by C. Fonseca
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
She tugged her ear and sighed heavily. “It will be.”
“I’m so sorry. I honestly didn’t think she was going to complain about anything. Their plates were clean, they were complimentary to the servers. I should have handled it, myself.”
Lili placed her hand on Owen’s forearm. “It’s okay, there’s no problem.” Well, not in the way he thought. “I know her.”
“My apologies.” He looked sheepish. “I didn’t realise she was a friend.” He looked over Lili’s shoulder in Dani’s direction.
“She isn’t,” Lili said. “I haven’t seen Danielle Taylor for four years.”
Owen raised a questioning eyebrow.
“I’d better go back and find out what she wants. I’d like to get home as soon as possible. Jess is childminding.”
“Understood,” he said. “She must enjoy it.”
Lili frowned.
“Jess. I mean Jess must enjoy looking after Ru. I saw them riding around in circles when I came past your parents’ house this afternoon. Ru looks like she’s mastered her new bicycle,” he said. “Ahem, anyway, I’d better leave you to it.”
“Thanks.”
At table twelve, Mr Hip held the chocolate brownie to Dani’s lips. Lili cringed as Dani giggled and nibbled it from his fingers.
Owen’s interruption had given her a moment to calm down. She strode over to the table.
Dani looked up. “Wow, this is to die for—death by chocolate.” She removed a crumb from her chin and put it in her mouth. “Would you like to meet up for a coffee on Sunday? I’ll be around. We can talk about old times.”
Lili stared at her. No. She shook her head. “I can’t. I’m busy.”
Dani narrowed her eyes and turned to her companion. “Have you got a pen and paper, sweetheart?”
Sweetheart?
“I’ll find one,” he said.
“I have an apartment in St Kilda near the beach, off Acland Street. It needs redecorating, but I have a great decorator. He’s a treasure.”
Was Dani always so superficial? Lili folded her arms and rocked back on her heels.
“Anyway, here’s my number.” Dani scribbled on a piece of paper. “Ring me when you have time. I’m sure this place keeps you busy. Loved the soufflé, by the way. You always did have a light touch.”
The brazen look Dani gave her made Lili want to tear the piece of paper into confetti and throw it at her presumptuous face.
“Thank you,” she said slowly and politely. “I’d better get back.” She looked up to find Dani’s friends focused on their exchange. “Congratulations to the happy couple, and enjoy the celebrations tomorrow.”
“Thanks, I’m sure we will.” Before Lili had a chance to retreat, Dani leaned forward and kissed first her left, then her right cheek. “Au revoir.”
“Good night.” Fuming, Lili turned on her heel and marched towards the sanctuary of her kitchen. “Bon débarras,” she muttered through clenched teeth. Good riddance.
At the top of the stairs, Lili looked up at the dark, ominous sky and filled her lungs with crisp air. She exhaled slowly. The familiarity of her home surroundings had a calming effect, and the warm glow of the entry light was a welcome sight. She suddenly realised that Dani hadn’t asked about Aruishi. Not at all. She hadn’t bothered to ask about the child that could have been theirs.
On the landing, Lili removed her shoes and quietly unlocked the front door. She tiptoed straight to Aruishi’s bedroom, unzipped her chef’s jacket, placed it with her satchel on the floor, and entered the room. Soft rays of light fell across the bed from the giraffe lamp. Aruishi was on her side, fast asleep, with one arm flung above her head. Her breathing was deep and regular. A shuffling, whispering sigh came from the other side of the bed near the wall. Lili stooped down to peer under the bed, and there was Jess curled up on the carpet with Aruishi’s Princess Teddy tucked under her head. Lili smiled. Jess had somehow managed to squeeze her tall frame between the bed and the wall, although it didn’t look comfortable.
Aruishi sighed loudly and turned over onto her back. Jess reached up and patted the quilt. “I’m here, baby. Go back to sleep,” she murmured, withdrew her arm, and wrapped it around the teddy bear.
Lili stood up and edged around the foot of the bed to kneel in front of Jess. She looked peaceful, without a trace of tension. Lili brushed a strand of silky hair from Jess’s cheek and her fingers tingled as she caressed velvet skin.
