Almost Perfect

Nothing comes without a price, so don't whine when the bill arrives.

– How to Have a Perfect Life

The days that followed were filled with glitter. Literally. Maddy marveled at the younger girls' obsession with sprinkling bits of silver, gold, hot pink, and electric blue onto acres of glue, gleefully spilling it onto tables, chairs, and the floor like mad little fairies, then tracking it outside, and down the mountain until the trail to the Craft Shack positively glistened.

But more than the days, it was Maddy's nights that truly sparkled, nights in which Joe waited until taps played over the loudspeaker, then followed that glittering trail up the mountain under cover of dark. Their nights together shone with laughter and passion.

Oh, they were very discreet during the day. They never allowed their gazes to linger. Too long. They didn't exchange silly grins. Too often. And if they had to talk about camp business, she managed not to blush with memories of the night before while he kept thoughts of the night to come from shining in his eyes. Most of the time.

Yet, on the day that Maddy returned to the camp after taking her newest pieces to the gallery, she knew she wouldn't be able to wait until nightfall to see Joe. Happiness bubbled inside her as she parked before the office. She bounded into the front room, hoping to find Joe alone. Instead, she found Carol sitting behind the desk.

'You're back.' Carol looked up from the computer screen. 'And you're smiling, so I assume things went well.'

'What?' Maddy pulled up in surprise.

'Joe mentioned you were taking your artwork to a gallery in town. So, how'd it go?'

'It went great! Fabulous, in fact.' She refrained from bursting into giddy laughter as she marked down the time of her return on the sign-out sheet.

'Well?' Carol prompted. 'Tell, tell.'

Smiling, she shook her head, wanting Joe to be the first to hear her news. 'It's too much. I'll give you the details at dinner. So, um, is Joe around? I'd like to let him know I'm back.'

'He's in his apartment.' Carol pointed her thumb over her shoulder toward the almost closed door. 'On the phone… like he's been all day.'

'Oh.' Maddy glanced at the door and felt her cheeks heat knowing he was right on the other side. In his private apartment. Which she'd never seen but felt certain had a bed. Although, with the way things had been between them the last few days, a floor, a wall, or a countertop and ten minutes of privacy would do.

Her cheeks flamed hotter as she searched for an excuse to get rid of Carol, go through that door, and lock it behind her. Unfortunately, her brain cells were too scrambled lately to function properly.

'Well.' Flustered, she motioned toward the door to the parking lot. 'I guess I'll… see you at dinner.'

'No, wait,' Carol said. 'Why don't you poke your head in the apartment? Tell Joe you're here?'

Maddy laughed, which was a silly response.

'Besides'-Carol rose, straightening papers-'I have some, um, things I need to do. Yes. Things. So I actually need you to tell Joe I'll be gone for a while.'

'A while?' Maddy struggled to keep the leap of excitement from showing on her face. 'How long a while?'

'An hour?' Carol asked, then quickly dropped her voice to remove the question mark. 'I mean, an hour. At least.' Blushing, she headed for the back door. 'Well, gotta run. You two have fun.' With a little snicker, she disappeared.

Have fun? Maddy's mouth dropped open, and then she laughed. Oh man, she and Joe were so busted! And after being so careful. How had Carol figured it out? Did any of the others know? Did Joe's mother know? Okay, Mama would probably be happy, but still, she found it mildly embarrassing and highly amusing that they'd gone to such lengths to be discreet.

Shaking her head, she looked at the door. Joe's voice drifted out, a low, sexy rumble. She moved closer, eased the door open, and peeked inside. She saw a tastefully decorated room done in natural colors, from dark brown to pale beige with a few splashes of earthy red. The louvered shutters were tilted to allow privacy but still let in sunlight. Two big leather chairs sat before the windows, Hanked by wooden bookshelves that held his collection of pueblo pottery, kachinas, and art books. As for framed art, he hadn't exaggerated when he told Juanita he had no wall space left. His taste ran toward domestic pueblo scenes, homey, peaceful images.

'Sounds like we're nearly good to go.' His voice drew her attention the other direction. Peeking around the door, she found him standing with his back to her, talking on a cordless phone while washing dishes in a kitchenette that was only slightly larger than hers.

Curious, she scanned the room again and found a door directly across from her that stood open enough for her to make out the foot of a sturdy-looking bed. The bedspread echoed the patterns of the Navajo rug that covered the floor.

Excellent taste, she thought.

Joe turned with the phone pressed between his shoulder and ear. He froze when he saw her. Then smiled. 'Hey, look, I need to let you go. Call me back when you know for sure.' He hung up and faced her fully. 'You're back.'

'I am.' She started to return his smile, but a mischievous imp took hold and she scowled instead. 'And I have bad news.'

'What?' Concern registered on his face.

'I'm afraid they're on to us. Carol, for sure. Maybe the others.' She shook her head gravely. 'I think they know we're'-she wiggled her brows- 'you know.'

'Sneaking around? No!' He feigned shock, then lowered his voice to a whisper. 'Maddy, I'm fairly certain a blind monkey could figure out I've got the hots for you so bad I can barely see straight.'

'You don't have to whisper,' she whispered back. 'We're alone.'

'We are?' His face lit up.

'Carol just left to do some 'things,' assuring me she'd be gone 'at least an hour.' '

'Oh really?' The interest deepened as he came toward her, moving with a slow, predatory step. 'Remind me to add a big bonus to her paycheck.'

'You're not upset?' He didn't look upset. In fact, he looked like a panther spying a nice, juicy steak. She backed up a step, then two, toward the sitting area.

'Why would I be upset?' He closed and locked the door as he passed it.

'I thought you didn't want people to know.' She held a hand up, continuing backward. Fantasizing about jumping Joe in his apartment in the middle of the day was one thing-but the reality was a camp full of people just beyond the windows. 'You've been so circumspect.'

'Well, I'm hardly going to flaunt the fact that we're doing the wild thing in front of the campers and counselors, but no, I don't mind if the coordinators know. All of them are old enough that I think it's a safe bet to say they've discovered sex. Now, come here.'

He took her hand and tugged her forward so fast she fell against his chest. Before she could think, she was in his arms and he was kissing her-a slow, deep, sweet kiss that went on and on until her knees were weak.

Then he lifted his head and caressed her cheek. 'I missed you today.'

A glowing happiness filled her as she smiled up at him. 'You saw me just last night.'

'That was forever ago.' His head started to lower.

Laughing, she rose up to meet him, but pulled back at the last instant. 'Oh! I have news.'

'It can wait.'

'No, I have news. Big news!'

'Let me guess.' He nibbled her neck. 'Sylvia loved your work and wants to do the prints she talked about.'

'Yes!'

'Maddy, I hate to tell you, but that is not news. Now, about that hour of privacy we have…' Without warning, he bent down and hefted her over his shoulder.

'Joe! What are you doing?' she shrieked as he headed for the bedroom. He tossed her playfully onto the mattress, then climbed on after her. 'Wait.' She placed a hand against his rock-hard chest to keep him from kissing her again. 'It's more than just them wanting to do prints. They have a show-scheduled in a couple of weeks to launch their fall catalog.'