Natalie immediately returned to Maddie’s bed. She sat on the mattress near Maddie, one hand reaching out to comb back messy chestnut locks. “Hey,” she whispered.
Maddie gave her a drowsy smile. “I heard you talking. Was someone on the phone?”
The gentle confusion on her face made something curl tightly in Natalie’s stomach. She wanted nothing more than to kiss the supine woman. Unsure if such a move would be welcomed, she contained the urge.
Her smile turned sardonic. “No, that was just me freaking out over the time, and then trying to get a paper sent off to my professor before class ends since I’ve pretty much already missed the entire thing.”
“Oh, Natalie. Honey, you didn’t have to spend the night if you had class this morning.” Maddie frowned as she sat up.
Natalie rolled her lips together and took a breath, then met Maddie’s eyes. “To be honest, I forgot. I wasn’t expecting last night to end like it did.” She gathered her courage and reached out for Maddie’s hand. “Last night was worth more than a missed class.”
Maddie slowly shook her head. “I don’t want to get in the way of your life, honey. Your education is important.” An odd look came over Maddie’s face. “I think I feel a little odd knowing I’m dating someone still in college.”
“Dating? We’re dating?” Natalie’s heart raced, a grin spreading on her face so fast she didn’t have a chance to stop it.
“I express a concern and all you pick up on is the fact that I consider us dating?” Maddie looked completely amused, her eyes twinkling.
Natalie straightened and attempted a serious face. She only managed to keep the smile off for a few seconds. “Sorry,” Natalie said in a completely unapologetic voice.
When Natalie leaned forward her intent was clear.
Maddie felt minor discomfort at the thought of her morning breath, but the promised thrill of Natalie’s lips—so close and inviting—smothered any small discomfort.
Their lips fit together as perfectly as the night before, Natalie’s full lower lip enticingly sliding between her own. At least she’d brushed before sleep, she thought before she parted her mouth just enough so she could pull it into her mouth and graze her teeth over it.
Natalie moaned and scooted closer. Maddie’s hands reached out to assist her, accidentally brushing over a bit of bare skin and reveling in the sensation.
They pulled apart after several minutes, chests heaving and eyes darkened with arousal. Looking at Natalie’s glistening lips made Maddie feel ravenous, so she forced her eyes away. She shifted on the bed, trying to press her thighs together to ease the pressure of her need. Now wasn’t the time for such things.
She leaned her head back against the wall just over the headboard. “What time is your next class?” The words still tasted a little sour in her mouth, the reminder of Natalie’s collegiate pursuit a not-so-subtle reminder of their exceptional difference in age.
“You know, there’s this guy in a few of my classes that I really like.”
The non sequitur pulled Maddie from her thoughts, and she focused on Natalie with confusion.
The smile that greeted her asked for patience, so she remained quiet.
“This guy, he’s pretty serious, but he’s also really sharp. He’s pretty level-headed, and I kind of dig that about him. His name is Mitchell, he’s a great guy. His family didn’t have the money to send him to school, so he decided to put himself through. Mitchell is forty-five, and he’s doing really well despite some snark thrown his way from other students.” She gave Maddie a pointed look.
Maddie felt almost compelled to kiss Natalie. “I get your point,” she admitted as she leaned forward to brush a chaste kiss to Natalie’s lips.
Natalie sighed as Maddie pulled back, eyes closed and a smirk on her lips. Her eyes opened. “Good. I know I can’t say that age is just a number, because it can be really important in a lot of situations.” She looked down. “I can say that the way I feel about you is real, and all I want is for you to be happy. Preferably, you’ll be happy with me. I just hope that you can remember how incredible this feels more than you think of all the reasons why people might tell you it’s a bad idea.”
The dose of reality filled Maddie with a sense of caution. However, she couldn’t deny Natalie’s heartfelt words or the inescapable way her feelings had deepened in the last two short weeks. “I promise I’ll try,” she conceded.
“Thank you.” They sat quietly for a few moments, just enjoying each other’s presence. It was a serene moment.
“I work at one,” Natalie said eventually. “I can hang out a bit before I need to leave and get ready.”
“I’d like that.”
Natalie smiled. “Great.” She cleared her throat carefully. “I have to work ‘til kinda late, but maybe I can call you or something tonight?”
“I’m having dinner with Kaili but that should only take a few hours, at most.” Maddie reached out to lightly trace the back of Natalie’s hand. “Make sure your phone is fully charged, hm?”
She couldn’t explain the thrill she felt at touching Natalie so casually, or at the thought of getting to speak to Natalie despite Natalie’s full schedule.
Being with Natalie was intoxicating. She had to remind herself not to get swept away.
Natalie leaned forward and began kissing her jaw and neck, causing her to amend her thoughts.
Well, not totally swept away.
*****
Natalie grunted as she twisted the last lug nut into place, unhappy at the condition of the car she’d been tasked with doing some routine maintenance on. People didn’t really understand how bad it could be to wait to get small things taken care of, how a relatively small cost could easily mushroom into something incredibly expensive. She understood needing to save money, but some things just couldn’t be put off. The person whose car she was servicing was lucky, the damage to the rotors was minimal.