Jess stirred and opened one eye. She squinted and opened both eyes. “Lili,” she said drowsily.
“Shh…” Lili put her finger to her lips, then rested her hand gently on Jess’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to wake you, but I can’t leave you on the floor all night.”
Jess eased herself into a sitting position, shuffled around to face Lili and touched her arm. “How is Aruishi?” she whispered.
“Sound asleep.” Lili stood, offered her hand, and helped Jess to her feet. She squeezed Jess’s fingers, reluctant to let go. Jess stretched and twisted her waist from side to side.
“It was the only way I could get her to sleep,” Jess whispered. “She wouldn’t settle, and insisted there were scuffling noises outside the window. She didn’t want to be alone.”
Lili stifled a giggle. “Cows, sheep, horses, rabbits, echidnas—we are in the country. She’s having you on, Jess,” she said. “It’s one of her little tricks.”
“Oh. I didn’t mind. But I’ll remember that, for next time.”
They both hushed and glanced at Aruishi as she coughed and slid onto her side.
Lili placed her index finger over her lips again and motioned to the door. She leaned across Aruishi’s bed, kissed her on her forehead, and turned off the lamp. The nightlight on the wall automatically lit. Lili yawned and followed Jess out into the hallway.
Jess was propped against the wall. She wore crumpled lightweight sleep pants and a crewneck T-shirt that barely reached her waist. Effortlessly seductive.
It had been a long night. The frustration from her encounter with Dani lifted and dissipated into the air, and all Lili could see was Jess. Tousled hair and dreamy eyes like a midnight sky—so imperfectly perfect.
Lili couldn’t resist. She walked towards Jess and leaned in until their foreheads touched.
Jess’s warm breath tickled her face, and her hands lowered along the curve of Lili’s waist, down to her hips. When Jess tugged her closer, heat radiated from her body. Need coursed through Lili, tangled with her desire, as Jess stroked the base of her spine with her fingers in a slow, tantalising motion.
Lili lifted her head, and Jess’s eyes fluttered half-closed, her dark lashes brushing her cheeks. She moved one hand to the base of Lili’s neck and slowly pushed her fingers through her hair.
Lili leaned forward and parted her lips.
Jess took a step back and lowered her gaze to the floor. “Please, Lili. Don’t run. Not this time.”
“I can’t, even though my head tells me I should.” Lili swallowed.
Jess looked up to capture Lili’s lips in an intensely demanding kiss. Waves of pleasure coursed through her as the caress of Jess’s tongue became soft, slow, and teasing.
She wound her arm around Jess’s neck and pulled her closer. She pressed into Jess’s body—so lean and taut, so silky and soft. The worries of the day evaporated like ice on hot cement. Instinct took over. She deepened their kiss, matching Jess’s hunger.
Jess’s scent was sweet like honey, rich and heady as vanilla, warm and spicy like cinnamon. Lili nibbled gently on the corner of Jess’s mouth and swiped her tongue along Jess’s lower lip.
Jess moaned and slipped her hands from under the hem of Lili’s singlet, but Lili grabbed the front of Jess’s shirt to pull her back.
“Is that your phone buzzing?” Jess pointed to Lili’s satchel.
&nbs
p; “Oh. No one rings me this late.”
“Someone does,” Jess said. “They’re persistent. It’s been humming for a while.” She tugged at Lili’s singlet. “Don’t answer it.”
“Sorry, I’d better check.” Lili retrieved the phone from her bag and looked at the screen. “It’s Alex. It must be important.” She reached out and took Jess’s hand. What bad timing.
“Okay, then.” Jess squeezed her hand briefly and let go. “Goodnight, Lili,” she said.
“Don’t go. Give me a minute?”
“It’s okay. Answer your phone.” Jess turned away and walked quietly down the hallway.
It was hard to ignore the disappointment in Jess’s eyes. She’d asked Lili not to run, and yet here she was, not exactly running, but messing up again. She moved away from Aruishi’s half-open door and put the phone to her ear.
“Hi, Alex, what’s up?”
