by Jae
Her heart started beating faster. With trembling fingers, she tapped the track pad to open the email.
Dear Claire,
I’ve got good news: The team and our senior editor liked the concept of your book and your willingness to help with the promotion. We’d like to offer you a publishing contract.
Since it’s the Fourth of July tomorrow, I lit a fire beneath the behinds of our legal department so you’d have another reason to celebrate. Attached is the contract for The Art of Lasting Relationships: Seven Secrets to a Thriving Love Life.
Please read it carefully, and let us know if there’s anything you can’t live with. I’ve sent it to your agent too, so she can go over it with you.
Once you have signed, we’ll talk about the editing process and the publication schedule.
I’m looking forward to having your book published with us.
Welcome to Wishing Tree and best regards,
Bridget Huge
Her book would be published! Claire’s mind spun with a dozen different emotions. Somehow, her brain couldn’t seem to settle on only one. She opened the attachment and scrolled through the ten-page document, reading bits and pieces. Words such as audio rights and royalty rates jumped out at her, but she was too dazed to take in the information.
She stared into her coffee, which was probably lukewarm by now. This was it. The moment she had eagerly anticipated for the past two years. Somehow, it felt different than she had expected. Shouldn’t she be jumping around, doing a victory dance, or calling all her friends and family members to tell them about the good news?
Instead, all she could think was: Once I sign this, my deal with Lana will be over. Lana would be gone from her life, probably forever.
So what? Meet her for coffee every now and then, but sign the damn contract. It’s what you wanted, remember? Hell, it’s the very reason you even met Lana in the first place!
The ringing of her cell phone startled her.
Mercedes’s name flashed across the display.
As soon as Claire swiped her finger across the screen, Mercedes started screeching. “You did it! Have you checked your email? Wishing Tree just sent you a contract. Woohoo! Congratulations!”
Well, at least one of them was ecstatic. “Thank you.”
“I need to take a closer look at it, but at first glance, the contract looks pretty standard. They don’t even have an option clause.”
“That’s great,” Claire said, even though she had only a vague idea of what an option clause was.
Mercedes remained silent for several seconds. “Is everything okay? You don’t sound very excited. Were you hoping for a higher royalty rate? What they offer is pretty much what I expected, but if you want, I can try to negotiate—”
“No.” Claire glanced at the contract on her laptop screen. “The royalty rates seem okay to me. I’m not in it for the money anyway.”
“What is it then?”
“Nothing. It’s great, really. I’m probably still a bit jet-lagged, and it hasn’t sunk in yet. That’s all.”
“Ah. Then get some rest,” Mercedes said. “We’ll talk later, when I’ve had some time to read the contract more thoroughly. For now, just make sure you’ve got a bottle of champagne in your fridge.”
Champagne… It made Claire think of the glass of champagne they’d had in the rooftop bar and the way Lana’s eyes had twinkled when she’d teased her about alcohol and carbs after six.
“Will do,” she said belatedly.
“Oh, and you can tell Lana that she can consider the agreement fulfilled. Make sure you get her bank information before she moves out.”
“Uh, yes, of course. Bye, Mercedes. And thanks for everything you did to make this happen.” Still in a daze, she slid the phone into her pocket and then went to pour her coffee down the drain.
Lana stepped out of her room, stood in the hall, and listened.
The house was silent. Claire had probably left for work already—right on time, as always. At first, her overly punctual, meticulous nature had driven Lana crazy, but over the past two months, Claire’s little habits had grown on her. She had to admit that she might even miss the way Claire arranged her pantry by food group and the clothes in her closet according to color.
Oh, don’t start moping again! Moving back to her own apartment would be nice. No one would complain when she dropped her keys or her jacket somewhere—not that she’d done that lately. Somehow, she had gotten into the habit of hanging them up by the door. But there also wouldn’t be anyone grumbling when she made a mess in the kitchen. Of course, there would also be no one who complimented her shrimp dishes. Not that she would make shrimp dishes. Even with fifty thousand dollars in her account, she would use the money to pay off her medical bills and maybe cut back her hours at the coffee store so she could go to more auditions.
Speaking of coffee… She entered the kitchen to get herself a cup.
Her steps faltered when she found Claire in the kitchen, rinsing a mug while muttering to herself. Lana glanced down at herself. In panties and a sleep shirt that kept slipping off one shoulder, she wasn’t exactly presentable.
But then again, Claire had seen her naked—touched her naked body—so it was a little late to worry about modesty. Lana shrugged it off and entered the kitchen, just as Claire turned and strode to the door.
They nearly collided and gripped each other’s shoulders.
Mmm. The short-sleeved silk blouse felt nice beneath Lana’s fingertips, and she had to fight the urge to slide her fingers over the smooth material—or over the even softer skin beneath it. Quickly, she let go and stepped back. “Good morning. I didn’t know you were still here.”
“Morning.” Claire stared at Lana’s legs and blinked owlishly. A hint of pink rose up her neck before she averted her gaze. “I was, um, just about to leave.”
