“Um, yeah. You’re right. Totally. Women suck.”
“They so do.” Julie reached across the table and closed her hand over Kelsey’s wrist, held it in a grip that was almost painful. “You get it, don’t you?”
“I...guess?”
“I knew it.” Julie leaned forward to she was almost lying across the table. “I knew the second you introduced yourself that you’d get it.”
“Oh. Good.” What is happening? Kelsey wanted to look around for help, but was afraid of breaking eye contact with Julie and sending her off into another sobfest.
For the next twenty minutes, Julie went on about her ex (Meg; a tall, handsome contractor; her likes included Delmonico steak, chicken wings—the hotter the better—and brandy; she was a Pisces and very good with her hands). Kelsey sat quietly, nodded where she felt it was expected, grunted here and there, and mostly struggled to keep from looking at her phone to see what time it was. How the hell did I end up in this situation?
When it was Julie who finally glanced at her own phone and commented on where the time could have possibly gone, it took everything Kelsey had not to sob with relief.
“I’m so glad we met,” Julie said as she gathered up her things. “I think this is going to be good.” She waved a finger between the two of them. “I’ve got your number, so I’ll give you a call later, okay?” She was all smiles now, the tears long gone.
All Kelsey could do was nod, as there wasn’t a way to take back her phone number. At least she’d be able to screen the calls. Before she had the time to dodge it, Julie bent toward her and kissed her on the cheek. With a tender smile and a little wave, she headed toward the door, dropped her trash in the receptacle next to it, and left. Kelsey watched her go, afraid to move until she was sure Julie was totally gone. It wasn’t until she actually saw her drive out of the parking lot that she let out the breath she’d been holding, her entire body deflating like a balloon with a slow leak, until her forehead rested on her fists on the table in front of her. She groaned.
“Poor Shelley. That looked like all kinds of fun.” The voice was familiar and friendly and warm, despite the teasing tone. Kelsey looked up and into the eyes of Lisa.
“How much did you hear?” Kelsey asked.
“I was right there doing some work.” She pointed to a table not far from Kelsey, but behind her, so it was no wonder she hadn’t seen her. There was a laptop and a purse sitting there. “I saw the first tears come.”
“Terrific.”
“Blind date?”
“Online. So, just as bad.”
Lisa took Julie’s vacated seat, set her coffee cup down, and smiled at Kelsey. She looked gorgeous, as always, waves of blond falling around her shoulders, her blue eyes kind and smiling. “I bet you can’t wait until she calls.”
Kelsey couldn’t help but laugh at Lisa’s feigned excitement; it was contagious. “I wish she’d call right now.” She picked up her phone, frowned at it. “Not yet. Darn it.”
They chuckled together for a moment. Then Lisa grew a bit more serious. “You okay?”
Kelsey sighed as she nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just wondering why I put myself through this at all. It’s gone exactly the way I anticipated it would.”
“Poorly?”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“How many dates?”
For some reason, it felt a little...weird...to be telling Lisa this stuff. “Just two.”
“So far.” Lisa’s eyebrows went up. “Right?”
“I think two was enough.”
“I didn’t peg you for somebody who gives up so easily.”
Kelsey narrowed her eyes at her and was hit with an inexplicable blast of fortitude. “Well I wouldn’t have to online date at all if you’d go out with me instead.” Oh, my God! What?
“I wish you could see the look on your face right now.” Lisa laughed heartily while Kelsey sat still and felt herself blush. After a moment, Lisa’s face went back to serious and she said, very quietly, “You have to actually ask me.”
And just like that, the rest of the coffee shop fell away. The hum of conversation faded. The smell of coffee and pastries became muted. There was nothing in Kelsey’s world at that moment except for the woman across from her. The creamy skin, the deep blue of her eyes, the halo of blond hair, and a dangerously sexy smile. It was just like Ree had described it when she’d met DJ. That feeling of being underwater. When Lisa quirked one eyebrow, Kelsey had no choice but to pose the question.
