My Kind of Woman

11. Lips, and Other Words

"Why are you coming here so much?" Jackie asked me one evening.

We were lying on her bed, our legs tangled, reading magazines from a pile Jackie had hoarded. It was closer to December and rumours that it was snow for the whole month had spread.

By then, I was already thinking of Christmas gifts for my dad and for Jackie - and for Mio too. I was planning for a gift that would not only say 'Merry Christmas' and 'thank you' for my birthday. Every time I got undressed to shower or swim, I gazed at the necklace laid against my skin, just above the valley of my breasts, and thought of how I could one-up the lovely gift. Not that it was a competition, but I'd never felt gratitude like I had when Mio gifted me the necklace. I wanted her to feel that too. And have something that made her think of me whenever she looked at it.

But I didn't have much money, nor a job, and no knowledge on what thirty-six-year-old women like as gifts. Assuming all their tastes were quite similar. From that thought, I had an idea. I already knew a woman in her thirties I could ask. Ms. Bisset.

"Because I love you of course." I told Jackie, flicking through the magazine I was holding, looking for the outfit pages. I liked imagining myself in the model's bodies and having those kinds of clothes in my wardrobe at home.

"Good answer."

"Jacks, when do you think you're gonna get a job?" I asked.

She groaned. "Oh don't, you sound like my parents"

"Come on, tell me." I placed my magazine flat down on my chest.

"I dunno, next year maybe? In the summer or something." She shrugged.

"Then me too."

"Stalker."

I sighed loudly. "I just want money."

"Don't we all?"

"Are we gonna buy each other Christmas presents?" I said, turning to look at her. "That's something I'll need money for, won't I?"

"Thinking of me always, hmm?" Jackie grinned.

Yeah, and your mother.

"But, yeah, I've got some ideas for Christmas presents already." Jackie massaged her fingers into my hair, rubbing the top of my head, flipping the next page of her mag with her other hand.

"I have none." I sighed, letting my eyes droop comfortably as she threaded her fingers into my hair. "I'm rubbish at getting presents."

"Don't worry, you've still got a month. And I'll be happy with anything you get me." Jackie said.

"I know you will." I mumbled. Except, it's not you I'm worried about.

"Have you spoken to Gi since the party?" She asked.

"Not really. She hasn't texted me, or come looking for me. She's probably embarrassed." I chewed on my bottom lip.

Jackie hummed in agreement. "Probably. What a shame."

We stayed like that for a few hours, flicking through magazines and chatting aimlessly. As the hours ticked closer to night though, I felt myself brimming with strange emotion - like a glass filled too close to the top. My heart went through spells of hammering hard to then being calm and rhythmic as normal. What it meant then was beyond me.

Around the usual time, Jackie cleared the bed, switched off the lights and dragged me down onto the mattress - lying that night with her arms secured around my waist. With her head so close to my chest, I thought she would catch the random moments that my heart began to pound. But she'd dozed off too soon. I lay there awake though, staring at the ceiling. I always gave it a set amount of time - thirty minutes - before I went to leave the room. But, with Jackie so attached to my body, I lay there a little longer, listening to her soft snores and feeling the heat from her head against my stomach.