Chapter 19
A warm northerly breeze moved through the tall, grassy meadow, with its scattering of daises and clumps of lavender. Jess dismounted her bicycle and wheeled it through the crop of apple trees dotted with pink-and-white blossoms. From the path along the water’s edge, views across Port Phillip Bay and the hills rising above the flat Werribee Plains were framed by a clear blue sky and azure ocean with a hazy silhouette of Melbourne’s skyscrapers just visible to the right. The McAllister farm, in this beautiful corner of the Peninsula, had provided a welcome shelter for Jess.
She’d miss all this when she returned to London, where she’d be walking back to…what, exactly? A lonely flat and the future of her pro career up in the air. Even if Jess regained full fitness, it seemed like a sensible progression to scale back the strict schedules, regimented diet, and constant travel, and start figuring out her future. She could do that here in Australia if she wanted. Moving from one continent to another may not be a bad idea.
A magpie lark swooped dangerously close to Jess’s head. She ducked and waved an arm. “Oh no you don’t. I’ve got your number.” The black-and-white bird perched on a wooden fence rail, singing loudly—almost tauntingly—with its beak aloft and feathers bristled.
She didn’t want to risk losing Scott and Helen’s respect, or the close bond she’d developed with Aruishi, but Jess wished Lili had knocked on her door last night. She had gone to her room and debated about leaving the door slightly ajar as an open invitation. Remembering Lili’s words, she’d opted to close it, giving her the choice to follow her head.
If they’d slept together, they’d be in a right pickle later if things didn’t work out. The first kiss in Ben’s garage could be attributed to wild impulse or a whim, but surely last night Lili had known what she was doing. It was getting harder for Jess to quash her attraction, and Lili’s push-pull, pull-push behaviour was wreaking havoc with her sexual appetite.
In a difficult road race, having the advantage of preparedness, sharp focus, and well-rehearsed tactics was paramount. Jess probably conducted her dating life similarly to her cycling manoeuvres. Avoid sharp corners. Know your competition. Wait for the right time to make a move and get out in front. It was different this time; Lili was making the moves.
If Jess were in London, she’d have had a session with Doctor Waters today. Somehow, she’d managed with minimum damage to overcome a lot of obstacles without her psychologist’s calm approach and guidance. She’d have to utilise the coping strategies she’d learned from her to negotiate this entanglement with Lili.
The opening fifteen minutes of a race were always fast and furious, but you had to use self-control, and not get excited too early. You had to have patience. But Jess also knew that to win the race, you must risk losing it.
Jess hesitated at the courtyard entrance before she unlatched the wrought iron gate, wheeled the bicycle near the staff entrance door, and propped it up against the wall. She knocked on the door and strode into the kitchen.
Alex stuck her head out from the cold-room. “Jess, come on in.”
“Thanks, Alex,” she said, then inhaled deeply. “Something smells really good in here.”
“That would be me.” Alex turned one corner of her lips up in what could only be called a smirk.
Jess leaned her elbows on the counter, rested her chin in her hands, and met Alex’s gaze. “Hmm. In that case, you smell deliciously of rich, warm chocolate.” Jess winked.
“Actually, it’s the batch of brownies I just pulled from the oven,” Alex said. “Are you here to grace us with your piano playing again?”
“If it won’t disturb you?”
“No, it’s great to hear someone play as well as you do.”
“Thank you.”
“By the way, how is Lili this morning?”
Jess tilted her head to one side. “I’ve been out riding; I haven’t seen her. Is something the matter?”
“Just checking, after I spoke to her last night.”
“Oh? How did she seem?” Jess frowned. Had Lili told Alex about what happened between them?
“Dani and her friends from Melbourne were at the restaurant last night and they—”
“Dani? As in Lili’s partner, Danielle?” Jess took a step towards Alex.
“Ex-partner, yes. Dani had the cheek to summon Lili to the table. No one had a clue she was in the restaurant.” Alex shook her head as though in disbelief.
“Okay,” Jess said, lowering her voice. “Well, that explains…things.”
“What things?” Alex touched Jess’s forearm. “Look, I shouldn’t have said anything. I thought she must have told you what happened. She didn’t?”
Jess blinked. “No, she didn’t.” Long after she’d crawled into bed, she’d stayed awake, hoping for that knock on her door. Jess shrugged and turned quickly towards the piano. “I hope you like Wagner.”
