One Weekend in Aspen

by Jaime Clevenger

  “Not we, me. I want to make you something. And it depends on what you have. Omelets maybe?”

  “I love omelets. The kitchen should be fully stocked. I pay someone to buy groceries and clean for me since I’m only here for a week.”

  “Perfect. Then you stay right here, and I’ll go check it out.”

  “You really don’t want my help?”

  “I want to cook for you.”

  “Hmm.” Alex was quiet for a moment but didn’t let up her hold on Emily. “I don’t know if I like the idea of not being where you are. I could chop things. Or pretend to be helpful while I admire the view.”

  “Yeah, that wouldn’t be distracting at all.” Emily laughed when Alex nipped her shoulder. The bite turned her on as much as the murmuring sounds Alex added a moment later. But none of that was enough to distract her from the damn tap dance her heart was doing in her chest after Alex’s comment about not wanting to be apart.

  Alex slid her hand over Emily’s thigh and then over her butt cheeks. “I like you.”

  “Really? Which parts?” Emily wiggled her butt against Alex’s hand.

  “I wasn’t talking about your body. Although now that we’re on the subject…your right eyebrow is damn sexy.”

  Emily laughed. “Is this what got me into your bed? My sexy eyebrows?”

  “That and everything else. You’re beautiful. But I also happen to like you as a person. And I really like how your body feels up against mine.”

  More tap dancing. Her heart was a damn traitor.

  “I’m sure you don’t need help, and if you like your own space, I get it, but it’d be fun to watch you do some chef magic.”

  Not once had Cass wanted to cook with her. Emily had decided it didn’t matter since cooking was her job and she didn’t need it to be something they shared. But the fact that Alex wanted to help, or at least watch her work and keep her company, validated a desire she hadn’t realized was even there.

  “How about we make a deal? You let me run downstairs and check out your kitchen, and if you have the makings for omelets and French toast, I’ll let you help. If we’re only having oatmeal, you don’t get to ogle my butt.”

  “Deal. Just so you know, it isn’t only about your butt.” Alex stroked up from Emily’s thigh to her breast.

  “Right. There’s also the eyebrow thing.”

  Alex caught the tip of Emily’s nipple and it perked almost instantly. When Emily pushed into Alex’s hand, she wanted to forget about breakfast.

  “I love what you do to my nipples, but you should stop if you want breakfast before noon.”

  “Is noon late for breakfast?”

  “We’d have to officially call it lunch.”

  “You’re a rule follower, huh?”

  Emily shook her head. As much as she didn’t want to leave the bed—or, more specifically, Alex—she knew if she stayed much longer she’d give in to Alex’s hands. She was already wet, and the more Alex plied her nipples, the more she was ready to throw in the towel on the breakfast plans. But she wanted to cook for Alex. “Maybe I could convince you to come back to bed after we eat?”

  Alex’s hand stilled. “I don’t want to give in that easy, but I think I hear your stomach growling.”

  “Thank you for considering my needs. Still chivalrous after you’ve already had me, huh?” The edge of sarcasm in her voice got a wink from Alex. Emily got out of bed and Alex flopped onto her back and closed her eyes. How the hell had she slept with someone as sexy as Alex? She still could hardly believe it had happened.

  “You’re almost too good-looking, you know that?”

  “Look who’s talking,” Alex murmured. “But you’re not only sexy, you cook. I think I might have died and gone to heaven.”

  Emily smiled. For the first time in a long time, she did feel sexy. “You haven’t had my cooking yet.” She scanned the room wondering where her underwear might be, then realized she’d come upstairs naked. “Could I borrow a T-shirt? And maybe a pair of shorts?”

  “You don’t want to make me breakfast naked?”

  Emily rolled her eyes.

  “Not until we know each other better, huh?” Alex climbed out of bed. She pulled out a blue UCLA T-shirt and scratched her head. Her hair was an adorable mess and she’d only managed to push it more out of place, but Emily held herself back from fixing it. “I don’t have shorts…would sweatpants be okay?”

