The Bureau of Holiday Affairs

by Andi Marquette

  Oh, the many meanings that question held. Robin cleared her throat a little before she answered. “I really like the art box pieces. The one on the other wall with the photos of you as a little girl was really moving. I wish I had seen those photos when we first met.”

  “I actually didn’t discover them until I graduated. But you’re seeing them now. I have a bunch of others, too. Family shots from China included.”

  “I’d love to see them sometime.”

  “I’d love to show them to you.” Jill’s gaze bored into Robin’s, warm and welcoming. “Care to join me for a nightcap? Which is generally hot tea in my world.”

  “That would be great,” Robin said before she talked herself out of it.

  “I was hoping you’d agree. Come on.” Jill headed toward the back, where the gallery owner was talking to three servers. “Going upstairs, Amber,” Jill said. “Go ahead and lock up. I’ll let Robin out.” Jill shook the hands of all three servers and thanked them.

  “Wonderful event,” Robin said, and Amber smiled.

  “Thank you for coming. Good night,” she said.

  “And thank you,” Robin added to the servers. They nodded at her and returned to their conversation with Amber. Jill caught Robin’s eye and motioned with her head to follow her.

  At the base of the steps, Jill slid her shoes off, black velvet heels. “God, how do women wear these all the time?”

  “I did kind of miss your Converse. And combat boots.” Robin kept her tone light, because she didn’t trust herself around Jill, and the intensity of her attraction scared her because of its potential in so many arenas.

  Jill laughed and went up the stairs, holding the bottom of her dress up with her free hand to make movement easier. Robin’s throat went dry at the sight of her exposed thigh, and she grabbed the handrail, as if the cool metal would help ground her.

  Once inside, Jill turned on a couple more lights and shut the door behind them. “Give me a sec. I’m going to change.”

  Robin nodded and decided to take her boots off, since she generally took her shoes off when she got home. Seemed rude to stomp through this nice apartment with her boots on. She set them by the door and went into the living room. She heard the bathroom door open then shut, and she stared out the window onto the street below, watching groups of revelers still out enjoying themselves. Noises from the kitchen area drew her attention there, to Jill running water into a kettle. She’d changed into a pair of baggy gray sweats, thick gray socks, a white V-neck T-shirt, and the blue flannel shirt she’d been wearing on Sunday. She was just as beautiful as when she’d been in her dress.

  “I’d go full Chinese tea service on you,” Jill said, “but all that stuff is at home and it’s late. So we’re doing electric kettle and teabags.”

  Robin grinned. “I’m going to hold you to that tea service.”

  “Then you’ll have to come to Seattle.” Jill finished filling the kettle and plugged it in. She retrieved two cups from the cabinet and a box of tea.

  “I just might,” Robin said.

  “I’ll hold you to that.” Jill raised an eyebrow at her, and Robin smiled as she took two teabags from the box and put one in each cup. The faint smell of jasmine from the teabags accompanied her motions. She closed up the box, and Jill set a small squeeze bottle of honey on the counter. The water was already boiling so she poured it into each cup, then handed Robin a spoon.

  Strange, how intimate and familiar the simple act of preparing tea like this felt, as if they’d been doing it for years. Robin stirred honey into her cup and handed the spoon back to Jill. Their fingers brushed in the transfer, and Robin looked to see if sparks were hovering above her fingernails, but she kept cool throughout. Jill finished with her cup. “Come and sit down,” she said, and she carried her cup into the living room.

  “Be right there.” Robin made a quick trip to the bathroom, returned to the kitchen for her tea, then joined Jill in the living room on the couch. Jill had turned music on, and though the sound was low, it sounded like an indie band. Something mellow. Robin sighed as she settled herself. “This was a great night. Thanks for the invite.”

  “I’m glad you still like art.” Jill stretched her legs out and put her feet on the coffee table.

  “Same here. And you know, you didn’t tell me what the color red means.”

  Jill smiled as she blew on her tea. “Dynamic, celebration, vitality, creativity, happiness. To name a few.”