There was something comforting about arriving at Ailie. The bright, open kitchen that she and Ben had created was her second home. Every inch of space had its purpose. It worked well, whether she was alone throwing together an idea or, on a busy night, when the place was fully staffed and buzzing with action.
The warm, enveloping aroma of molten dark chocolate combined with coffee-like toasted wattleseed drifted through as Lili entered the kitchen. She sighed blissfully.
To a chef, a good olfactory sense was imperative in order to be able to combine aromas and flavours appealingly. She’d developed ‘a good nose’ and continually worked to refine her skills identifying foods and assessing their condition. Lili paused and closed her eyes.
“Hi, Lili.” A voice called out from behind the mixing machine.
“Oh, hi there, Tim.” She looked up sharply. “Where is Alex?” Piano music drifted faintly from the dining room. “I haven’t heard this song before. Is she messing with my playlist again?”
“I think she’s out the front.”
Lili turned her head. “That’s not her playing. As far as I know, she doesn’t have a musical bone in her body.”
“Hardly.” Tim laughed. “It’s your houseguest. The lovely Jessica.”
“Oh. Are you sure?”
“Yep, it’s her,” Tim said, filling a piping bag with vanilla buttercream from the mixing bowl.
“Okay. I’ll let you get back to what you’re doing.” She started towards her office but found herself detouring to the dining room, drawn to the soulful melody like a magnet. She stopped just inside the doorway. Alex leaned against the bar counter, half-hidden in the shadows.
Lili glided in beside her. “Hi,” she whispered.
Without turning, Alex said, “She’s been in to tinkle the keys a few times, but I’ve not heard her like this before. She was playing some really heavy stuff earlier, but I like this soulful stuff better. She’s good.”
“Yes, she’s good.” Lili sighed. Her mother had mentioned Jess played, but not that she was this talented. Here she was, in Ailie’s tiny pian
o alcove, head held high, shoulders straight, and strong hands passing gracefully over the keys, like she was lost in another place and time.
Lili placed a hand over her heart as it started to race. She imagined those hands on her skin. Slow and skilled. Was there nothing the woman couldn’t do?
A loud crash from the kitchen broke the magical spell. Jess turned around, clearly startled by the noise. Her gaze met Lili’s briefly before she turned back to the piano.
“I’m sorry, but I may have put my foot in it earlier,” Alex whispered to Lili.
Lili frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I asked Jess how you were after last night.”
“Oh? What else did you say?”
“I mentioned about Dani being here. I don’t know why, but she seemed agitated.” Alex stared at Lili. “Anyway, what’s going on between you two?”
“Nothing.”
“Lili, this is me. If it’s not about Jess, what is it about? You said last night on the phone you were okay after your encounter with Dani. But now you’re acting funny. What is it?”
“I am okay. Believe me, it’s not about Dani.”
“So then it’s about Jess.”
“Let’s leave it for now, please. I need to talk to Jess about Ru’s new bike. I think it needs adjusting or something.” Lili glanced down at her watch. “I’ll be back here in half an hour.”
“Okay, sure. But I have seen the way you two look at each other.” Alex shrugged. “You are acting weird, and so is she. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.” She turned and walked back into the kitchen.
Lili wanted to tell Alex she was wrong, but what was the point of denying it? She did have to talk to Jess, now. “This music is a bit pensive,” she said, placing her hand on Jess’s shoulder.
Jess’s muscles tensed under Lili’s fingertips. She closed the lid of the piano. “What? Don’t you like Leonard Cohen?” She glanced over her shoulder to look at Lili, and her brow furrowed. “Did you kiss me last night because of what happened with Dani?” Jess asked in a low-pitched growl.
“No. I didn’t.” Lili folded her arms. Jess’s obvious distress caused a heaviness in her chest. Is that what she thought? That Lili had kissed her because she was angry at Dani? She groaned inwardly. Time for damage control. “I was furious that Dani showed up unannounced after four years’ absence and expected me to welcome her with open arms.” Lili brushed Jess’s arm gently with her fingers. “But that is not why I kissed you.”