“Have coffee with me?”
Lisa sipped from her cup, held Kelsey’s gaze. “I’m having coffee with you right now.”
Kelsey cocked her head and grinned. “Have coffee with me another time. When it’s just the two of us and we can talk. Like, really.”
“Like, really talk? I don’t know. That seems to be asking a lot...” Lisa looked off into the distance, but the ghost of a grin told Kelsey she was teasing.
“You’re killing me here.”
“I know,” Lisa said with a chuckle, then reached across to close a hand over Kelsey’s forearm. It amazed her how completely different her hand felt than Julie’s had not that long ago. This grip was warm and soft and held the promise of possibility. “I’m sorry. I would love to have coffee with you.”
“Good. How about Friday at noon? Right here.”
Lisa gave a nod and her smile grew. “That sounds terrific. I’ll meet you here?”
“Perfect.” Kelsey looked down at Lisa’s hand on her arm again and noticed her watch, the time. “Crap. I need to get back to work.”
“Me, too,” Lisa said, and they both stood. There was a moment of quiet, a beat of silence where they simply held each other’s gaze before moving into action again.
“I’ll see you on Friday,” Kelsey said as she moved toward the door.
Lisa smiled softly and gave her a nod. “You will.”
Back at the shop, Kelsey finally understood what it meant when somebody said they were walking on air. She felt like her feet barely touched the ground as she moved around the floor. She helped a woman decide on Nutmeg and Cookies lotion. She directed another to the Lavender Spring body spray. When a third asked about more cruelty-free products, Kelsey happily told her about the recent meeting she’d had with Stephanie Bradley and all the new stuff that would be in soon. The afternoon flew by, and Kelsey couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so incredibly satisfied with her choice of career as a small business owner. Funny how one small thing could alter her entire attitude.
Friday couldn’t arrive fast enough.
CHAPTER SIX
KELSEY HADN’T REALLY BEEN up for going out Thursday night with the team. Her original plan had been to bow out gracefully and leave the game a bit early so she didn’t have to explain to Hannah or anybody else why she wasn’t going. But the game had been a nail-biter and Kelsey really wanted to see how it ended. Hannah’s team won by one run and the mood was happily celebratory. There was no way Kelsey could sneak away...and she didn’t want to by then.
Point Blank was packed. Hannah’s team’s opponents were all friends—and all lesbians from what Kelsey could gather—so they came to the bar, too. Along with the regular Thursday night crowd, the bar was standing room only. Normally, one of the two regular bartenders was struggling to find something to do; Kelsey had watched him mop the floor, scrub empty tables, and replenish the beer cooler. Not so tonight. Tonight, both he and his female partner behind the bar were running their asses off trying to keep their customers’ glasses filled.
The tables had all been full when they’d arrived, so both teams were standing along the bar, and the decibel level was high. Kelsey stood and quietly sipped her beer, people watching and eavesdropping on various conversations. Ree was suddenly next to her and bumped her with a shoulder.
“I thought you were gonna scoot early,” she said, a clear drink in her hand.
“I was. I changed my mind.”
“Couldn’t bear a Thursday eveni
ng without us, could you?” Ree winked and sipped from her glass.
“That’s exactly it. You’re onto me already.”
“You’re pretty easy to read.” She ducked close to Kelsey’s ear. “Here comes your girlfriend,” she whispered.
“Stop that,” Kelsey said in reply, giving Ree a playful swat as her eyes landed on Hannah pushing and sidestepping her way through the crowd.
“So,” Hannah said as she stopped next to Kelsey. The person near her at the bar decided to leave, and Hannah found herself with some space, so she backed against the bar and put her elbows on it.
“So,” Kelsey replied and took a sip of her beer. Hannah had played well and was painted with the dirt to prove it. Her short, dark hair was finally drying around the ends where it had been plastered to her face and neck by sweat. Her normal musky scent was amplified, but Kelsey didn’t mind because Hannah hadn’t stopped smiling since the game ended, her flushed cheeks adding to her youthful appearance. She was a lot of fun to be around tonight, so Kelsey was glad she’d come after all.