Lana smiled to herself. Friday night might not have meant the same to Claire as it had to her, but it hadn’t left her completely unaffected either. “Have fun at the office, then, Dr. Freud.” She barely held herself back from giving Claire a send-off kiss.
Claire chuckled. “Thanks. You too, Ms. Starbucks.”
“I don’t work at Starbucks.”
“And I’m not a psychoanalyst.”
They grinned at each other, and Lana nearly burst into song at how good it felt to get some of the old ease between them back.
Claire walked to the door but then stopped and turned back around. “Um, Lana?”
“Yes?”
“Do you happen to have any plans for tomorrow?”
“My sister will be out of town, so Jill and Crash have invited me to celebrate the Fourth of July with them. Why?”
Claire turned away. “Oh. Well, never mind, then.”
Lana caught up with her and tugged on her sleeve. “Why?” she repeated.
“My family is having a barbecue, and my mother specifically told me to bring you. But, of course, if you’ve got plans with your friends…”
“Actually, the invitation was for both of us. But I didn’t know if you’d want to go through another evening acting like a couple, so I told them we had other plans.”
“Oh.” Claire peeked over her shoulder at her. “So, would you go to the barbecue with me?”
“That depends,” Lana said, trying not to give herself away by grinning.
“On?”
“What will your parents be grilling? Tofu burgers on gluten-free buns with homemade ketchup made from beets instead of tomatoes?”
Claire laughed and turned fully to face her. “Probably. But don’t worry, I’ll get you a nice steak on my way home. Can’t have my girl starving.” She blushed again. “Um, I mean…”
Lana patted her arm. “I know what you mean. I’ll be yours until you get the contract.”
“About that…” Claire paused
. She stared down at the kitchen tiles as if they had suddenly changed overnight, then peeked back up. “Bridget just emailed me the contract. I haven’t signed it yet, but Mercedes says it looks good.”
“Oh wow.” Lana had known it would very likely happen sometime this week, but it still caught her off guard. “That’s wonderful! Not that I ever doubted it.” She engulfed Claire in a big hug, just stopping short of twirling her around again because she remembered that it had nearly ended with a kiss the last time she’d done that. Their bodies instantly molded together in that seamless way.
Claire brought her arms up too, returning the embrace without hesitation. It wasn’t one of her polite hugs that Lana had observed at the art gallery or the office party but a full-body embrace.
Mmm. Lana’s eyes fluttered shut as Claire’s lilacs-and-spring scent wafted around her. “Congratulations,” she whispered into Claire’s ear.
Was it wishful thinking, or was Claire shivering against her?
“Thank you.” Claire’s voice seemed a bit raspy.
“I’m really happy for you.” And she was. But a part of Lana couldn’t help being a bit sad too. Stop it. It’s for the better. You know that. Reluctantly, she let go and stepped back.
Claire’s hands slid along Lana’s back as she slowly let them drop away.
It felt so much like a caress that Lana bit back a moan. “So, you still want me to go to the family barbecue, even though you’ve got the contract already?”
“If you don’t mind, I’d really appreciate it.” Claire heaved a sigh. “I would really like to have my parents think everything in my life is going well for a little longer. They’ll be flying to Paris for their anniversary next week, and I don’t want them to spend half of the trip worrying about me.”
For a moment, Lana thought about offering to extend their contract in some less time-intensive way, for example, accompanying her to family events for a year or so, but she could quickly see that snowballing out of control and being extended to promo events and office parties. Then they’d be back to where they were now.
No. If she wanted to avoid getting her heart broken again, she had to let go of this sham of a relationship.
“Well, you promised me a steak,” she said with a smile that took some effort, “so I’ll definitely be there for our last performance tomorrow.”
Before she could stop at the butcher’s to buy a steak for Lana, there was one other thing Claire had to do. The ring Abby had given her had burned a hole in her purse since she’d taken it out of her bedside table yesterday, but she hadn’t had the courage to actually return it yet.
She knew Abby’s new address from their mutual friends. She’d even seen the house before—at least from the outside. Once she’d found out where Abby had moved to, Claire had driven by twice, just to see if Abby’s car was in the driveway.
Now she shuddered to think of how close she’d come to being a stalker. No wonder Renata had thought she wasn’t over Abby!
She peeked into her purse to make sure the small, black box was still there before climbing out of the car and walking up the driveway.
At Abby’s front door, she hesitated. Maybe she should have called first. After the way their meeting at the art gallery had ended, she should have given Abby fair warning.
Oh, come on. That’s an avoidance tactic, and you know it! Ring the damn doorbell already! The worst that can happen is that she’ll close the door in your face.
After one last deep breath, she pressed the buzzer.
It took a while, but finally, steps approached.
Claire’s stomach tightened as the door swung open.
Abby stood in the doorway, wearing a spotless white apron over her slacks and blouse.
For several seconds, they stared at each other, neither saying a word.
“Uh, I’m sorry for not calling, but I was just in the neighborhood and…” Claire paused and squared her shoulders. Oh, have some ovaries and cut out the lies. At least the unnecessary ones. That inner voice sounded strangely like Lana’s. “Okay. I wasn’t in the neighborhood. I came to talk to you if you have a minute.”