  “Sure.” Emily knew she’d look ridiculous wearing pants that fit Alex’s long legs, but she liked the intimacy of wearing her clothes enough to roll the cuffs. The sweats matched the T-shirt. “UCLA grad?”

  “Yep. Computer science. I was a big nerd. What about you?”

  “I’ve always been cool.”

  Alex grinned. “That was good. Almost my level of humor, but good.”

  Emily congratulated herself. “Mills College.”

  “Oh, you weren’t kidding about the cool thing. Figured out you were a lesbian early, huh?”

  “I went to Mills because they gave me a scholarship, thank you very much.” Emily tugged on the T-shirt. “The fact that it was a women’s college was a bonus.”

  “What’d you study?”

  “Mostly women.” Emily went up on her toes and kissed Alex right as she opened her mouth to laugh. “Go back to bed, sleepyhead. I’ll come get you if we’re making omelets.”

  “I kind of like you ordering me back to bed.”

  “I would have guessed you like to be the one giving the orders.”

  “Well, yeah.” Alex raised a shoulder. “But when it comes to someone making me food, I’ll make an exception.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Alex caught Emily for another kiss before she made it to the door. When she pushed Alex back toward the bed, she fought the urge to follow her. Breakfast first…

  Chapter Twenty-four

  “Why is it so important that the onions be chopped in little tiny pieces?”

  “Finely chopped,” Emily said, leaning over the cutting board and surveying Alex’s work. “And because I said so.”

  “That’s one of my mom’s favorite expressions,” Alex grumbled. She pushed the pile of onions back under the knife. “You kind of remind me of her.”

  Emily pulled the bacon from the oven and set the pieces on a cooling rack. “Do I want to know why?”

  “You both like to be in charge in the kitchen.” Alex reached over and nabbed a slice of bacon. Before Emily could wrench it from her hands, she took a bite. One bite missing and a big grin on her face, she handed it back. “And you both get frustrated with me.”

  “I feel for your mom. Something tells me you weren’t an easy kid.” Emily waved the slice of bacon at Alex and then pointed to the mushrooms and the spinach. “Don’t forget about chopping those too. I’ll sauté everything as soon as you finish.”

  Alex pushed the onions into a neat pile at the edge of the cutting board and started on the spinach. “Want to critique my chopping technique again?”

  “I’ll wait till you’ve finished.” In fact, Alex wasn’t awful as a sous-chef. She was, however, distracting as hell in a tank top and boxers. “I’m not sure how I feel about you comparing me to your mom.”

  “I promise it’s a good thing. My mom’s a total powerhouse—she worked as a DA for a while and now she’s a judge. My dad has always been one of those guys who is in awe of his wife. And he’s a brain surgeon.” She grinned. “They’re sweet together, actually.”

  “Your mom’s a judge and your dad’s a brain surgeon? That’s a lot of pressure. I hope you’re not their only kid.”

  “Nope. I’ve got an older brother. He took all the pressure for me. What about you?”

  “One younger sister. She’s the golden child.” Emily paused. “My parents didn’t like that I went to Mills. And they really didn’t like the fact that I brought a girl home for Christmas that first year. That was the beginning of the end.”

  “Are you close to your sister?”

/>   “No…She’s the only one I miss.” Emily finished crumbling the bacon and went to check the muffins. Whoever had done the shopping for Alex had forgotten to buy bread but had managed to get all the ingredients necessary for blueberry muffins.

  “You don’t see your family at all?”

  “They wrote me off when I married Cass. In retrospect, some of the things my folks said about her were true. But mostly they were upset I was marrying a woman. I thought my sister would come around, but then she went and married this pastor who convinced her I was going to hell. We exchange birthday cards. That’s it.”

  Alex stopped chopping. “Well, that blows. I’m sorry. But it’s their loss. You’re amazing.”

  Emily looked over at her. Alex’s succinct assessment repeated in her head. How did she know that was exactly what she needed to hear? All the years of Cass giving her advice on ways she should try to fix the situation, and then caveats when she tried those things and her family still didn’t come round, and the only thing she needed to hear was one line: it’s their loss.