  “Perfect choice for the evening.” Robin sipped. “When do you go back to Seattle?”

  “The third. Do you have tomorrow off?”

  “Yes.” And no way was she going in. Frost could fuck off.

  “Good. Want to have lunch?”

  Robin laughed, giddiness ricocheting through her chest. “Is this going to be a thing with us?”

  “I hope so. And maybe we’ll work our way up to dinner. Different kinds of food, you know. Get some variety going.” She gave Robin a sly smile.

  In spite of the tea, Robin’s mouth went dry. “I’ve decided you’re right. I really don’t know how much of a tease you’ve become.”

  “Depends on the company. Some I prefer much more than others.” She raised her cup to her lips, and her eyes seemed to sparkle.

  “Here’s hoping I make the cut.”

  “You did.”

  Dangerous, flirting like this. But she couldn’t bring herself to stop. Robin started to say something else when Jill’s phone rang with the main song from the movie Frozen and Robin almost exhaled with relief.

  “Madison,” Jill said. “She wanted to say Happy New Year before I went to bed.”

  “That’s cool. Go on.”

  Jill smiled at her and picked up her phone from the coffee table. She answered and moved into the kitchen area.

  Robin listened to her talk, fascinated by Jill’s mom voice and interaction with her daughter. She thought about the Jill she’d known in college and wondered about getting hung up on memories. Was she attracted to the past? Maybe a little. But she really liked this Jill—the one who was becoming an established artist and who had a cool ex-husband and a daughter and at least one tattoo. Robin had only just begun getting to know this Jill, and she wanted more.

  Jill laughed from the area near the bed, behind the screens, and Robin remembered the first time she’d heard her laugh, about a week after they’d met, on their way to another class with a couple of other students. Robin had barely known her then, but when Jill laughed, Robin wanted to hear more of it, and she wanted to know what was underneath it, and what kinds of things made Jill who she was.

  She had that feeling now, and it collided with her confusion about what any of this meant and how much stock she should put in a future, regardless of what shape it took. Robin picked up her nearly empty cup and Jill’s, which was just less than half full, and took both into the kitchen. She set them on the counter just as Jill emerged from behind the screens, no longer on the phone.

  “I sent Madison the selfie we took tonight. She’s trying not to act like it, but she’s interested in meeting you.”

  “Well, you did invite me for a tea service,” Robin said as she cleaned her cup and wiped it dry with a dish towel before she put it back in the cabinet.

  “And that is a perfect formal gathering for a meeting. I’ll have to ponder that. Tired?”

  “A little. Not as much as you must be, though. Done?” She motioned at the cup that had been Jill’s.

  Jill looked at the cup, then at Robin, as if she was considering something. She moved closer and gently pulled the dish towel out of Robin’s hand. She set it aside. “Stop for a minute.”

  Robin stared into her eyes. Something in Jill’s tone and expression caused that deep longing she’d felt earlier to resurface.

  Jill moved closer still and ran her fingertips over the back of Robin’s hand, braced
on the counter. Robin froze, most coherent thoughts paralyzed. Jill continued to trace patterns across Robin’s knuckles, and then she gently moved Robin’s hand so she could briefly interlock their fingers. A current shot up Robin’s arm and raced right to her thighs. She wasn’t sure she was still breathing.

  “When are you going to stop denying that there’s something happening between us?” Jill’s fingertips traced more patterns on Robin’s palm, and these small, slow touches would have brought Robin to her knees, if she hadn’t been leaning against the counter for support.

  Robin cleared her throat. “I’m not denying it.”

  “Then what’s going on?” Jill moved her fingertips to Robin’s wrist and stroked under her shirt cuff. Robin’s heart was pounding so hard she wondered if she’d faint.

  “I’m scared,” she managed, her words thick with emotion and truth.

  “Of what?” Jill continued the exquisite, maddening motions with her fingertips, but she held Robin’s gaze with her own, searching, going past whatever defenses Robin might have had.

  “Hurting you.”

  Jill’s fingertips stopped moving, but they remained on Robin’s hand. “So don’t.”

