by MJ Duncan
“Sounds delicious.” Bryn flipped open the lid on the trash can, and had just begun cutting the outer leaves off the artichoke when the back door into the kitchen opened and Diana walked in.
“Hey!” Diana grinned at Bryn. “Anna said she called you. How’s it going?”
“It’s going well, thank you,” Bryn said.
Diana nodded and waved at a tall blonde that had followed her into the kitchen. “This is Erica, Mitch’s girlfriend.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Bryn said, nodding at Erica.
“Need any help?” Diana asked as she pulled an artichoke out of the bag and grabbed some kitchen shears out of a drawer to cut off the sharp tips of the leaves.
Bryn smiled her thanks and moved to the side to allow Diana access to the trashcan as well.
“How’s the grill looking?” Anna asked Diana.
“Full.” Di rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what army you’re planning on feeding, Fitz, but I’m pretty sure the six of us can’t eat all that food you have cooking out there…”
“Yeah, well, leftovers will just be my dinner for the week.” Anna shrugged and set a Snakebite in front of Bryn. “Here you go, Nakamura. Erica, you need another?”
“I’m good,” Erica said, shaking her head. “Is there anything you need help with?”
Anna looked around and the kitchen and shook her head. “I don’t think so. Bryn and Di have the chokes covered, and I’m pretty sure everything else is done.”
“If you’re sure…” Erica murmured. “I’m going to head back on out and keep the guys from killing each other with the lawn darts, then.”
“Good luck with that,” Anna chuckled.
“I know, right?” Erica said. “Holler if you need any help.”
Anna nodded. “You got it.”
“I like her,” Diana said once Erica had disappeared into the backyard.
“Me too,” Anna said. She smiled at the questioning look Bryn gave her and explained, “They’ve only been dating for a few weeks. This is the first time we’ve met her, too.”
“I see,” Bryn murmured. “Please tell Mitch that if he would like to bring Erica to the Harvest Festival, he is more than welcome to.”
“I will.” Anna smiled and nodded.
“How’s the planning for that going?” Diana asked.
“It’s going well, I think,” Bryn said. “All the vendors have been booked and the invitations went out last week, so now it’s just a matter of hoping the weather cooperates.”
“Thom and I will be there, by the way,” Diana said. “Sorry. I forgot to RSVP when I got the invite because a shipment of beans had just come in and I had to deal with getting them into the roaster, and…”
“It’s not a problem,” Bryn assured her with a smile. “I was just planning on counting you and your husband as a yes, anyway.”
“I’m going to be there too,” Anna said.
“Damn.” Bryn snapped her fingers. “I forgot to tell the printer to take you off the list.” She grinned when Anna responded with a loud, drawn-out raspberry, and shook her head. “Really, Ms. Fitzpatrick.”
“Really, Ms. Nakamura,” Anna retorted.
“You guys are ridiculous,” Diana muttered.
“Thanks!” Anna said, beaming at Bryn.
Bryn laughed and ducked her head. “She’s a bad influence.”
“Oh, honey, I haven’t even begun to influence you yet,” Anna drawled, slapping Diana on the ass as she walked out the door.
“Fitz!” Di yelled after her, laughing. “You’re lucky I didn’t cut my goddamn finger off!”
“It’s okay!” Anna yelled back as she stuck her head though the open door. “I’m a doctor! I can just stick it back on for you!”
Diana rolled her eyes and looked at Bryn. “The scary thing is that she probably could. How anyone trusts her enough to let her cut them open…”
Bryn chuckled and set the artichoke she had just finished trimming in front of Diana and grabbed a new one from the bag. She glanced at Diana as she used the flat of the knife to help her pull off a leaf near the stem. They worked in silence, removing the inedible parts of the chokes, and once all six were cleaned, Bryn wiped her hands off on a dishtowel and looked around the kitchen. “What now? I’ve never grilled artichokes before.”
“You are in for a treat, then,” Anna declared as she ambled back into the kitchen. “I don’t wanna brag, but I make this absolutely sinful balsamic glaze…”
“But she doesn’t want to brag,” Diana mocked.
“Shut up.” Anna scrunched her nose in a mock scowl.
Diana laughed and blew a kiss at Anna. “Whatever. Since we’re done here, I’m gonna go get my drink.”
“You do that,” Anna said. Once Diana was gone, she turned to Bryn and smiled. “It’s really good, I promise.”
“It sounds wonderful.” Bryn picked up her glass and took a sip as she watched Anna take the artichokes they had just finished preparing and drop them into the pot. “So you boil the artichokes before you grill them?”
Anna nodded. “Boil them for like ten, fifteen minutes, chop ‘em in half, scrape out the fuzzy gunk, and then oil them up and whack ‘em on the grill.”
Bryn took another sip of her drink and grinned. “And here I thought that you didn’t know how to cook because you keep tricking me into making you dinner.”
“I know, right?” Anna winked and moved the pot onto the stove. She turned on the flame, and picked up her drink as she leaned back against the counter. “I actually know how to cook lots of stuff. Grilled cheese, cereal, protein bars…”
“Wow. You’re practically gourmet,” Bryn teased.
Anna laughed. “I’m just messing with you. I really do know how to cook, so don’t worry—if you ever manage to win one of our bets, I’ll make you something incredible.”
“I look forward to it,” Bryn murmured.
“Me too.” Anna’s expression softened and she reached out to give Bryn’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Thank you for coming over tonight. Grabbing dinner’s been fun, but I’ve missed just hanging out with you.”
Bryn nodded, her chest filling with a warm lightness that made her feel almost dizzy as she wrapped her fingers around Anna’s hand and held it tight, not wanting to lose the connection they shared just yet. She had missed Anna more than she probably should have, all things considered, and it was reassuring to know that Anna felt it too. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
Eighteen
Bryn carried the last stack of plates into the kitchen after dinner and handed them to Diana’s husband Thom, who took them from her with a smile. “Thanks.”
“Of course.” Bryn nodded and looked over her shoulder at the backyard where Diana and Erica were cleaning off the table. They did not need her help to finish up, and with the guys doing the dishes, there was nothing for her to do in the kitchen, either. “Do you know where Anna went?”
“Living room,” Mitch said as he set the plate he had just finished rinsing into the dishwasher.
“Thank you,” Bryn murmured as she turned toward the front of the house.
Dinner had been a far more lively affair than she had anticipated, and she had enjoyed just sitting back and taking it all in. Anna and her friends bantered easily back and forth, teasing each other about everything from Mitch’s cooking skills—Erica regaled them with a story about how Mitch burned Rice a Roni the other night to the point that the pan was no longer salvageable—to Anna’s terrible luck with women. Anna was so warm, kind, and engaging that Bryn had been genuinely shocked to hear some of the stories Mitch and Di had about her exes. She had just assumed that somebody as well-adjusted and beautiful as Anna Fitzpatrick would have no trouble finding somebody who would treat her well, but from what she heard, that was not the case. Anna took the teasing in stride, but it was clear that she was uncomfortable with it as well, and Bryn was not sure which of them was more relieved when conversation shifted to less personal topics li
ke the Seahawks and the weather.
She had been surprised at how easily they drew her into the conversation as well, her dry remarks drawing laughter, rather than the askance looks her humor usually wrought, and by the time the last plate was pushed toward the center of the table, she was smiling and laughing as freely as everybody else.
“Come on, Nakamura. Help me out here.”
Bryn frowned as she looked at Anna, who had her hands wrapped around the sides of an oversized armchair and was tugging futilely at it. “What are you doing?” Bryn asked as she hurried across the living room to help.
“Trying to move this damn chair.”
Bryn rolled her eyes as she grabbed hold of the back of the chair and began pulling it toward where Anna seemed to want it. It was heavy and awkward because of its size, but between the two of them, they managed to move it to a spot where it would be more comfortable to see the television mounted above the fireplace.
“That was harder than I expected,” Anna said with a wry smile as she dusted her hands off in front of herself. “Anyway, what I was thinking was, since there’s not a lot of room in here, is that Di and Thom can take one loveseat, Mitch and Erica the other, and we can share this thing. It’s like almost as big as the couches anyway, and since we’re the two smallest people here…” Her voice trailed off and she shrugged. “You okay with that idea?”
“As long as you don’t mind.” Bryn nodded. The couches really were too small for more than two people, and since she and Anna were the smallest, it made sense for them to take the chair. She was not sure how comfortable it would be, but she figured that being squished next to Anna would be more comfortable than sitting on the floor or bringing a chair in from the dining room—which were the only other options.
“I think I’ll survive.” Anna winked and bumped Bryn with her shoulder. “You okay with Winter Soldier? Mitch just got it on Blu-ray and brought it over.”
Bryn bit her lip to try and hide her smile, but was not quick enough.
“What?”
“Nothing.” Bryn shook her head. “Really. It’s fine.”
“No, I wanna know what the smile was for. Do you have a thing for Chris Evans?” Anna teased, waggling her eyebrows.
Bryn laughed and shook her head. “No.”
“You’re blind, then.” Anna rolled her eyes. “I mean, I’m gay—and even I know that he’s a fine piece of eye-candy.”
Bryn shook her head. “He is quite good-looking, yes. But I’ve always loved Black Widow, so Kendall and I went to see the movie at the IMAX by her loft in Portland the weekend it came out.”
“No way. Really?”
“Really,” Bryn confirmed with a small nod.
“Did you used to dress up as her for Halloween?”
Bryn knew that Anna was just teasing, but she found great amusement in the surprise that flashed across Anna’s face when she nodded and said, “Every year in high school.”
“No way.”
Bryn waved a hand in the air. “Our school threw a Halloween Dance every year with the boy’s school that was in the next town over. Kendall would make me go with her—but you weren’t allowed in if you weren’t in costume, so…”
Anna smiled hopefully. “Please tell me you have pictures.”
“Perhaps somewhere.” Bryn shrugged. “I’m sure Kendall still has a few, at any rate.”
“I’m going to need her phone number. I want to see this picture of you.”
Bryn smiled. “You can always ask her about it at the harvest festival.”
“Oh, I will.”
“Oh you will, what?” Diana asked as she and Erica wandered into the living room.
“Fall asleep while the movie’s on,” Anna said.
Bryn nodded at the questioning look Diana gave her, confirming Anna’s statement even as she reached out to give Anna’s hand a quick squeeze of thanks. She would not have cared if Diana and the others knew what they were talking about, but she appreciated the thoughtfulness Anna showed by keeping it to herself. It had been a long time since she had opened up to anybody about any part of her life, and the fact that Anna’s first instinct was to protect the information she shared with her touched Bryn more than words could say.
“Yeah, well—” Diana dropped onto the furthest loveseat and put her feet up on the coffee table, “—just don’t snore too loudly.”
“I do not snore,” Anna argued as she waved a hand at the chair for Bryn to sit first.
Bryn watched Anna and Diana glare at each other as she picked up her drink and sat down as close to the left-hand armrest as she possibly could. It was clear that this was a common argument for the two friends, and she smiled at the way Diana rolled her eyes and let out a dramatic sigh.
“Fine,” Diana said, shaking her head. “You don’t snore.”
Anna laughed and nodded. “Thank you.”
“You totally snore, though,” Mitch chimed in as he and Thom joined the group. He grinned at Anna as he picked up the remote and turned on the television. “Especially when you’ve been drinking.”
“Okay, you know what,” Anna said as she sat down beside Bryn. It was a tight fit, there was just enough room to fit a piece of paper between their thighs, but Anna did not seem to notice as she pointed a finger at Mitch and continued, “That was one time, and I had a bitch of a cold, so that doesn’t count.”
Bryn looked at Thom. “Are they always like this?”
Thom laughed. “Always. It’s like trying to control a group of rowdy children.”
“Hey—we resemble that comment,” Diana said as she laid back on the couch and stretched out her legs so that they were draped across Thom’s lap.
“Gimme my drink, bitch,” Anna told Mitch, holding her hand out and making a grabby motion.
Mitch rolled his eyes and handed Anna her glass. “Anything else, your highness?”
“Nah, I’m good. Maybe just hit the lights before you sit your lazy ass down beside your girl, there,” Anna said, waving an imperious hand in the air.
Bryn laughed.
“Don’t encourage her,” Mitch grumbled.
“Don’t listen to him,” Anna said, grinning at Bryn.
“Encourage her!” Diana laughed.
Thom groaned and shook his head. “See what I mean?”
This time, it was Erica who laughed, and Bryn chuckled as she inclined her head toward Anna and whispered, “Leave him alone so we can start the movie.”
She had intended the soft rebuke to be playful, but when Anna turned toward her, the grin that had curled her lips became softer as their eyes locked, Bryn found it hard to breathe. She had never been so physically close to Anna when she smiled at her like this, and the warmth that burned in Anna’s eyes made her chest feel light. She, watched, utterly spellbound as Anna’s gaze dropped for a split-second before lifting back up to her eyes, ice-blue irises turning stormy as they stared at each other. Bryn’s heart pounded harder and faster the longer their gazes held, and she drew a shuddering breath when the lights suddenly snapped off and she was finally able to look away.
She lifted her glass to her lips and took a long drink as the movie began to play, and stole a quick glance at Anna out of the corner of her eye. Anna’s attention was focused on the screen, but the enchanting smile that had curled her lips only moments before had become a small frown.
Fear that she had done something to upset Anna sliced through her, leaving her feeling cold and completely off balance. Keenly aware of the fact that they were not alone, and terrified that she had finally managed to succeed in ruining their friendship, Bryn licked her lips nervously as she whispered in Anna’s ear, “Are you okay?”
“Fine.” Anna smiled, though the darkness made it impossible for Bryn to know if it reached her eyes.
“You’re sure?” Bryn knew it was stupid of her to press, but she had to. Her heart felt like it was about to beat out of her chest and she needed to know that she had not ruined everything.
Anna nodded and gave
her leg a reassuring squeeze. “I’m sure.”
Anna’s voice was warm, but it was her touch that began to burn the chill from Bryn’s chest. It was as if a thousand truths were conveyed in that gentle press of palm to thigh, and Bryn felt dizzy as relief washed through her. She had not messed up. Anna was still her friend. She let out a soft breath as she covered Anna’s hand with her own, holding it in place. “Okay.”
“Okay.” Anna bumped their foreheads together lightly and grinned. “Now, pay attention. Here comes your girl.”
Bryn nodded and looked back at the screen, so relieved that Anna was not mad at her that she did not even notice that she still held Anna’s hand on her leg.
Nineteen
“Wow. Painting. A house. Really? You must really like this girl. Remember when I bought my first place and asked you to help me paint? You told me to just hire somebody.”
Bryn rolled her eyes. She had refused to help Kendall, but it had been less about the painting and more about the fact that she had really disliked Kendall’s boyfriend at the time who was going to be there too. “I do like her. Better than you, most of the time,” she replied as she pulled to a stop at the curb in front of Anna’s house.
“You wound me, Bryn.”
Bryn had no doubt that Kendall was holding her hand over her heart for dramatic effect, and she laughed as she pulled her key from the ignition. “I’ll make it up to you by filling your trunk with more wine when you come out for the Harvest Festival in a few weeks. I should warn you that Figment is quite taken with Anna as well, you may have some legitimate competition there.”
“Psht. Unlike you and your wavering loyalties, I know Figment would never abandon me.”
“You sound so sure about that,” Bryn teased. She waved at Anna, who had just rounded the corner of the house from the detached two-car garage. Anna carried a paint can in each hand, and Bryn’s pulse jumped at the smile that lit Anna’s face when she saw her. They had seen each other nearly every day in the two weeks that had passed since everybody had gathered at Anna’s house for dinner and Winter Soldier, a night that—despite Bryn’s momentary panic—ended with Anna curled into her side, one arm wrapped loosely around her waist as she snored softly through the last half-hour of the movie.