about kissing him for years, she’d never expected it to have such a profound effect on her. The taste of his mouth, the warmth of his lips, the strength of his hands on her body, were enough singly to drive her to distraction. But combined, she was powerless to do anything but surrender.
When she was teenager, all her fantasies were colored with romance. But now, everything was about raw lust. His touch made her body ache from something more satisfying and she knew exactly what it was. Naked bodies, limbs entwined, searching mouths and soft sighs.
This was exactly what she’d dreamed about and now that it was happening, she wanted to remember every single moment. Slowly, she sank to the floor and closed her eyes. The taste of him was still on her lips and she smiled. Blindfolded, she could kiss a hundred strangers and recognize him.
She wanted to run and jump and scream, letting loose the wild emotions that coursed through her body. But Julia knew that for now, she had to keep her feelings to herself. This could last a day or two and then, just as suddenly as it began, it could be over. And the last thing she wanted to do was make a fool of herself.
And yet, it was so hard to believe it was real when she was the only one who knew about it. If she could tell Kate or Frannie, then maybe it wouldn’t seem so surreal. And maybe it wouldn’t frighten her so much.
There hadn’t been a man in her life that had made her feel this heady mix of elation and anticipation since—well, never. What would happen when she saw him next, when he touched her again?
“Jules?”
She looked up to find Kate standing beside her, the coffee carafe in her hands.
“What are you doing?” Kate asked.
“Nothing,” Julia said, scrambling to her feet. “Just … relaxing. I didn’t sleep very well last night.”
Kate sat down next to her. “Are you all right? You look a little flushed.” She pressed her palm to Julia’s forehead. “Are you getting sick?”
“No. It’s just the heat in the kitchen. The oven’s been on. I’m great, really.”
Kate sighed. “Sometimes I wonder if we’ll ever finish what needs to get done. With everything we cross off the top of the list, we add another two or three on the bottom.”
“So, we have to fix the screens on the cabins?”
“Don’t worry, it’s not that hard. It just takes time and patience. But we don’t have to get to work yet.”
“What are you guys doing in here?” Frannie said, wandering into the kitchen. She plopped down on the other side of Kate and leaned over to look at Julia. “Are you all right? Your face is all red.”
Julia clapped her hands to her cheeks. “Yes.”
“She’s just warm,” Kate explained. She sighed softly. “I can’t tell you how much we appreciate all your help. We just never could have done this alone. And hiring help is beyond our budget. Do you have any idea what plumbers cost these days?”
“It’s no problem,” Frannie said.
“I just want you to know that—”
“Stop,” Julia said, wrapping her arms around Kate’s shoulders. “We’re all here because we love this place and we love you.”
Kate pulled them both into a group hug. “I’m so glad we’re all back here, together.”
“We haven’t changed at all, have we, girls?” Frannie said, stretching her legs out in front of her. “But you know who’s gotten better with age?” She leaned over the table. “Adam. Oh, my God, I didn’t think he could get any hotter, but he has. Why hasn’t some woman snapped him up by now?”
“Maybe he’s gay,” Kate said. “Look at Derek and Steven. We never even suspected they were.”
“I don’t think he’s gay,” Julia said.
“How do you know?” Kate’s eyes went wide. “You two haven’t—”
“I saw him in Chicago once. On Michigan Avenue, walking down the sidewalk with this gorgeous blond woman. He was definitely into her. It was obvious. I think he just likes women too much to settle on one.”
“When a guy looks like that, I guess he can afford to play the field,” Kate said. “I still say the best thing to ever happen to Mason was his hairline receding. Marriage looks pretty good to a guy who thinks he’s going bald.”
Frannie scrambled to her feet. “We need to have a toast.”
“It’s too early to start drinking,” Julia said, getting to her feet. She reached out and pulled Kate up. “We should really wait until at least 1:00 a.m.”
“I was going to say noon,” Kate countered.
“We’re on vacation. We can start whenever we want,” Frannie said. She filled three glasses with orange juice and passed them out. “To Camp Winnehawkee. Friends forever.”
“It really is true,” Julia said. “Look at us. All these years have passed and we’re still friends. I don’t think I have any better friends than you two.”
“We really should get together more than once a year,” Frannie said. “After all, we don’t live that far apart.”
“Well, that’s about to change,” Julia said. She set her glass down on the prep table and took a deep breath. “I’m moving to Paris with Jean-Paul at the end of the summer.”
Her friends stared at her, mouths agape, as if she’d just sprouted horns and a tail. “With Jean-Paul? As in, you two are going together? As a couple?”
Julia shrugged. “I suppose there’s that possibility, but no. We’re going for professional reasons. He wants to compete in the M.O.F., so he’s going back to work there for a few years in his family’s patisserie. He asked if I wanted to come.”
Kate frowned. “What’s the M.O.F.?”
“The Meilleurs Ouvriers de France. When you’re certified M.O.F. that means you’re the best. He’s the only teacher at the Pastry School that doesn’t have the certification and that’s because he came to the U.S. when he was just out of school.”
“Are you going to live together?” Frannie asked.
“No. We’re not even going to work together at first. He’s set me up with a very famous pastry chef and I’m going to work in his shop.”
“For how long?” Frannie asked.
“I don’t know. It could be six months, a year. Two, if things go well. Or I could come back after a few weeks if they don’t.” Julia shrugged. “I just feel like I need a change in my life.”
Kate shook her head. “I don’t know, Jules. You had a romantic relationship with this guy a few years ago. As I remember, he wasn’t very nice to you. And now you’re going to Paris with him. It sounds like it’s a bit more than just a professional trip.”
“Do