  “You know what? It is. But I’ve got Gi’s family.”

  “Gi?”

  “My best friend. Gianna. We met at Mills. Her family took me in as their own when my parents flipped over the whole gay thing. Their Christmases and Thanksgivings are way more fun anyway. Ready with those mushrooms?”

  Alex looked as if she were about to say more, but she glanced at the pile of half-sliced mushrooms. “I was trying to go fast to impress you, but apparently I’m not fast enough.”

  “You should definitely not worry about being fast.” Emily congratulated herself when Alex’s cheeks colored.

  “I’m not always that fast. Last night was entirely your fault.”

  “You’re cute when you blush.” Emily took the knife from Alex and gave her a hip bump. “I’ll finish up. Maybe you can find us some juice?”

  Once the vegetables were sautéed, the omelets were ready in no time. Alex made mimosas and Emily decided that if any morning deserved breaking the no-alcohol-before-lunchtime rule, this was it.

  “Do you always add champagne to your orange juice?”

  “Only for special occasions,” Alex said, clinking her glass against Emily’s.

  “What’s this special occasion, then?”

  “A famous chef made me breakfast.”

  Emily shook her head. “I’m no famous chef.”

  “That’s not what I hear. Katherine said you have a six-month waiting list.”

  “Well, that part’s true. But only because I don’t like to have more than eight clients at a time.”

  “She also said she went toe-to-toe with one of the Grayson heirs and some actress who both wanted to steal you.”

  Emily remembered the instance with the Grayson heir but only because Katherine had made a big deal telling her about it after. She’d never heard about any actress, but there was probably plenty she didn’t know concerning Katherine’s friends. She poked at her omelet with her fork and avoided looking at Alex as she debated bringing up something that could be a bad subject.

  “Did I say the wrong thing?”

  “You didn’t say anything wrong.” Emily took a deep breath and finally met Alex’s gaze. “I want to ask why Katherine and you were talking about me, but I’m not sure I want to know the answer.”

  “I promise it was nothing weird. This one time I was complaining to Katherine that I hated having to make dinner every night for myself. But I also hate going out alone. I know I should be used to it with my job, but…anyway, she mentioned she had a personal chef. Told me all about you.”

  “You said you didn’t know I was coming to the party when we met on the plane.”

  “That conversation I had with Katherine was months ago, and she never mentioned your name.” Alex’s tone was almost defensive. She blew out a breath and shifted back in her seat. “If I’d thought you were coming to the party—if I thought I’d ever see you again—I wouldn’t have said yes to Madison and Katherine’s threesome. I wanted to call you, but I had no idea why you were in Aspen. I thought you’d met someone online and this was the first time you were seeing them. When you didn’t text me, I figured I didn’t have a chance.”

  Emily couldn’t imagine anyone having a better chance than Alex. She wished now that she’d been brave enough to text her. Not that it would have changed anything. Maybe everything had happened exactly as fate had planned. Fate. She’d never believed in it, and yet…

  “Would you have flirted with me if you knew I was going to be at the party?” Alex asked.

  “No. I would have been too embarrassed.” It was the truth, but Emily hated saying it. “The only reason I flirted at all was because I figured you were a stranger I’d never see again.”

  “I thought so.” Alex was quiet for a moment and then said, “Is that also why you decided to have sex with me last night? Because you figured you’d never see me again?”

  Emily set her fork down and reached for her glass, sipping the juice slowly as she considered her answer. In a way it would have been a good plan if she’d decided on Alex purely because she was a player she’d never see again. Except Alex wasn’t a player, and she’d known that all along.

  “I guess it makes sense,” Alex said. “You wanted a rebound. It’s bad timing for a relationship and all of that.”

  Apparently, she’d come to her own conclusion when Emily didn’t answer. “I didn’t come here for a rebound.”