“What are your plans for Saturday?”
Kelsey squinched up her face to think, then lifted her beer high in the air as somebody brushed too closely past her. “Whoa,” she muttered, then refocused her attention on Hannah. “Saturday?” she asked, louder this time, so she was sure Hannah could hear. “I have to work for a while, but other than that, I think nothing. Why?”
“My folks are having their annual barbecue. They have one at the end of every August. It’s fun. Tons of people there. Some from the neighborhood. Some family. A few of my softball friends. You should come, too.”
A few weeks ago, there would have been no question. Kelsey would have declined. But she’d been growing more comfortable with her new life over the past few weeks and found herself relishing opportunities to meet new people. And a barbecue sounded like a fun summer thing to do. It was already late August and, from what people had told her, summer would finish up and disappear before she knew it. While there was a distinctive change of seasons at home in North Carolina, she knew it was nothing like what she’d get in the suburbs of Chicago.
“Does it matter if I show up later in the day?”
“Come any time you want. There will be food and beer all day long.”
“I think that sounds fun,” Kelsey said with a smile, and her response made Hannah’s grin widen. “I’d love to come.”
“Excellent! I’ll text you directions.” Her excitement was kind of adorable and Kelsey smiled as Hannah punched information into her phone.
“There,” she said when she finished, and her green eyes sparkled when they met Kelsey’s.
“What can I bring?”
“Oh, my God, nothing. There will be so much food. My mom always overdoes it. Every year. Just bring your smiling face.”
“I can do that.”
Hannah touched her beer bottle to Kelsey’s and lifted her shoulders as she smiled. “I’m so glad you’re coming. You’re gonna love my parents.”
Kelsey felt a little bump on her arm and remembered that Ree was still standing next to her. She was carrying on a conversation with somebody Kelsey didn’t know, but she was pretty sure Ree’d been able to hear her entire exchange with Hannah.
Hannah drained her beer and set the bottle on the bar. “Gotta hit the little girls’ room.” She touched a hand to Kelsey’s cheek, winked, and disappeared into the crowd.
“Big step, meeting the parents,” Ree said, and Kelsey couldn’t quite tell from her tone if she was kidding or serious. Maybe a little of both.
“Yeah, I didn’t really think that through, did I?” Kelsey gave a half-hearted chuckle as she set her beer down next to Hannah’s empty one and toyed with the ring on her forefinger. She looked at Ree and said quietly, “I’m going to have to tell her directly again at some point, aren’t I?”
Ree grimaced, tilted her head one way, then the other, as if weighing pros and cons. Finally, she gave one nod and said, “Yeah, I think it might be best. Whatever hints you gave her, she’s not taking them. I mean, you don’t have to crush her or anything, but maybe some clarification would help a little bit.”
Nibbling on the inside of her cheek, Kelsey wondered what the gentlest way was to say, “Hey, I like you but I don’t like you like you.” She wrinkled her nose. She’d been pretty clear...or so she’d thought. She’d met Hannah and had kept her at arms’ length, strictly in the friend zone ever since, despite the clues Hannah had dropped making it clear she’d like more.
“There’s not really a good way to do it,” Kelsey said, more to herself than to Ree.
“I know. Just...keep it light. Friendly. You know?”
“Well, we are friends, so...” Kelsey shrugged. “Okay. I need to go anyway. This is a good time for an escape.”
Ree laughed, then laid a hand on her shoulder. “Relax. It’ll be fine.”
Kelsey nodded. “Thanks, Ree.”
“Sure.”
