Senna's Secret

by Karen Tjebben

  “What did Jazmine do?” Senna’s brow crinkled.

  Dahlia bit her lip. “She stole from me. Not once, but repeatedly. She literally tried to destroy my bakery. She begged for forgiveness, and I forgave her. She still works for me.”

  “How mature of you,” Senna replied with a smirk. “Did she have a good excuse for her thievery?”

  “Let’s just say that she was a victim of her circumstances. She came clean and did her best to right her wrongs.” Dahlia shrugged. The extra twenty-thousand hadn’t hurt either. “We all screw up. The world could use a little more compassion and a lot less bitchiness.”

  “Amen.” Senna raised a cheese-soaked fry. “To less bitchiness,” she toasted.

  Dahlia copied her and tapped her fry against Senna’s. “To less bitchiness,” she declared with a smile.

  Dahlia finished chewing and then began, “I heard a little rumor about you.” If she hadn’t been so distracted by Martin Reid and his awkwardness, she wouldn’t have waited this long to bring it up.

  Senna raised a brow in question. “Oh lord, do I want to know?” She didn’t want to speculate on the reasons people dreamed up for why she returned to Avenel from California. Her being laid off was probably whispered as a firing. It wasn’t. They were downsizing, and she was unlucky enough to be one of the most recent hires. There was no drama there. If anyone saw her with Josh the other night, she was certain that fact would blaze a wide, long path through town.

  Rowan returned to their table with their shakes and burgers. Balancing the tray on one hand, she carefully set each item on the table. Then she tucked the tray under her arm and said, “Enjoy, y’all.” She turned and walked away.

  Dahlia leaned towards Senna, her eyes filled with playful delight. “What’s going on between you and Josh? I heard you had a date.”

  “Date?” Senna leaned back against the booth seat, putting some distance between her and Dahlia. She rolled her eyes towards the ceiling and then muttered, “Gossip. The life-blood of small towns.”

  “It’s true?” Dahlia exclaimed. “This is fabulous news.”

  Senna stared across the table at her friend. “It wasn’t a date. In fact, he’s dating someone else.” A fact that roused a little jealousy in her. He’d probably gotten over her years ago because of the terrible break-up, but he still held a portion of her heart.

  “You two went to dinner. Alone. Just the two of you,” she stated dramatically and nodded her head conspiratorially. “I hate to tell you, but that’s a date.”

  “No,” Senna countered with a brisk head shake. “It was a working dinner. I’m in charge of his account.”

  Dahlia’s mouth gaped open. “Wow. That’s weird, right? You know all about his finances. How much he makes. How much he owes.” She covered her mouth with her fingertips. “Is that weird? Is he rich?”

  “No, what’s weird is you making a big deal out of it. He and I have a strictly professional relationship. And you know I can’t discuss a client’s financial standing.”

  Dahlia drummed her nails on the table. “You always were such a good girl.”

  “Why do I feel like that’s not a compliment?” Senna replied dryly.

  “Well, a good girl, except for on our field trip to D.C.,” Dahlia sang. She raised her brows and made a ‘you’ve been a naughty girl’ look. “You pushed the boundaries on that trip.” She grabbed her shake and took a long pull on her straw.

  Senna inwardly groaned. She would never forget the intense need she felt in high school for Josh while they were dating. They couldn’t stand to be away from each other. The butterflies in her stomach. The overwhelming pleasure at the simplest touch. Then everything changed.

  Senna did not want to talk about that night. Instead, she shifted the focus and countered. “If I remember correctly, you and Austin pushed your own boundaries.” Her eyes gleamed as her smirk formed. “Have you mentioned that dalliance to Mark?” She took a long pull from her shake.

  Dahlia set her shake down on the table. “Touché. You play hard ball.”

  “Are you just now figuring that out?” Senna teased. “I think we should enjoy our burgers before they get cold.”

  “Nice deflecting,” Dahlia replied and picked up her burger.

  9

  “You’re going to love this place,” Josh said. “It’s been around forever. It was one of the first restaurants in Avenel. It opened during the fifties. They’ve kept that theme alive since then. There’s even a juke box,” he bragged.

