally, her hand touches the metal casing of her phone, and she pulls herself back onto the bed.
No messages. No missed calls. That's a plus.
Then, the morning routine: a quick glance at emails - nothing that can't wait. Good. News websites. More rioting in the US... God, it feels like Moss Side all over again. A suicide bomb in Iraq. She shakes her head. It never seems to improve. Local news, then. A crash on the M56, nothing fatal, thankfully. Oh, and...she clicks a link, an old memory triggered. Well, fancy that for timing. And there's no reason not to, as far as she can see.
Julie is still absent mindedly planning, with a soft smile on her face, when Gill comes back in with a tray: tea and croissants with butter and all the accoutrements. Julie hurriedly closes the app and puts her phone down.
"What's that grin for?"
"Nothing..."
"Eh, don't think you can lie to me, lady! I've only been retired two days." Julie winks, and makes to grab her mug of tea, but is stopped by a firm hand. "No you don't, Slap. Come on, out with it..." She's teasing now, but her grip is as strong as ever.
Julie rolls her eyes. "I was just thinking I might take you out tonight... If you'd like?"
"What, for a meal? My cooking lost it's appeal already?"
"No, you daft cow! And I was thinking after dinner, actually."
"Oh, so you're presuming you're staying the night, then?"
"Well, given your forward planning..."
"Where d'you want to go, anyway?"
"Tell you when we get there." Julie looks up with a wicked grin. "Go on, can't you live with the suspense for a few hours?" She watches Gill's face as the challenge works on her, until she feels a loosening of the hand over her own. Raising the mug to her lips, she settles back against the pillow, feeling smug. "Thank you."
oOo
"Oi, Slap, d'you have a thermos?"
"Yeah...in the cupboard under the sink. Where're we going?" She has dropped the question numerous times throughout the day, in the hopes that Julie would be careless enough to answer. But Gill has been disappointed - or rather, Julie has been ready for her.
"Wait and see," she says with her most provocative smile, and flicks the kettle on. "But you should probably bring a thick coat, and if I could borrow a scarf, that'd be great." Gill gives her a bemused look, but shakes her head and goes to the hall; coming back with not only her own jacket, but one of Sammy's, too.
"Reckon this'll fit you, Slap, if you don't mind looking any more of a knob than usual? Our Sammy begged for one of these when he was fifteen. Something about Ali G and it was what all the lads were wearing. 'Course, he never bloody stepped out of the house in it once he got it, daft twat."
Julie eyes the Parka with a mix of amusement and horror.
"And you bought it for him? Doesn't sound like you."
"Did I heck, as like! Nah, that was Dave playing dickhead, trying to score one over on me. Didn't work. Will it do, or are we going somewhere posh?"
Shaking her head, Julie refuses to be drawn.
"It'll do, ta chuck."
It is ten o'clock before they leave the house, and Gill is near climbing the walls with curiosity.
"Y'know, we're really going to have to teach you some patience, woman," Julie remarks, as she holds the door of her SUV open.
Gill, pauses in putting a leg into the footwell, grins. "I thought that's what you were doing all day... Or did I miss the finer points of your 'education'?"
Julie laughs, a deep, raucous sound echoing in her throat. "Oh, that was just an introduction love. We've a long way to go yet." She hands Gill the picnic basket, and studies her face with care. How better than to make sure Gill didn't see the same news article she had, than by keeping her hands, and other bits of her, thoroughly engaged for the day?
Getting in the drivers seat, Julie wriggles herself comfy and starts the car. She turns out on to the A672 and she can feel Gill's eyes on her.
"What?"
"Nothing. I'm just trying to figure out what you're up to."
She smirks.
Out into the darkness of the Peak District they drive, bantering, then under the fleeting lights of cars on the M62, and a few hundred yards later, Julie pulls on to a cement track leading off the road. Still, Gill is too busy staring at her, with deep curiosity, to realise what's in front of her.
"If this were anyone else, Slap, I'd be getting worried right about now." There's a jokey tone to what Gill says, but Julie can hear the slight concern growing, as well.
Shaking her head, she slows the car to a snail's pace, reaches a hand over to Gill's chin and gently turns her head so she's facing forwards; North.
"Ohhhhhhhhh!" By the light of the greenish-blue tint of the dancing sky, Julie can, for the moment she turns her face to Gill's, see the glimmering excitement in her eyes. "Ohh, Julie!"
They drive on in silence; a rich, deep absence of sound other than the car engine, so thick Julie senses she can feel Gill's pleasure. With care, she navigates the track, until they pull up outside the sailing club on the shores of the reservoir. It's deserted now, and she's glad that no one else has thought to come here, of all places, tonight. She cuts the engine, and, pausing to smile at Gill's enthralment, quietly opens the door. The coats were a good idea; it's chilly enough up here, under the stars and the crystal quality of the northern lights. They flicker, treading their path across the sky. The sound of her feet crunching on the gravel as she walks round to open Gill's door seems somehow louder than normal.
"Come on." Without even meaning to, she is whispering. Gill gets out carefully and digs a beanie hat out of a pocket. Then, she slips her hand into Julie's, and they walk down to the reservoir wall. Above them, the sky shimmers; lights hover and disappear, returning in shades of jade and poppy red. Below, the slight wind ripples the water, sending the reflection fluttering away from them. Gill shivers; with cold or with excitement, Julie can't tell, though she imagines it's a bit of both. "Come're", she pulls her in front, and into her, wrapping Sammy's capacious coat around them both, her hands holding it fast to Gill's tiny frame. Still, silence. In the distance, an owl hoots: once, twice, then it too is quiet.
After a while, Gill wriggles against her, causing Julie to side step round, till they're turned to each other, faces strangely toned in the luminescent hues. Gill looks up at her, eyes searching, unblinking, until Julie tilts her head, leaning in. As slow as the lights moving across the sky, Gill lifts her lips to Julie's, touching in to the most tender kiss. Finally, she speaks.
"Thank you."
Julie pulls Gill tight against her, relishing the heat between them. She feels strangely elated; a mixture of joy, excitement and, to some extent, as if an unasked question has been answered. Or, a little voice inside her says, complete.