This was going to be okay; she was going to be okay. And if things didn’t work out, then that would also be fine. Romantically, things hadn’t worked out with Penny, and they’d quickly moved past the awkwardness. Granted, Penny didn’t literally live above her, but she remained a big part of Catherine’s life, and Jules was as outgoing and easy to get along with as Penny.It’s going to be fine.
Her phone pinged, the screen lighting up with Jules’s name. Catherine’s stomach twisted as she read the text; her mind instantly leaped to the worst.
Jules:
This feels weird…
She replied quickly, giving her mind minimal runway to take flight with its usual catastrophising.
Sorry, what does?
Jules:
Having you so close, but also way too far away x
Catherine exhaled a laugh at the thought of Jules lying above her right now. They were only metres apart; she was sure that if she listened hard enough, she’d be able to hear the other woman breathing.
It’s like we have fancy bunk beds x
Jules:
Ha! Yeah! Shame I can’t hang my arm over the edge and hold your hand :(
As if Jules could see her, Catherine smiled at the ceiling like an idiot. At the very least, she imagined Jules might feel her vibes radiating through the rafters.
Another text pinged through.
Jules:
So, Dr.T… I know you’re off the clock, but I need a little help
Sure
Jules:
What advice would you give to someone too worked up to sleep?
It would really depend on why the individual is so worked up
Jules:
Let’s just say the person in question just shared the most incredible kiss with a really hot woman and, for some reason, sent her home before letting her finish what she’d started. So, worked up in a good way.
Catherine’s pulse quickened. Should she reply with her therapist hat on? She could advise on calming down the nervous system with progressive relaxation and breath work… or she could flirt back, because Jules wasdefinitelyflirting, and the subtext had heat surging through Catherine. Before she could overthink it, her thumb made quick work of typing a sufficiently flirtatious response, then hovered over the send icon.
Fuck it.She hit the button, and the message swished off into cyberspace; split seconds later, it showed as read. The ceiling creaked, summoning the mental image of Jules shifting with rising arousal; the mere thought had Catherine pulsing with want. The three dots bouncing on her screen suddenly felt like foreplay.
Jules:
And how might one achieve this ‘afterglow effect’ you speak of?
As if she needed any more encouragement, Catherinepictured the sparkle flashing in Jules’s eyes and that mischievous twitch at the corner of her gorgeous lips.
Well, if you want to find out, you’ll need to reach between your legs and touch yourself.
Slowly!
Jules:
