by Carsen Taite
Danika leaned in close. “I hope it’s okay for me to come over here. I promise I’m not stalking you. I was here after work and was going to call you later, but then I was pleasantly surprised to find you here.”
Normally, Grace would’ve preferred to set the terms of her next meeting with a potential date, but Grace decided the distraction of Danika’s presence would do her some good, although she wasn’t entirely sure why she needed to be distracted right now. “I’m glad you did. Have a seat and meet my friends.”
She motioned for Danika to take the spot next to her. The one Perry had occupied. She glanced over at the bar as Danika settled into the chair and saw Perry staring directly at her, her eyes narrowed. Grace wasn’t entirely sure what to make of her expression, but she knew Perry wasn’t happy and she knew she cared about that more than she should. In an effort to keep from letting it bother her, she dove into conversation with Danika and introduced her to Abby, Roxanne, and Wynne.
“All lawyers?” Danika asked.
“Almost.” Grace pointed at Roxanne. “Roxanne here is the Bride’s Best Friend.”
Danika lit up. “Wow, really? My brother is a huge fan.”
“Your brother?” Grace asked.
“Not a traditional bride, I know, but still planning a wedding to his boyfriend, and he thinks Roxanne has the best advice on the planet.”
Roxanne smiled. “Best compliment ever, and I’m making a mental note to do a column devoted to an all-male wedding party.”
“He’ll love that, and he’ll be so excited that we met.” Danika turned to Wynne. “And you’re a lawyer?”
“I am, and I’m about to be a bride. I’m marrying that one’s law partner.” Wynne pointed to Grace. “So we’re one big happy family.”
“It’s true,” Grace replied. “Now, it’s your turn. Tell us about you. I only know that you like tequila and that you travel internationally for business.”
“I’m in corporate mergers and acquisitions for a local venture capital firm. We do a lot of work in Europe and Asia, and the international trade is a definite perk, but I travel so frequently, I often feel out of touch when I’m back home.”
“I’d love to travel,” Wynne said, “but I haven’t had much of a chance. What’s the best place you’ve ever been?”
Danika started to answer when Perry and Campbell reappeared at the table. Grace noticed Perry glaring in Danika’s direction and instinctively stood. “Sorry I stole your seat.”
“You didn’t,” Perry said with a pointed look at Danika’s back. “Please sit. I’m good.”
Wynne patted the chair next to her that Campbell had occupied and waved Perry over. “Come sit by me. I’d love to spend more time with my future sister-in-law while I can.”
Perry eased into the seat next to Wynne. “You remember Perry,” Grace said to Danika. “She was with me on the flight from London.”
“I do. Hi, Perry,” Danika said with a broad smile.
“Danika was about to tell us her favorite place to travel,” Abby chimed in. “Apparently, she’s a world traveler like you.”
“Really?” Perry placed her elbows on the table and leaned forward. “Do tell, what is your favorite place in all the world?”
Grace winced at the obvious sarcasm in Perry’s tone, but Danika answered easily as if she didn’t notice the friction.
“It’s a hard question. There’s hot climate and cold ones and both have their allure. If I absolutely had to choose my favorite place it would be Paris. The food, the fashion, the people. So much to love.”
Everyone at the table murmured their appreciation. Everyone but Perry whose head shake was almost imperceptible. Grace saw it though and Perry caught her watching. Grace couldn’t resist. “Perry, what’s your favorite place to travel?”
“Well, considering I’ve rarely traveled for pleasure, it’s not a fair comparison. Most of the places I go are either desolate, war-torn, or dominated by an authoritarian regime, but I did have a fantastic time in London last week. The Eye, Camden Market, and the gin bicycle tour with an excellent travel companion. Couldn’t ask for better than that.” She finished her statement with a pointed look in Danika’s direction. Grace looked between them and was certain she detected an edge beneath their smiles. Why did it suddenly feel like these two women were engaged in an epic battle and she was smack in the middle of the battlefield?
Chapter Ten
Perry wandered into the kitchen in boxers and a tank top and tugged open the fridge. The best thing about Wynne being around was she could be sure the kitchen was well-stocked. Left to her own devices, Campbell would order takeout every night of the week. Perry reached for the orange juice, some vegetables, and the tofu Wynne had picked up on her last trip to the store. She took her time chopping mushrooms, peppers, onions, and garlic, and then sautéed the mixture in a dab of oil while she pressed and seasoned the tofu. Within a few minutes, the entire kitchen smelled like heaven. She turned down the heat, added the tofu, and scrambled the ingredients in the pan.
“OMG, that smells amazing.” Wynne walked by her and went straight to the burr grinder. “I’ll make you coffee if I can have a bite.”
Perry grinned. “You don’t have to make me coffee, but that would be fantastic. I take it black. And you can have a whole plate of this scramble. I made plenty to share.”
“Did I hear the word share in conjunction with whatever smells amazing in this almost virgin kitchen?” Campbell strode into the room. “I see Wynne beat me to the coffee offer, but I’ll gladly outbid her if there’s only enough food for one.”
Perry pointed at the table. “Set the table, it’s almost ready.”
Campbell and Wynne moved effortlessly around each other as they gathered plates and silverware, and as Perry watched their dance, she realized her career-driven sister had changed. For most of her life, Campbell’s focus had been squarely directed at helping Justin keep their tiny family intact and becoming a successful lawyer, but it was pretty clear her priorities had shifted to include her relationship with Wynne, and Perry could tell Campbell was well and truly love-struck. “You guys are cute together.”
Campbell grinned and slipped her arm around Wynne’s waist. “We kind of are, aren’t we?”
“It doesn’t count when you say it, but yes,” Perry said. “You are. Well, mostly Wynne.”
“I’d protest, but you’re right. Wynne is definitely the better half.” Campbell set the last plate on the table. “You could have wedded bliss too, you know.”
“Ha. Very funny.” Perry scooped the contents of the skillet into a large serving bowl and handed it to her. “You have bride-to-be syndrome.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re all into the dress and the flowers and the cake and the romancey stuff, and it goes to your head. You start thinking the whole world should feel like this, therefore, you think you can sprinkle some of your happily ever after dust on everyone you see and make the world a happy place.”
Wynne laughed. “True. All true.”
Campbell clutched her chest. “Et tu, Wynne?”
Perry rolled her eyes with a cynicism she didn’t feel. At least not toward Campbell and Wynne. After a week with them, she was convinced the love they felt for each other was the real deal, and it reminded her of another relationship that was gone too soon. “I wish Mom and Dad could be here for your wedding. They would’ve loved all the mushy stuff.”
Campbell walked toward her and hugged her close. “They would’ve wouldn’t they?”
“Absolutely. And they would’ve loved you, Wynne.” She poked Campbell on the shoulder. “Wynne grounds you.”
Campbell’s smile was big and bright. “She does, and I like it.” Her eyes lit up. “Just you wait. One day, you’re going to meet someone who steals your heart and makes you want to stay in one place for longer than a hot minute.”
Perry twitched at the suggestion. “Not going to happen. I’m a nomad, sis. Traveling the world. I
don’t have time to be tied down. I’m a no strings attached kind of girl.” She glanced at Wynne. “No offense.”
Wynne gave her a “who me” look. “The string is not offended.”
“You say that now,” Campbell said. “But love will strike you when you least expect it. Look at Grace. Talk about career focused, but she travels all the way to London only to meet an amazing woman from Austin on the plane. What are the odds?”
Perry’s stomach churned at the mention of Danika, but she forced a smile. “Yeah, I don’t think they’re the perfect match you think they are.”
“I don’t know about that. What’s your theory?”
“They hardly know each other. Hello, I was on the plane. If there was a love connection, I would’ve noticed.”
“Is that why you were such a jerk to Danika last night?”
“I wasn’t a jerk.” Perry looked everywhere but at Campbell as she delivered the remark since Campbell had a near perfect lie-meter. She kind of had been a jerk, but only because she couldn’t stand to see Grace fawning all over the tall, over-confident blonde like she was God’s gift to lesbians. Surely Grace could see Danika was a big, flirty faker who was likely to draw Grace in and then ditch her for the next gorgeous woman she met on a plane to London or, God forbid, Paris. The problem was that Grace was so focused on her work, she seemed willing to accept the first treat offered when she came up for air. And what did you do? You acted like a bratty kid.
Ugh. Perry shook her head. She had no business giving relationship advice since she had no desire to be in one herself, but Grace was gorgeous and accomplished and smart, and she deserved the kind of relationship Campbell had with Wynne and Abby had with Roxanne. Maybe she wasn’t an expert, but she still thought Grace would be better off holding out for the real deal.
“That was delicious,” Campbell said, pushing her plate away. “If you’re going to stay here, I’m going to get fat, fast.”
“No worries, sis. Believe it or not, this was a pretty low-cal breakfast, and I won’t be here too much longer.”
“That’s not what I meant. You know you’re welcome to stay as long as you want, but if you ultimately decide to stay in Austin, you might want your own place.”
Perry knew what was happening. For however long she stayed, Campbell would circle around the issue of her making the move to Austin permanent. Perry’s first instinct was to cut that thinking short, but there really wasn’t any sense continually reminding Campbell she was going to get on a plane as soon as her new passport came in. Besides, as far as places to hang out went, Campbell’s house was the perfect stopover. Great kitchen, comfortable bed, and a fairly easy job to rake in some cash until she moved on to the next thing.
And she got to work with Grace. Total bonus, even if she was helping some money-grubbing capitalists hell-bent on making a buck over saving the environment and making plaintiffs whole. “Yeah, maybe. We’ll see.”
“Wynne and I are meeting with Roxanne today to go over some details about the wedding. Want to come with?”
Perry scrunched her face. “Not really my jam, but if you’re riding together, can I borrow your car? I have a few errands to run and I haven’t really had time since you put me right to work.”
“I thought you didn’t have your license.”
“It’s not like it was suspended or anything. Besides, I went online last night and reported it lost. DPS emailed me a temporary card until the new one comes in. If it takes a while, you may need to mail it to me.”
Campbell exchanged a look with Wynne. “Yeah, okay.” She pointed to the wall by the door to the garage. “Keys are over there. It’s a perfect day to have the top down. Have fun. We’ll do the dishes as payment for breakfast. It was great, by the way. I could get used to having you around.”
Perry resisted saying “don’t count on it.” Instead she brushed her teeth, grabbed her wallet, and headed out the door before Campbell could change her mind and take back the offer to let her borrow her little Audi coupe. Campbell had always liked small, fast cars, but since high school Perry had faced a constant battle whenever she wanted to drive Campbell’s car. Perry remembered standing in the garage yelling that she was never going to learn how to drive because Campbell wouldn’t teach her, but the truth was she just hadn’t wanted to learn in Justin’s beater car, preferring to be seen in the Mazda RX Campbell had purchased. Things sure had changed. Nowadays she couldn’t imagine spending that kind of money on a car. Driving around Austin in Campbell’s car came with a sense of guilt, but she was willing to endure it for the chance to get around on her own for a bit.
* * *
Grace unlocked the lobby door and flipped on the lights, once again relishing the quiet of the building. She’d spotted Campbell’s car in the parking lot, but when she walked by her office it was empty, and she figured Wynne had driven to happy hour last night and they’d pick up Campbell’s car later. She was relieved to have the office all to herself and was looking forward to a few uninterrupted hours of productive work. She often worked on Saturdays, not necessarily because she had to, but because, as much as she loved Campbell and Abby, she enjoyed the silence of an empty building, free from phones ringing, machines whirring, and interruptions of any kind. The peace rejuvenated her, comforted her, and she was super productive when she was by herself.
The bad part was the alone time thing spilled over into the rest of her life and she wasn’t sure how to break out of her shell. Sure, she spent time with her friends and her family when they were in town like tonight, but when it came to new adventures, like dating, it was easier to come here to the familiar rather than venturing out for the unknown. Campbell and Abby were constantly reminding her they’d left their big law jobs precisely so they could have personal lives, but after almost a year in their own firm, Grace was beginning to think this firm was her personal life, for better or worse.
Her phone buzzed and she instinctively reached for it, thinking it was probably her parents letting her know they’d arrived in town, but the text on the screen was from Danika. Fun running into you last night. Hope to see you again soon. D
Grace stared at the text for a moment. Should she reply right away or wait a bit so she didn’t look like she was too eager? The question signaled just how out of touch she was with the wide world of dating. Surely she was overthinking her response. She started to type, Great to see you too, but then backspaced the letters until she was left with Great. Great indeed. If she couldn’t even manage a simple text reply, how would she get through an entire date where she’d be expected to talk about something other than corporate happenstance?
“Are you going to stare at your phone all day?”
Grace nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice and she turned to face Perry who was standing in the hallway wearing a Greenpeace T-shirt and jeans. She looked casual and delicious at the same time, and Grace was almost too distracted by her sudden appearance and her inappropriate reaction to wonder what Perry was doing at the office on a Saturday. Almost. “How did you get in?”
Perry raised an eyebrow at the question. “Probably the same way you did. A key.” Perry jingled a keyring as evidence. “Campbell loaned me her car and the office key was on the ring. I figured I’d get a head start on some of the records. That’s okay, right?”
“Sure. Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” Grace wasn’t sure why she was flustered, but she was and she didn’t like it. Not here, in her sanctuary, not in front of Perry. “I’m going to work in my office. Help yourself to the war room.”
“Thanks.” Perry walked past her down the hall, pausing for a brief moment when they were mere inches from each other, but then moving on as if she’d never meant to linger. Grace wondered if she was the only one of them that noticed the heat that flamed up whenever they were physically close, and decided her imagination was working overtime. It had been way too long. Before she could give her reaction a second thought, she typed a return text to Danika. Definitely fun. Are you free for Su
nday brunch? She hit send before her usual practicality could quell her spontaneity and the whoosh of the text was liberating. To avoid dwelling on the action, she tucked the phone in her pocket and settled into her office, determined to get through her to-do list before it was time to head home and change for dinner.
An hour later, she stared at her phone in exasperation. Danika had been sending all the signals, but now that Grace had taken the bait, she’d gone radio silent. Grace considered various legitimate reasons for Danika not to respond: a) she’d dropped her phone in the toilet, b) she’d been kidnapped, or c) she was one of those women who flirted but lost interest when the object of their affection became available. She wanted it to be a or b, well, mostly a, but she had a feeling it was c. Oh well, better she find out right up front that Danika was a fake than wasting any time putting on makeup and figuring out what to wear for a date to nowhere.
She stood up, stretched, and yawned. Coffee. She needed coffee. She took the long way through the office to the break room and stopped at the open door to the room where Perry was bent over a computer, staring at the screen. “Coffee break?”
Perry looked up and a slow, lazy smile slid across her face. “Coffee sounds great.”
“Come on. I’m buying.” Grace led the way to the break room and started working the levers to the espresso machine. “What can I get you? I think there’s some soy milk in the fridge if you want a cappuccino or a latte.”
Perry walked over and ran a hand along the side of the machine. “Wow. Fancy. Let me guess—Campbell bought it.”
Grace laughed. “Yes, she did. Your sister has a penchant for fancy things.”
“She always has.”
Grace heard Perry’s voice drop and reached for her hand. “She’s always been a generous person, even before the settlement. Campbell likes to spoil the people she loves. When we opened this office she wanted to make it look like we were already very successful with things like this espresso machine and the hand-crafted marble table in the conference room. Mostly the trappings were to attract new clients, but partly to make Abby and me feel like we hadn’t just walked away from high-paying jobs to start completely over with nothing. I’m pretty sure Campbell would rather have your parents back than all the money in the world.”