Jennie got up from the terrace table and took her empty coffee cup into the kitchen, where she made herself another one. She was already halfway through her second book and had started to master the art of relaxation. It was a sunny day, and although it was only nine in the morning, the temperature was rising fast, leaving her sweating, even in the shade. She poured herself a generous amount of coffee from the filter machine and grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge, before heading to the pool.

"Hey there." Lisa smiled at her from the annex terrace, where she was reading the morning papers. Gumbo came tearing up at Jennie, greeting her with his typical enthusiasm.

"Morning." Jennie waved at her before kneeling down to greet Gumbo. "You don't have to put the towels out for me, Lisa. I can get them myself." She cocked her head, shielding her eyes from the sun. "I'm sure you've got better things to do than looking after me."

Lisa shrugged. "Don't worry about it. How many times do I have to tell you, it's my job. Just enjoy yourself." She held her gaze as Jennie took off her robe and lowered herself into the pool, shivering when the cold water hit her chest. She's so fucking beautiful. Jennie dipped under and swam over to the edge where she came up, facing Lisa.

"I feel bad, though," she continued, rubbing the water out of her eyes. "I've noticed you don't use the pool while I'm here. Is that because you're not supposed to? Because I don't care if you do, I'd be happy to share."

"Come on, Jen. I'm the caretaker." Lisa laughed. "I can't just go splashing around here, it's unprofessional. Have you ever seen resort staff jump in the pool when you were on vacation?"

Jennie laughed. "I wouldn't know, to be honest. I can't remember the last time I
went on vacation. But it would make me feel better if you did. It's not like the owners are going to turn up out of the blue, right?"

Lisa looked down at her paper, avoiding Jennie's eyes. "No. But that's not the point. I have a job to do here and besides that, I couldn't care less about the pool. I go to the beach with Gumbo every other day, and believe it or not, I actually prefer salt water to chlorine."

"Yeah, but still..." Jennie stroked Gumbo, who was standing at the edge of the pool. "I don't see you as the caretaker. You feel more like a friend to me. I feel comfortable around you. Is it weird that I say that?"

Lisa smiled and shook her head. "No, it's not weird. I like you too, and I like spending time with you."

"So, what's the problem then?" Jennie knew she needed to stop going on about it. She didn't want to come across as annoying, but she was desperate to make a point.

"You really won't let it go, will you?" Lisa stood up and rolled her eyes. She took off her t-shirt and her shorts, leaving her in a pair of white panties and a matching sports bra. "Alright, if it makes you happy..."

Jennie stared at Lisa wide-eyed from the pool as she walked towards the edge and dove in. My God, that body... Jennie was unable to keep herself from following Lisa with her eyes.

"Happy now?" Lisa asked when she resurfaced, swimming towards Jennie. Jennie felt her insides flutter at the sight of her wet hair, and the water dripping down her face.

"Yeah. I'm happy now," she stuttered.

"Good. Because I aim to please." Lisa propped her elbows on the poolside next to Jennie and gave her a broad grin. "So, you don't remember the last time you were on vacation?"

Jennie shook her head. "Honestly, no."
She winced, digging through her memory. "The last time was in college, I think. I went to Cancun with some friends. After Jaehyun and I got married and started the company, we couldn't afford to go on holiday. We were a start-up, desperately scraping together any funding we could get for our first production run. Later, when the company started doing well, we didn't have the time. So, I guess it's safe to say that it's been a while."

"That's sad." Lisa cocked her head with a mocking smile. "And I mean super-sad. Poor little rich woman."

Jennie laughed at Lisa's sarcasm. "I know. Poor me. What about you? When was the last time you went away?"

"Six months ago," Lisa scratched Gumbo behind his ears. "Gumbo and I went to visit friends in Spain. We drove there. It was fun, wasn't it, Gumbo?" Gumbo showed his appreciation for involving him in the conversation by jumping up and barking at nothing in particular.

Lisa sighed and looked up at the sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight. "Spain is lovely but I'm always happy to come back. I love it here this time of year. It's not unbearably hot, but it's warm enough to sit outside in the evening. The garden's in full bloom, and you can smell the lavender and the roses in the air. Plus, the area isn't overrun with tourists yet. You chose a good time to come here."

"Yeah I did." The hairs on Jennie's arm rose when she accidentally brushed against Lisa's hand. "What have your other tenants been like?" She asked, trying to shift her thoughts from Lisa's half-naked body beside her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, were they nice? Were you close to them?"

Lisa arched an eyebrow. "I'm not sure where you're going with this but no, I wasn't close to any of them and that was fine with me."

"Okay." Jennie cast her a teasing smile. "Does that mean I'm your favorite tenant ever?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

Lisa turned and swam towards her. The look on her face was mischievous, almost flirty, Jennie thought. She loved the way Lisa looked at her.

"Even if I told you that you were my favorite tenant," Lisa said, "I've only had two other couples here before you, so there'd be no need to flatter yourself."

They both laughed, and Lisa swam closer to Jennie until she could reach the floor. She leaned against the pool's edge next to her and crossed her arms as she noticed Jennie's broad smile. There was something about Jennie today that was different. She joked a lot more, and her playful demeanor seemed out of character for her. If Lisa didn't know better, she'd almost think Jennie was being a bit flirty too. She decided to push the boat out further, just to test her theory.

"They were both couples," she continued. "The first were married with a young kid, the other without. They did their thing, were out for most of the day, said good morning and goodnight and that was about it. They kept to themselves, didn't get wheel clamps, didn't get stranded on roundabouts, and they certainly weren't as intrusive as you." She winked. "They didn't ask me to join them in the pool in my underwear, that's for sure."