  Was it really that simple? Would that keep the future she’d seen from coming to pass? Jill’s hand was warm on hers, and staring into Jill’s eyes, Robin realized that yes, it just might be that simple, that her motivation for being here with Jill in this moment was because she wanted to feed the connection between them.

  Robin raised her free hand to Jill’s face and cupped her cheek. She stroked her skin with her thumb, then slowly leaned in and kissed Jill’s forehead. Jill sighed and covered Robin’s hand with her own. Robin pulled away, but Jill stepped closer. She slid her arms around Robin’s waist and put her head on Robin’s shoulder. Robin closed her eyes and held on, excruciatingly aware of Jill’s body, even through the bulky clothing. With one hand, she ran her fingers lightly through Jill’s hair, enjoying the way the buzzcut on the sides and back felt against her fingertips.

  One of Jill’s hands tracked slowly up Robin’s back until her fingers moved beneath her hair on the back of her neck and lightly grazed her skin. The sensation sent chills down her spine. Jill moved her head, and Robin opened her eyes and held Jill’s gaze as she gently stroked the side of Jill’s face. Jill kept her motions slow, too, and ran her hands along Robin’s shoulders then back to her face, where she carefully moved Robin’s hair out of her eyes and rested the fingertips of one hand against Robin’s lips.

  Robin kissed them and gently took that hand in her own. She entwined their fingers and held both their hands against her chest, still stroking Jill’s face with her other. Jill pulled her hand out of Robin’s grasp and ran both her hands up Robin’s arms, then down the front of her vest to the top button. Jill’s eyes held a question. Robin nodded once, and Jill undid the top button, then moved slowly to the next and then the next until Robin’s vest was open. Jill swept it off her shoulders, and Robin let it fall to the floor.

  Jill’s hands rested on Robin’s hips, and she brushed her lips lightly against her cheek, and then her chin, perilously close to Robin’s mouth but just out of reach. Robin’s knees went weak with the promise and the feel of Jill’s breath against her skin. And then Jill undid the top two buttons of Robin’s shirt, and her fingertips on Robin’s skin sent heat through her veins.

  Jill carefully pushed Robin’s shirt collar out of the way and placed her lips against Robin’s neck—a delicate, light kiss that became many more on the skin between Robin’s ear and throat. Robin shuddered and gasped and moved her head to give Jill better access.

  So slow. Achingly slow. Fingertips trailing lightly over exposed skin and ghosting lightly over lips. Robin had never spent so much time touching someone like this, standing so near, watching Jill’s reactions in her eyes and seeing her own mirrored within. Robin ached and throbbed, the intensity between them unlike anything she’d ever experienced. The hole she’d been carrying deep in her heart filled with hope and relief, and she didn’t want it to end, the connection between them flaring to life once again.

  Robin brushed Jill’s lips with her own, a brief, gentle touch, and then Jill’s hands were in Robin’s hair, and Jill kissed her slowly and deeply, and Robin’s hands were on Jill’s face, holding her in place until she pulled away, her grip dropping to Robin’s shoulders and then to the remaining buttons on Robin’s shirt. Jill kept her gaze locked on Robin’s as she undid these and pulled the shirt out of her jeans. Robin let her, and pushed Jill’s flannel shirt smoothly off her shoulders.

  Jill worked Robin’s shirt off her, taking her time. It joined the other articles of clothing on the floor. Robin shivered, but not from cold. Jill’s fingertips left chillbumps in their wake as she ran them across the expanse of Robin’s chest and stomach, only to start over again on her arms and back.

  Carefully, Robin pulled Jill’s tee off, and she couldn’t breathe for a moment, struck by how beautiful she was, partially nude with the tattooed tail of a dragon dropping over her shoulder and brushing the top of her breast. And then Robin mapped Jill’s torso with her hands, taking care, letting the heat continue to build between them as she unfastened Jill’s bra and let Jill undo hers.

  So achingly intimate, the touches between them and the unhurried, burning kisses. Jill undid Robin’s belt and the button of her jeans, and their kisses increased in intensity, until they ended up on the bed, though Robin wasn’t sure how, so lost she’d gotten in what Jill stirred within her.