  Lia chuckled. “Any place with a juke box has to be good. Right?” she teased.

  “Don’t worry. The food is fabulous,” he assured her and glanced at his health-food nut of a girlfriend before focusing on driving again. “Granted, it’s not the kind of place you probably eat at frequently, but it’s always good to treat yourself.” He’d been craving a bacon burger with fries all week.

  She snorted. “Do they have a ‘clean’ menu.” She appreciated the positive energy in his voice, but she doubted that anyplace named Gina’s Shiny Diner had a good selection of healthy food. There was no doubt that carbs and fried items would be featured predominantly on the menu. No way was she going to log her dinner on the phone app she used to monitor her food intake today. Her head would probably explode at the excess of calories.

  He tossed the hand that rested atop the steering wheel in disbelief. “The last time I was in there, they had a ninety-nine percent rating from the health department.”

  She laughed out loud. “That’s not what ‘clean eating’ means.” She continued to chuckle.

  He mockingly narrowed an eye at her. “Then what does ‘clean’ mean? Enlighten me,” he teased, and turned on the blinker.

  She took a moment to compose herself and then began, “The easiest way to describe eating clean is to keep your diet full of healthy, non-processed foods. Eat whole grains without added sugar or salt. Most of your food should be non-GMO fruits and vegetables, and you limit your meats or fish to healthy cuts that haven’t been treated with antibiotics or haven’t been processed. It’s not that hard.”

  He clicked his tongue and pulled his lips back in concern. “I don’t know,” he began skeptically. “That sounds like a lot of research I’d have to do just to eat.” He ticked off on his fingers. “First, I have to read labels.” He raised another finger. “Then I have to pay more for organic food.” He raised a third finger. “I’d have to give up my soda and chips addiction. And, by the way, I’m not sure Gina’s Shiny Diner is going to meet your standards,” he said with a hint of worry. “The food is way too good to be anywhere close to healthy.”

  She reached across the truck and set her hand on his thigh. “I already figured that one out. Don’t worry, sometimes it’s fun to cheat.” She loved how she could tease him. She’d dated one guy who took everything so seriously, that by the end of their second date, she’d vowed to never see him again.

  He pulled the truck into the parking spot and shut off the engine. “That sounds dubious.”

  Lia eased her hand higher on his thigh. “How about I cheat on my healthy eating, and you help me work off all those calories later?” Her hand slid higher.

  He angled his face towards her as his eyes narrowed with lust. He glanced down at her hand, a few inches from his crotch. He set his palm atop her soft skin and said, “Careful, or I may back this truck up and we can get right to the good stuff.” As much as he was craving a burger, if they went home for pre-dinner activities, he’d still have to get in his truck later and come back to get a burger. Pizza delivered to his house wouldn’t satisfy him tonight.

  “And skip greasy diner food?” she exclaimed. “Never! You’ve got my mouth watering for fries and a juicy burger. I may even get bacon and cheese on it.”

  “Damn, I love it when you talk dirty to me,” his voice came out gruff and sexy.

  “Baby, I’m just getting warmed up.” She leaned across the space between them, slid her hand behind his head, and pulled him to her. Their lips t
ouched, and tiny sparks of pleasure tingled down her spine.

  Lia had dated a few men from Truelove.com, but she hadn’t clicked with any of them the way she did with Josh. He was smart, hard-working, and had a body that she couldn’t keep her hands off of. She figured that his job ensured that he kept in shape despite his poor eating habits. Manual labor did that to a person.

  “Let’s do this. Then we can go back to my place and do it,” he slowly drawled.

  “My pleasure,” she winked at him and then hopped out of the truck. She met him at the entrance to the diner.

  He opened the door, and they stepped inside. The delicious, mouth-watering aroma of bacon frying, burgers on the grill, and fried onion rings overwhelmed her. It had been too long since she’d indulged like this. She was going to enjoy it.

