Not Just Gal Pals: A Sapphic Small-Town Romantic Comedy by Elizabeth Luly

Author:Elizabeth Luly [Luly, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-08-23T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

JENNY

“Is it this steep all the way up?” I paused to catch my breath, looking at the rocky path with trepidation. Blake stopped a few feet ahead of me and turned.

“It gets steeper right near the end.” Her voice betrayed no signs of exertion.

“Steeper?” I yelped.

Blake smiled at me, and my heart bounced, despite being exhausted. “I promise you, the view is worth it. Especially at this time of year.”

Based on past experience, I’d assumed our casual relationship would consist primarily of drinks and booty calls. So, when Blake texted me the day after the party and suggested we go for a hike up Breakback Ridge on Saturday before the fall foliage disappeared, I’d been a little surprised. To be honest, I’d been surprised she hadn’t suggested we go back to her house after the Halloween party. But she hadn’t, and I wasn’t exactly keen to invite her back to my parents’ house with its thin walls.

I’d agreed to Blake’s suggestion, thinking it would at least compensate for the amount of Halloween candy I’d consumed and hopefully provide content for my social media accounts.

But now we were halfway up the mountain, I was starting to think this hadn’t been the best idea for our first date—or any date, period. It was now very clear to me why the mountain had been named Breakback Ridge. I was already tired, sweaty, and a little hangry. I hadn’t thought to wear hiking boots, and my worn sneakers weren’t giving me the support I needed over the uneven ground.

We could have been enjoying a glass of wine while overlooking the Hudson River, or going back to Red Tractor Farm for hot donuts, apple fritters, and steaming cider—activities much more conducive to making out than hiking.

To make matters worse, Blake was a lot fitter than I was. While I kept suggesting we “enjoy the view” as an excuse to catch my breath, Blake bounced along the path, barely breaking a sweat.

The only good thing about constantly falling behind Blake, and this hike in general, was getting a very nice view of Blake’s butt. Her navy hiking pants clung to it in an extremely flattering way, accentuating how round and firm it was. Like a dog having a treat dangled in front of it, Blake’s butt kept me going, reminding me why I was on this damn hike in the first place.

I took a deep breath in and continued up the stony path, hoping I didn’t fall over and break my leg. Which reminded me…

“Hey, did you ever speak to the other local doctors about how they manage uninsured patients?” I asked, trying not to sound too winded and failing miserably.

“I did.” Blake slowed to walk beside me. “Some of them offer payment plans for their fees, but none of them are helping patients try to get funding for their hospital bills or other costs. Apparently, some towns have funds to help pay for uninsured people’s medical costs, which are usually run by non-profits or the city council.

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