  “You sure?” Alex shook her head. “Don’t answer that. You were up-front about what you wanted from the beginning. It’s just…after last night I can’t help wanting more. Do you blame me?”

  “No. I’ll probably never have a night that good again.” Emily felt the heat on her cheeks but pushed on. “I’m not going to forget a moment of it.”

  “I don’t want us to be a onetime thing.”

  Emily’s heart skipped a beat. It was exactly what she wanted Alex to say. But she couldn’t even think about dating—not even something casual. Especially not with someone who was everything she’d ever wanted.

  “What can I do to convince you to take a chance on me?”

  Alex’s question was sincere and the expression on her face so serious that Emily couldn’t bring herself to immediately shut her down.

  “Silence. Okay. I get it.”

  “Alex, you live in Tokyo.” That, of course, was only part of the problem.

  “Only for the next couple months. I’ve got enough frequent-flier miles to go wherever I want any weekend you pick.”

  When she didn’t argue, Alex reached across the table, palm upturned. Emily clasped her hand. She wanted to believe it could work.

  Alex continued. “I haven’t met anyone like you in a long time, someone I can be myself around. It feels so good I don’t want it to end.”

  Hearing Alex put her feelings into words made her want to believe the fantasy of them together even more.

  “I get that it’s bad timing and I’m on the wrong continent. But is there more than that holding you back?” When Emily didn’t offer any other reasons, Alex continued. “What if we spent the day together? Maybe we won’t even like each other at the end of it.”

  “I don’t think that’ll happen.”

  Alex’s face brightened. “Me neither. We can start off with something tame like hot springs…” She let go of Emily’s hand and pulled out her phone. “I know you said you don’t do snow, so I started thinking about other options. There’s a place not far from here that we could check out. And you can totally wear a bikini to this.”

  She turned the phone around for Emily to see the screen. Before Emily could think of what to say, the doorbell rang. Alex glanced in the direction of the door and scrunched her eyebrows together.

  “Expecting someone?”

  “No…maybe it’s a delivery. I’ll go see.” Alex handed her phone to Emily as she stood. “In the meantime, you can take a look at the hot springs. The website really doesn’t do the place just
ice, but you’ll get the idea.”

  Emily didn’t want a break from Alex, but she didn’t think it was a good idea to spend all day with her either. Not wanting a relationship was very different from saying no to someone like Alex. Already it felt like a mistake to do both—go on a date or turn her down.

  With a heavy sigh, she scrolled through the webpage Alex had pulled up. Pictures of steaming pools alongside a river filled the screen. Stunning snowcapped mountains towered on either side of the river. According to the website, the hot springs were only forty minutes from Aspen. She thought of what Alex had said about the wrong timing and the wrong continent. All of that was still true. And she could add more of her own reasons for why she wasn’t ready to date anyone. But she didn’t want to let someone like Alex slip through her fingers.

  Emily heard Alex greet someone and a woman’s voice answer. The foyer was down a hallway off the kitchen and she couldn’t hear either of them distinctly. As tempting as it was to try and eavesdrop, she wouldn’t let herself. She finished the last bite of her omelet and then started clearing the dishes.

  Alex had made short work of the omelet and polished off two muffins. Very few things she appreciated more than someone with a healthy appetite for her cooking. Why did Alex have to be so perfect for her? As much as she knew it was a bad idea, she reconsidered the idea of their dating. Maybe long distance could work for a while… She wasn’t ready to jump into anything serious anyway, and with Alex in Tokyo for the next few months, they’d be forced to take things slow.

  She picked up Alex’s phone again, thinking of how nice it would be to relax in the hot springs with her, when a text message flashed on the screen.

  Katherine: Still enjoying the toy I gave you? Planning on keeping her all day?

  Emily stared at the words, feeling dizzy. What the hell was she thinking? It wasn’t so much what Katherine said that bothered her as the fact that it was so obviously true. She was a toy for Alex to play with until she tired of her. Sure, Alex was charming. And sweet. On top of being sexy. Very nearly her perfect fit. But Emily couldn’t let herself even pretend they could realistically date.