Back at her apartment, Kelsey wasn’t sure what to do with herself. It was too early to go to bed—and she was too wired to sleep anyway—but she couldn’t find anything to occupy her mind and keep her from anticipating her coffee date tomorrow. The uncomfortable situation with Hannah didn’t seem like such a big deal when she thought about where she’d be tomorrow at noon. One corner of her mouth quirked up as she flashed back, could hear Lisa’s voice in her head saying, “You have to actually ask me.” God, it was a simple, innocent sentence, so why did it feel so indescribably sexy? Every time she thought about it she got butterflies in her stomach, and now that it was so close, they wouldn’t stop flying around. She was in a constant state of happy anticipation.
“Clothes,” she said out loud to the empty living room. “I can figure out what I’m going to wear.”
In her bedroom, she opened the small closet (her next place would have a giant walk-in, she’d decided after one week in this place) to scan her options. Just as she reached for a purple top, her cell rang. Chris, FaceTiming.
Kelsey hit the Answer button and propped the phone on her dresser so she could talk to Chris and still do what she was doing. “Let me guess: you’re still at work.”
“You know me so well, Kettle Corn. Waiting on a west coast client to send me an e-mail.”
“You’re the most important person I know,” Kelsey said, wide-eyed for the camera, teasing her cousin.
“Shut up,” Chris said with a laugh. “You have no idea how important I am.”
“Probably true.”
“What’s new, K-Pete?”
Kelsey laughed at the new nickname. After a brief internal debate, she decided to spill. “I have a...sort of...a date tomorrow.”
“What?” Chris’s voice went up several octaves. “With who? Hannah the cutie pie?”
“No, not with Hannah the cutie pie.”
“With another online match?”
“Nope.”
“Oh, my God,” Chris whined. “Just tell me already.”
It was interesting in that moment as Kelsey realized she hadn’t mentioned Lisa to Chris at all. She hadn’t talked about her in detail to anybody except Ree, and that was only a vague mention in passing. She wondered why. Did she want to keep Lisa for herself? Was she afraid it was too good to be true and she should simply keep her as a fantasy? And now an actual date with her had altered things dramatically? I mean, it’s been made quite clear she plays on my team by the fact that she pretty much asked me to ask her on a date. Right?
Filling her lungs with a deep breath, Kelsey slowly let it out and launched into the story for Chris. “I met this woman at Starbucks.”
“When?”
“A month and a half ago, maybe?”
“I’m going to ignore the fact that you’re just telling me now,” Chris said, her eyebrows furrowed sternly as she glared at the screen. “But I reserve the right to revisit it. Go on.”
“At first, I just saw her. Like, from across the room.” Kelsey remember the first time s
he’d laid eyes on Lisa, how drawn to her she’d been. “She was gorgeous, all blond and business-y, checking her phone. And then she caught me looking.”
Chris whooped with delight. “She busted you?”
“She did. I was looking at her legs, I think, and when I brought my eyes up, she was looking right at me.”
“That’s embarrassing.”
“Totally. Anyway, we’d ended up ordering the same thing, so when our drinks came and our names on the cups were both wrong—”
“Of course they were. Because Starbucks.”
“Exactly. She’d ordered soy milk, so she drank from her cup, figured out it was mine, and we switched. And called each other by the wrong names.” Kelsey grinned at the memory.
“Which were?”
“Shelley and Lisa.”
“Kelsey. Shelley. I can almost let it slide.”
“Right? Anyway, that was the end of the first meeting.”
“How many have there been?”
“Three.”
Chris nodded. “Continue.”
“The second time was a Saturday, right after my landlady’s bossy daughter came to visit. I was in need of something nice, so decided to get a coffee and Lisa was there.”
“You call her Lisa?”
“And she calls me Shelley.”
“What’s her real name?”
Kelsey bit her lip and hesitated before responding. “I don’t actually know.”
Chris said nothing, simply looked into her phone and raised one eyebrow.
“I know, I know,” Kelsey said with a laugh. “Can I go on with my story?”
Chris made a rolling gesture with her hand.
“She was there and she said hi and we tried to guess why each of us was working on a Saturday. She guessed that I was a hairdresser and Saturday was my busiest day. I guessed that she worked in the DA’s office like on Law & Order. And we just sort of ran with that.”
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