  The diner was everything she expected from a fifties-themed diner. The juke-box was in the corner and transitioned from a Beetles song to a Ritchie Valens hit. That blew her mind. She hadn’t heard the song Donna since watching the movie about Ritchie’s life.

  She leaned towards Josh and pressed her side against his. “This is going to be fun,”

  The square Formica tables had matching red pleather seats. She expected the waitresses to be wearing skirts with aprons and have a pencil tucked behind an ear, but the workers were dressed in modern clothes. A waitress approached them. Her name tag read Rowan.

  “Good evening,” Rowan said. She recognized Josh, but the woman he was with was new to her. “Would you like a booth or a table?”

  “Booth,” Josh replied immediately. “Maybe that one in the corner over there?” He pointed across the diner.

  Rowan darted her eyes between Josh and the woman. “Of course. Follow me.”

  Josh and Lia walked hand-in-hand towards the booth in the corner, but then he noticed Senna sitting with Dahlia. A kaleidoscope of emotions tumbled through him.

  Surprise.

  Desire.

  Anger. Where did that come from? He’d convinced himself that he was over her. Had he truly held onto his anger for ten years? Did that make him weak?

  He slipped his hand free from Lia’s.

  Senna’s eyes locked on his. He realized that he couldn’t just walk past her and Dahlia without saying something. The snub would be insulting, but how awkward would talking with her be? It had been weird when they bumped into each other at the grocery store. Now another run-in while he was with Lia? What were the chances?

  Dahlia spotted the look of discomfort on Senna’s face. “What’s wrong?” she asked and craned her head around and spotted the cause. Josh was with a woman and coming their direction. “Oh,” she murmured.

  No way was Dahlia going to let Josh walk past them without saying hello. She still had plans for Josh and Senna, and the other woman was definitely not included. “Hey, Josh. Good to see you,” Dahlia said in an overly chipper voice while doing her best to subtly check out the mystery woman. Tall and thin, she looked like a runner. She was pretty. There was no denying that, but did she have what it took to keep Josh interested when his first love was back in town? Dahlia prayed not.

  “Who’s your friend?” Dahlia asked. She gave a little wave. “I’m Dahlia.”

  Josh looked between the women. “This is Lia Page. Lia, this is Dahlia Collins, and you may remember Senna.”

  Lia could kick herself for agreeing to eat at the diner tonight. It would have been better if she’d whipped up something at his house. Or they could have gotten take-out. She’d noted the difference in Josh after running into Senna at the grocery store. He’d been quieter, distant. Would he change even more after seeing Senna again tonight?

  Was this woman competition?

  “Nice to meet you, Dahlia. Good seeing you again, Senna,” Lia added politely. “I’m assuming the fries were delicious.” She pointed at the nearly-empty plate in the center of the table. Streaks of thick, processed cheese sauce stretched across the plate. A single, small fry lay in the middle. She assumed neither woman wanted to be the one to snag the last fry.

  Josh floundered for something to say. “I’m guessing that’s not on your clean eating menu,” he teased Lia, then cringed. How lame was that? Did he sound like he was mocking her?

  Lia glanced at him, wishing he hadn’t said that. Seeing what the other two women were eating, she knew they’d just think she was lame for having strict dietary restrictions for herself.

  Lia’s cheeks pinkened and she said, “The fact that the plate is clean tells me that it was great. I think we should order some.” She brushed her fingertips against his hand in an attempt to press their hands together.

  As her fingers whispered over his skin, he panicked. He didn’t want to hold her hand in front of Senna. He refused to think about what that could mean. Instead, he brought his hand up and gave a lame wave to Dahlia and Senna. “I’m starving.”

  Josh placed his hand on Lia’s back to usher her away. “We should join our menus at our table. Rowan’s got everything ready,” he said to Lia and did a head nod towards the table. The menus were arranged neatly, and glasses of water awaited them. Then, locking eyes on Senna, he added, “Good seeing you both.” With a chin nod and a smile, he shuffled Lia to the booth.

