Free Conservative Affairs by Riley Scott

parents. Her heart pounded, each beat angrier than the last, as she tried to focus on the issue at hand. The mayor was the most important thing to worry about right now.
    As she thought of Madeline, her smile returned. Jo hoped that she had slept well and that she would ultimately choose to stay, even if for only one more night. She didn’t care if Madeline slept on the couch or if they only made small talk while Jo cooked her dinner. She just wanted her nearby. Wanted to hear the sweet sound of Madeline’s laugh again, wanted to relive the closeness of last night.
    It was selfish, she knew, considering all that Madeline had been through in the past twenty-four hours, but still, she had enjoyed being there for someone else—enjoyed being someone’s rock.
    That kind of intimacy was something she had all but forgotten. These days, she was lucky to have a conversation outside of work with a convenience store clerk or a one-night stand. The notion of having friends had pretty much died when she took this job. For one thing, the hours did not really allow for maintaining friendships. For another, it was hard to be close to someone and not divulge the deep secrets she was keeping.
    Regardless, she was determined to find a way to win Madeline’s friendship and keep her secrets in the process. There was no sense in letting a golden opportunity like this slip through her grasp simply because she was too weak-willed to hold on to it. There was also no point in jeopardizing her job.
    She pulled into the Starbucks drive-through a few blocks from her apartment and ordered two coffees. After Madeline’s drinking binge last night, coffee would likely be appreciated. Minutes later, she was getting out of her car and walking to her front door. She unlocked it and swung it open—a difficult task while carrying two cups of coffee—and her smile instantly faded.
    Madeline was sprawled out on her couch…and well into Season One of The L Word .
    Jo’s jaw dropped open, while Madeline fumbled for the remote—acting very much like a clumsy teen who had been caught watching porn.
    To make matters worse, at the moment an intense sex scene was filling the screen, complete with moans of pleasure. Jo’s surprise was compounded when Madeline turned her gaze back to the screen, seemingly unable to tear her eyes away from the sight of the two women who were enjoying each other’s bodies. She shivered and finally found the off button when the two women on screen began to get dressed.
    The silence in the room was almost palpable. Jo wished she could think of something to say. Instead, she walked awkwardly into the kitchen, set down the coffees, removed the messenger bag holding her laptop and briefcase and busied herself refilling Jaws’s food dish and water bowl.
    It was Madeline who finally broke the silence, calling to her from the next room. “I’m sorry.”
    Despite the tension, Jo laughed. “You don’t have to apologize to me.” She moved back into the room, though she took care not to meet Madeline’s gaze directly. She watched as Madeline followed suit, diverting her eyes and shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Jo stood awkwardly in the corner, hoping Madeline couldn’t hear her heart beating uncontrollably.
    “That show is…um…very interesting, actually,” Madeline admitted, her cheeks flushing.
    “It’s not bad.”
    “Have you watched it all the way through? I mean, through Season Six?”
    Jo nodded. She had watched it time and again when it first came out on DVD. It had made her feel as though she wasn’t the only lesbian in the world. She knew she wasn’t, of course, but in her family, her circle of friends, her world—she was.
    “I may have to rent it and watch it through sometime. It was entertaining me.” Madeline paused and appeared to be thinking through what that meant.
    “Guess those gays aren’t so bad after all, right?” Jo laughed.
    “I don’t have a problem with gay people,” Madeline said quietly.