“Uh, sure. Come on in.”
She should have known that Abby was too well-mannered to close the door in her face. Claire followed her through a spacious living area into a very clean kitchen that had all the latest gadgets. Abby’s new home looked like a slightly smaller version of Claire’s own house—or rather of the way her house had looked before Lana had moved in.
“Nice house,” Claire commented because she wasn’t sure what else to say.
“Yeah. Give me a second. I was just making pasta salad for tomorrow.”
A pot of pasta was boiling on the stove, and ham had been cut into neat little squares. No dirty cooking utensils were littering the counters, and no sauce was splattered across the backsplash.
In the past, she might have found Abby’s well-ordered method of cooking soothing, but now it seemed a little mechanical and less creative.
Abby poured the pasta into a colander waiting in the sink before turning back to Claire and eyeing her carefully. “So, what did you want to talk about?”
How sad that after a seven-year relationship that Claire had considered happy until the end, it had come down to this. She couldn’t even tell anymore what Abby was thinking. “There’s something that I need to return.” She reached into her purse.
“My Wonder Woman DVD? You could have sent that by mail.”
“Um, no. Not the DVD. This.” Claire held out the little, black box.
“Oh.” Abby wiped her hands on a dish towel and took the box from her. She snapped the lid open, and they both stared down at the three-carat diamond ring.
Unexpectedly, tears burned in Claire’s eyes. Maybe Renata had been right. She hadn’t fully dealt with the end of her relationship. Only now was she ready to admit that it had failed—that she had failed.
Claire cleared her throat. “I’m sorry it took me so long to give it back. It’s just that I…”
“It’s okay.” Abby squeezed her shoulder.
When Claire looked up, she discovered that Abby’s eyes were as damp as her own.
“I, um, I need to apologize too,” Abby said quietly. “I shouldn’t have ended it the way I did.”
Claire stared at her. Oh God. Did that mean Abby regretted breaking up with her? The first week, maybe even the first month, she had halfway expected…had hoped for Abby to change her mind. But if Abby wanted her back now… Lana’s image rose in front of her mind’s eye.
“I mean, I still think that calling off the engagement was for the best,” Abby added hastily. “But waiting until the day of our engagement party was a really shitty thing to do. I kept silent for too long, thinking it was only wedding jitters or something. But deep down, I knew that marrying you wouldn’t have been right.”
Four months ago, Claire had tried to convince her otherwise. Now she knew that Abby was right. Yes, they had a lot in common and never argued, and they would have probably had a pleasant marriage. But that true spark, that bone-deep connection, that feeling of being more complete would have been missing.
Abby would never have tickled her on the lawn, never gotten her to wear a pair of jeans and eat carbs after six, and never teased her about the sex-on-the-kitchen-table chapter in her book.
“I know that now,” Claire said quietly. She raised her gaze from the ring to Abby’s face. “But it was hard to accept.”
Abby slowly closed the ring box. “Yeah, for me too. That’s why I waited so long to tell you.” She slipped the box into the pocket of her apron and studied Claire. “How have you been?”
“Good,” Claire said.
Abby raised her brows.
“No, really. My book just got accepted for publication.”
“Oh Claire, that’s fantastic! I know how much that means to you.
Congratulations.” Abby beamed and, after a moment’s hesitation, opened her arms and embraced Claire.
Abby’s perfume and the feel of her slender body were still familiar. It felt like hugging an old friend—nice and comfortable—but it didn’t make her want to never let go. She couldn’t help comparing it to the hug she’d shared with Lana this morning. A sigh rose up her chest as she remembered how it had felt to sink into Lana’s arms and be engulfed in her warmth. It was like immersing herself into a bubble bath, relaxing and exciting all at the same time.
Claire let go and stepped back. “Thank you.” She nibbled her lip, then forced herself to say what was on her mind. “I’m sorry I never let you read it.”
“It’s okay,” Abby said but folded her arms across her chest as if needing to protect herself from that hurt. “I guess I’ll have to buy it once it comes out.”
“I’ll send you a copy.” She studied Abby. “How are you?”
“I’m doing well.” Abby wiped a drop of water off the counter with the dish towel. “I…I met someone.” She peeked over at Claire as if afraid of her reaction. “I swear it only started after we broke up.”
It would be weird to see Abby with someone else, but Claire realized she wasn’t jealous. While she would always love her, she was no longer in love with her. She gave her a quick pat on the arm. “It’s okay.”
“Oh. I thought you might be upset or jealous. But, of course, you have Lana now.”
Only for one more day. Claire bit the inside of her cheek and forced a smile. “I’m glad you found someone.”
“Well, it’s not like we’re ready to move in with each other. But I really like spending time with her, and all of her grandmas and grandpas seem to like me, so we’re off to a good start.”
“All of her grandmas and grandpas?” Claire chuckled. “How many does she have?”
“Just the usual two sets, but she works in a retirement home, and the elderly ladies and gents there have adopted her, so…”
Claire imagined Abby being vetted by a dozen skeptical retirees and had to laugh. “Good luck, then.”