“Navarro!” A gruff voice shouted from the front office, and she rolled her eyes.
“No, Jimmy I don’t need money that badly,” she retorted as she put her tools away and prepared to clean up for her dinner break.
“Oh ha-ha, girly, but there’s actually a delivery for you. I guess I can keep it. It smells real nice,” he called back.
His response puzzled her, and she hurriedly cleaned the grime from her hands and face to make her way to the office. She stepped into the cramped space and took in the white paper bag resting on his desk with surprise.
The overweight, balding man picked the bag up and thrust it in her direction. He looked comical in a chair that was just slightly too small for his girth, but he’d proven to be too cheap to buy a new one.
“What is it?” she asked as she accepted the bag.
“Why don’t you open the damn bag and find out,” he said without looking away from his huge, ancient computer monitor.
She pantomimed his words with a scowl, maturely sticking her tongue out at his back as she turned toward the break room.
“I saw that,” Jimmy responded without moving.
Natalie ignored him and peeked into the bag. Her mouth watered at the smells drifting up to her nose. A small, folded slip of paper caught her attention, and she tugged it out curiously.
To make up for making you miss lunch. Until later.
- M
She grinned at the note, pleased that Maddie had thought of her. She’d been thinking of Maddie plenty throughout her day, and it was nice to see that she wasn’t the only one. They’d had a pretty good morning, she remembered with a dry mouth.
“Get out of here, you’re making me hungry,” Jimmy interjected, uncaring of her delighted reverie.
Normally she might flip him off, but she was too happy to let it get to her. She kept her chin up as she stalked out of the office.
She bit her lip as she looked around the small room. Only one of the other guys was around, and he was too busy inhaling a sandwich to pay attention to her.
The small tabl
e she preferred using was empty, and she hastily took her seat. Her phone slipped easily from her pocket, and she started typing out a new text message with a smile. She sent it without hesitation and unpacked the food Maddie had been thoughtful enough to provide.
Technically the garage had closed a short time ago, but Jimmy was known to bend the rules in order to maximize his profit. Natalie was a good worker and had been lucky to score the off-book overtime.
All of her outings with Maddie had been hitting her wallet, even though Maddie had been sure to pay for her fair share of things. Paired with her full-time classes, Natalie had been neglecting herself a little bit more than she liked.
The full night of sleep with Maddie and unexpected well-balanced meal (she laughed to herself at the copious amounts of vegetables that had been in the curry) were doing wonders for her sense of well-being.
The recent good turn of events with Maddie probably had something to do with her joy as well, but the sleep and food certainly helped.
Her phone buzzed to indicate she’d received a text, and she set down her plastic cutlery to see what it said.
It wasn’t who she was expecting, and she tried not to scowl. She liked Victoria, but things had been a little bit off between them since Natalie had fallen out with Brittney. She and Brittney were technically on good terms, but they hadn’t really hung out since she’d gently rejected Brittney’s offer for Valentine’s day.
She pushed aside her disappointment and opened the text.
Her eyebrows rose. How had she forgotten about her own birthday?
Her surprise shifted to glee, then back to disappointment. Her friends wanted to have a small party to celebrate. She should be happy about that but, instead, she was upset knowing Maddie wouldn’t feel comfortable enough to go.
It was far too soon to break the news to anyone—who knew if things would even last? She tried to muster up some enthusiasm to respond to Victoria, managing a cheerful-seeming text despite her sudden shift in mood.
She sent her response and turned back to her food. It was a small thing, but it served as proof that Maddie had been thinking about her. After last night, she knew she meant something to Maddie, too.
Her phone buzzed again as she swallowed another bite, and she was slower to pick it up this time.
The bad mood that had begun instantly evaporated.
‘I’m glad you appreciate it because I enjoyed picking it out. I noticed you were looking a little worn recently, and I thought something both tasty and nutritional was called for. What time do you get off of work again?’
It was crazy how one text from Maddie could make her feel so much better. She had to remind herself that Maddie was different from any other woman she’d ever dated. There had been no games in the culmination of their feelings, only simple confessions. If she had questions or doubts, all she had to do was speak up.
One of the things she admired most about Maddie was how straightforward she was—the exception being at the beginning of the year. Natalie didn’t blame her for that though, it had been a difficult time.
She smiled at her phone and typed up a reply.
‘Not until nine. So, this dinner with Kaili… what will you be wearing?’ She bit her lip and debated editing the text. Hadn’t she edited herself long enough? She sent it off before she could continue second-guessing herself.
Anxiety formed a knot in her stomach as she waited. She jumped when her phone finally buzzed again.
‘I don’t take too many pictures of myself, so you’ll have to be happy with this.’
Natalie swallowed hard. Red had and always would be a spectacular color on Maddie. She selfishly wished that the selfie was a full body shot. Maddie’s hair was loosely curled and free around her shoulders, bringing subtle attention to the tasteful cleavage on display.
As attractive as Maddie looked, it was her smile that made Natalie stare. Maddie’s expressive eyes were brilliantly shining. Natalie hadn’t seen her that happy in a long time.