Jennie giggled. "That's not fair. I never asked you to jump into the pool in your underwear. That was your idea."

"You didn't seem to mind though." Lisa kept her eyes fixed on Jennie, a small smile playing around her mouth.

Jennie took a step towards her, holding her gaze too. Is she flirting with me? She held her breath, waiting for Lisa to close the distance between them. Adrenaline shot through her while they faced each other in some kind of weird chemistry stand-off that turned Jennie on like nothing else ever had. Without exchanging a single word, their looks said it all. Oh my God, she is flirting with me.

Lisa was the first to break the spell. As if waking up from a daydream, she suddenly shook her head and waded back to the edge, where she pushed herself out of the pool. She seemed confused, or frustrated, Jennie wasn't sure. But it was clear that it was no time to ask questions, so she pretended she hadn't noticed the sudden shift in Lisa's mood.

"I'm sorry. I forgot I have an appointment in town." Lisa grabbed a towel from one of the sunbeds and turned at the door. "Have a nice day, Jen."

Jennie got out of the pool after Lisa had left and lowered herself onto a sunbed. Still shaking from their encounter, she folded her hands behind her head and looked up at the two lonely clouds above her. One of them had taken on the shape of a heart, expanding as it drifted over her. She was almost certain that Lisa had been flirting with her and couldn't help but wonder if that was the reason she had left in a hurry. Why am I so obsessed with her?

Sure, Lisa was stunning, but Jennie had never been attracted to a woman before. Still, she found herself waiting for Lisa to come home whenever she left, and she was dying to know where Lisa was going and who she'd be with each time she drove off in that flashy car. For days, Jennie had felt like a confused teenager.

Insecure one moment and bouncing off the walls another. She hardly recognized herself from the stern woman she had been, only weeks ago. She laughed and joked, was able to relax, enjoy the sun and the food without feeling guilty about doing nothing at all now. Why had she always been so serious?

Somehow, between getting married at a young age and building a multinational together with her husband, she'd lost herself along the way. She'd lost the woman who loved to take the time to eat and drink, who loved to laugh and explore and had become boring and predictable instead. She'd lost the curiosity she once had, and with that, her sexuality.

Maybe that's why Jaehyun left me for his secretary. It had been a long time since Jennie felt attractive, but in the past week, she had looked at herself in the mirror with approval and confidence. Feelings that were long lost were coming back tenfold. She'd started to appreciate her body more, her face, and her smile. But she wasn't sure if that had something to do with the effect of being in France, or the fact that she had stopped thinking about work. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because of Lisa delightful presence.
***

Lisa drove as fast as she could on the narrow mountain roads. Gumbo was in the seat next to her, his head peeking over the passenger door, catching the wind as they drove. She was angry with herself for getting close to Jennie. For finally giving in to the desire she felt, each time she looked into those brown eyes.

Women were everywhere, and she had no problem catching their attention, so why was she all over the only person she wasn’t supposed to get close to? My straight, newly divorced tenant of all people… She took a left turn into a private road, leading up to a modern mansion that overlooked the coast of Cannes.

“Yes?” a woman’s voice said over the loudspeaker.

“It’s me, Lisa. Are you alone?” Lisa looked up into the camera on top of the gate.

There was no answer, but the gate buzzed and opened seconds later. The garden was still in good shape, Lisa noticed, as she drove up towards the house. Apart from the conifer next to the kitchen. That one could do with some trimming to create more light on the patio. She parked her car next to a brand-new white Bentley and opened the passenger door first to let Gumbo out.

“Lisa!” Beth, the lady of the house, came rushing towards her, dressed in a gold sequined bikini and a transparent white wrap with a long tail that was flowing behind her in the wind. She wore black shades that covered almost half of her face, and her chestnut hair hung loosely around her shoulders, framing her delicate face. She was carrying a large cocktail, and by the looks of her, Lisa thought, it wasn’t her first of the day.

“I didn’t expect you, Lisa. You didn’t tell me you were coming.” Beth bent over to greet Gumbo. “Hey little man. Your friend is in the kitchen. Go and say hello to Rufus.” They watched Gumbo sprint into the house, only to run back out seconds later with a Chihuahua chasing his tale.

“Sorry. Is it a bad time?” Lisa asked. “I should have called first.”

Beth shook her head. “No. Not at all. Bruce is away for work. She pursed her lips and frowned, trying to remember where her husband was holding up these days. Shanghai, I think, but it could be Hong Kong. I’m not too sure.” She took Lisa's hand. “It doesn’t matter where he is. What’s important is that he’s gone, and I haven’t seen you in far too long. You never returned my calls. That man you keep sending over to trim the hedges… Bernie? It’s not the same, Lisa. I’ve missed you.”

“Yeah. Sorry about that. I’ve been busy with other projects, so I’ve had to hand the private work over to Bernie,” Lisa lied. At least Bernie isn’t aware of my history with this one.

“Well, you’re here now, that’s all that matters.” Beth pressed her lips against Lisa's, and Lisa kissed her back, digging her nails into Beth’s bottom as she drew her closer. To her surprise, she didn’t feel aroused. There was no spark, no anticipation and no overwhelming need to rip her clothes off and consume her body. She kissed Beth harder, trying to feel something but there was nothing there. Fuck.

Lisa took a step back and shook her head. “I’m sorry Beth, I don’t think I can do this.”

Beth shot her a confused look. “What, Lisa? What’s the problem?”

“I…” Lisa paused. “I don’t know.” She whistled for Gumbo and opened the door to her car. “I shouldn’t have come here.”