  There was no fumbling here, no desperation for quick release as they finished undressing each other and journeyed across each other’s skin with lips and hands. These moments between them were framed with care and patience, and a deep, almost primal tie that they strengthened with each touch, each kiss, each movement. Jill’s sighs and soft moans drove Robin to even greater care as she entered Jill with first one finger, then two, letting Jill guide their rhythm until she clung to Robin, staring into her eyes as she let go with a long, aching groan and a shuddering wave.

  Robin held her, unaware that she herself was crying until Jill brushed her tears away along with her own, and kissed her, the look in her eyes bringing a fresh round to Robin’s eyes. And then she surrendered to Jill’s continued explorations, her hands leaving even Robin’s skin aching for more.

  By the time Jill slid her fingers in, Robin was so close that Jill probably could’ve made her come with a kiss, but instead she drew it out somehow, made Robin crest in several waves until finally she exploded, clinging to Jill and gasping, every particle of her body both sated but somehow still aflame.

  And then she cried against Jill’s shoulder, not sure why, but letting herself release that way, too. Jill stroked her hair and held her close, until Robin fell asleep, aware of the heat from Jill’s body, the sound of her breathing, and early morning light spilling through the front windows.

  “Lord have mercy,” Lady Magnolia said as she sank into the chair on the other side of Agent Tolson’s desk and fanned herself. “Those two are meant for each other. Two little lesbian sugarpeas in a pod.”

  “Did Ms. Preston go home last night?”

  Magnolia arched a perfect eyebrow. Tolson was thorough, and Magnolia knew that, but a little bit of faith in the Lady’s abilities, please? “Word on the street says no. But to be sure, I checked the alarm records at the gallery. It was set once at one-sixteen A.M. and was not disabled or reset the rest of the night. And the Lady knows neither was drinking heavily. Lady’s intuition suggests our cute little lesbian didn’t need a drunken crash pad. She did, however, need a Chen infusion.”

  Agent Tolson smiled. “Excellent work.”

  “It is, isn’t it?” Magnolia pretended to preen because she knew she could get away with it.

  “There are a few loose ends.” Tolson tapped Preston’s hardcopy file with one manicured fingertip. Magnolia liked that about To
lson—her attention to personal grooming details. Her nail polish perfectly matched her suit color, a deep rose red. And her hair was never out of place, no matter how she wore it. Tolson would have made an excellent queen. “Mr. Rampus will ensure the final stage of the operation,” Tolson added. “But if you and Agent Decker could continue to monitor and aid as needed—run interference as Agent Decker would say—I would of course be immensely appreciative.”

  “My mama always said that it ain’t finished ’til it’s finished.”

  “Thank you, Lady. I am extremely grateful for your assistance on this case.”

  Magnolia stood and straightened her gown. “Anytime. The Lady is always up for a challenge.” She gave Tolson a saucy little wink and swirled out of the room, closing the door with a firm click.

  CHAPTER 14

  Robin woke up slowly, every part of her relaxed, the faint scent of sex and sandalwood—or maybe teak—teasing her nostrils. Jill was cuddled up close, her thigh over Robin’s and her arm across Robin’s chest. Jill’s head was on her shoulder, and Robin realized her right arm was asleep, but she didn’t care because Jill was the reason. There was nothing important enough for her to move, nothing important enough to disrupt the feeling of Jill against her.

  Memories of what had happened between them suffused her limbs with warmth. If this was part of a delusion, it was delicious. Perfect. The best delusion ever. Jill stirred, and Robin felt her lips on her neck. Whatever nerves were there, Jill’s lips set them off and the message went directly to her crotch. Robin sighed with pleasure.

  “Hi,” Jill murmured against Robin’s skin.

  “Hi, back.”

  “How are you?” Jill’s breath was warm on Robin’s skin, and Robin wanted nothing more than to wake up every day to that sensation, though she probably had no business wanting such a thing so soon.

  “Is there a word with a stronger meaning than stupendous? Maybe in Chinese?”