  10

  Lia braced her hands on Josh’s shoulders and rode out her orgasm. His mouth clamped to her throat and sucked hard, then he groaned against her as he came. She laughed and kept him cradled in her channel.

  During dinner at the diner, she’d wondered if crossing paths with Senna would ruin their night. She still didn’t know. As soon as they’d entered Josh’s house, she’d practically attacked him. Kissing him and moving her hands to his crotch seemed to get his mind back on her. He’d hardened instantly and swept her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom. She wouldn’t say they ‘made love’. It wasn’t slow and methodical, but rather fast and urgent. Like he wanted to set a new record for how quickly he could get her to orgasm.

  This was her second orgasm of the night, and she didn’t feel any closer to him than she had since they were at the diner. Leaning towards him, she pressed her lips against his in a slow kiss that she hoped would convey her feelings for him. His lips and tongue danced against her mouth, but she felt no passion coming from him.

  Pulling out of the kiss, she rested her forehead against his. “Josh,”

  “Yeah,” he replied. He moved his hands around her to cradle her ass. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. He was horny as hell, but it wasn’t for Lia. He’d hoped having sex would increase his feelings for Lia, but all it did was show him how much he wanted Senna.

  “I really like you,” Senna stated. Saying those words scared her. She hadn’t told anyone that she liked them in years, because no one had met her high standards. Sometimes she wondered if her high standards were unrealistic and would result in her being alone all of her life, but after meeting Josh, she knew that good guys were out there.

  She had hope that true love really did exist.

  He shifted so he could look in her eyes. He didn’t know what to say. He had feelings for her, but his heart was cluttered with too many other emotions. Emotions that had to do with Senna.

  The sincerity of Lia’s words struck him in the chest. They were at the age where people shifted from dating for fun to dating with a purpose, also known as a committed relationship. “I like you, too,” he managed to say after a brief hesitation.

  Her chest rose and fell as she studied his face. She believed him, but she knew it was more complicated than that. “But?” she asked.

  “But nothing,” he lied. “I like you.”

  A sad smile played at her lips. There was no passion in his tone, rather, he sounded like he was trying to convince himself of his feelings. Besides, ‘like’ was so average. People liked their cars, desserts, sports. But a relationship needed something more than ‘like’. She wasn’t sure he’d ever feel more than that for her.

  He was an ass. When he first signed up for Truelove.com, he thought that
was what he wanted. He was ready for a commitment, but now all the unanswered questions from his past haunted him, distracted him from the here and now.

  Earlier, when they’d come back to his place after dinner, she’d initiated sex. He complied, desperately wanting to prove to himself that he was over Senna and that Lia held his heart. But the opposite happened. Both times they’d made love, he’d thought about Senna.

  As his orgasms had barreled down on him, he was transplanted back to his first time with Senna in D.C. The feel of her breasts in his hands, and her channel wrapped around his cock. He’d nearly groaned out Senna’s name tonight, but he caught himself just in time and clamped onto Lia’s neck instead.

  He wasn’t sure what his problem was. Even worse, he didn’t know what the solution was. Maybe he needed to force Senna to give him a reason for her rejection all those years ago. Maybe that would give him the closure he needed so he could move on.

  Lia slid off of him and grabbed her clothes from off the floor. She clenched her jaw, hoping to keep the tears at bay. She didn’t want to show him how hurt she was. She’d wanted more with him, but he wasn’t able to give it.

  Stepping through the leg holes in her panties, she looked up at him. His naked body would heat up even the most frigid woman, so it was no wonder that she threw herself at him as soon as they got back to his place. But her fresh orgasm buzz faded when he grabbed the sheet and covered himself.

  She slid her bra in place and hooked it.

  He felt like shit. They’d had sex twice, and neither time he was thinking about her. He prayed she couldn’t tell.

  Lia took in a breath and then said, “This isn’t going to work for me.” She had her pride. She wasn’t going to wait around for him to decide if he wanted her or not.

  He stayed reclining but leaned up on one arm to support himself on his side. “What do you mean?”

  She pulled her shirt over her head and adjusted it around her chest. “You are still in love with Sierra.”