‘You look incredible. Work is going to be very difficult now, but at least I have something to peek at every now and then.’
She didn’t have to wait long for her phone to buzz again.
‘As flattering as that is, you don’t do the kind of work that lends well to distraction. Stay focused. We’ll talk soon enough.’
Natalie glanced around the room, glad that the other mechanic had left some time ago. She held up her phone and affected a comically solemn face as she snapped a quick picture.
‘Focused, got it. Time to finish up my dinner. Enjoy yours!’
She put the phone down once both image and message were sent, and began plowing through her food. As delicious as it was, she’d used up most of her break on her cell phone.
Her eyes settled on the still, silent device. It had been worth it.
*****
Maddie glanced at the clock.
9:06, the bright digital display read.
It had only been a minute since the last time she’d checked. She glanced down at her fidgeting hands. She’d been pacing.
“Oh, this is ridiculous,” she chided herself with a huff.
She shook her head as she tried to reconcile her recent behavior. She was acting like a lovesick fool.
Heat rose in her cheeks and she slowly sank down until she was sitting on the bed. It was far too soon to be throwing around words like that. She was enamored, for sure.
It had only been a little over twenty-four hours since their first kiss.
She thought over the last couple of weeks and all of the times Natalie had made an effort to spend time with her.
No, it wasn’t love, not yet. It could be, though. The attraction was there, the connection was there in spades. On the heels of a marriage she’d been sure would last, it was somewhat terrifying.
Would falling in love with Natalie be worth it, knowing the odds were so incredibly stacked against them from the beginning? It was so soon after splitting with Adam, and it would probably be another few weeks before the divorce was even final.
Her phone began to ring, the familiar image of Natalie working on the G-47s appearing on the screen.
She licked her lips and stared, her heartbeat sounding loud in her own ears. She closed her eyes and let out a breath.
“Hello, Natalie.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Natalie looked around her apartment with a smile. The guys had put up their version of decorations in honor of her birthday. Though she had been a little grumpy to miss out on the special day with Maddie, she had to admit she’d missed her friends.
The bright paper streamers affixed between sets of fully inflated helium balloons had Steven written all over them, while Reeve’s contribution consisted of strategically placed collections of party poppers and a pony keg of beer.
She snapped a quick photo to send to Maddie. They’d agreed that the impromptu birthday party was a little soon to announce their still-new relationship, though it had been clear to Natalie that Maddie would have really liked to attend. She nibbled at her lower lip while she considered what she wanted to say.
‘The guys are nearly ready. Reeve’s prepping the grill on our tiny balcony. Looks pretty good, right?’
She checked the message over for typos before sending it, pleased to see no massive autocorrect fails.
“Are you going to be on that thing for the whole party?” Reeve was scowling when she looked up.
She set her phone down in her lap with a smirk. “Not the whole party, no.”
“Natalie, you’ve barely been home at all in the last couple of weeks. Normally you’re the one reminding me and Steven every day that your birthday is coming up like the annoying little shit you are, but this year Tori had to remind you. What’s up with that?” Reeve’s mouth was a thin line of displeasure.
Natalie’s instinct was to snap out a sharp response, but she knew Reeve was just worried. He was the same way with Victoria. She decided a half-truth was necessary for now.
Reeve didn’t look surprised, nodding slightly to himself. “Did you not want to tell us because of Brittney?”
She winced before she could suppress the urge, and he nodded again.
Brittney was part of the reason for her reticence, though definitely not in the way Reeve was thinking. She knew that he was pretty good at keeping things from Victoria when he needed to, she just didn’t want to put him in the situation of knowing something so big and having to keep it from his sister.
Victoria was a good person, but if she felt that someone deserved to know something it didn’t matter to her whether that something was a secret or not. She was pretty good friends with Brittney besides being her roommate, and Natalie was fairly certain that dating Brittney’s mom would make the list of things Victoria would feel that Brittney deserved to know.
“Don’t worry.” Reeve interrupted her thoughts. “I won’t tell Tori.”
“You won’t tell Tori what?” Steven stopped in the middle of the living room, two bags of chips under one arm and a big bowl of dip cupped in his hands. “Tell her that you have some secret lady lover?”
Reeve glared at his roommate. “Who told you?”
Natalie closed her eyes with a sigh, not wanting to see Steven’s smirking face.
“You just did,” Steven said smugly. He glanced between his friends and rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell her either. Or Brittney, who I’m guessing this is really about.”
“I hate you,” Natalie grumbled as she crossed her arms.
“I hate you too,” Steven affectionately replied before setting the chips and dip down on the coffee table.
They watched him disappear again, and Reeve offered Natalie a rueful smile. “Sorry, Nat.”
“It’s cool,” she said and smiled back at him.
He combed a hand through his messy hair and sat down next to her after a moment. “So when are you going to tell me about this woman you’ve been seeing? She’s older again, isn’t she?”
Natalie repeated a mental mantra of ‘stay cool’ to herself as she formulated a response. “Yeah, but I don’t really want to get into that right now. It’s still really new and I don’t want to jinx it.”
Meeting Mrs Garret Page 27