by Amy DeMeritt
“Don’t be impressed yet. It might taste like rubbish.”
Lana releases a small laugh as she shakes her head. She gives Elli a brief kiss on her lips, then grabs the plates. “I’m sure it’s going to be delicious.”
Elli tops off their wine glasses and brings them and the bottle of wine to the dining room table with Lana following. After getting flatware and napkins, they sit down across from each other at Elli’s small four person, round wooden dining room table.
With an excited grin and slightly biting her bottom lip, Lana cuts through a ravioli and the asparagus, getting both properly sauced, then envelops the entire bite with her smiling lips. As the cheese sauce hits her tongue, her eyes close and she releases an involuntary moan of delight.
“Oh, Elli, this is incredible.”
The authenticity in the reaction causes happiness to tingle through Elli’s body and tickles her stomach with a quiet laugh. Lana opens her eyes and giggles.
“Is there anything you can’t do?”
“Aye, a great deal, actually.”
Elli winks at Lana as she lifts her wine glass to take a sip. The combined humility and flirty gesture cause a spark of desire in Lana, but she resists the urge to lean across the table to kiss her.
Instead, she asks, “Like what?”
“I’m quite terrible at sports. If ever there was someone to be accused of throwing like a girl, I would be the poster child, for the phrase, so to speak.”
Lana giggles as she cuts through the lobster tail. “We have that in common. However, I did run track and field in high school. I was decent, but I didn’t break any records. What else?”
“Baking bread. I have yet to succeed in making a proper loaf of yeast bread without supervision.”
“I have never even attempted to make bread, so we probably have that in common as well.”
“Perhaps, or perhaps you have a hidden talent yet to be discovered. I believe we need to put you to the test, Ms. Scott, to see if this is indeed a commonality we share, or if perhaps you will be able to make up for my shortcomings in the baking department.”
Elli’s words, the flirty tone of her voice, the look in her eyes, and her smile are so captivating that Lana feels like the rest of the world has just fallen away completely.
“I accept the challenge.”
“Wonderful.”
“Okay, tell me another thing you’re not good at.”
Elli laughs a little. “I assure you, Sunshine, I am not perfect. There are many things I’m not an expert in or can only do adequately. Do you really want to learn all of my flaws all in one night, only on our second date?”
“So far, you haven’t shared any flaws with me.”
Lana’s genuine adoring smile of affection causes Elli’s chest to swell with heat and her stomach flutters with nerves. Their effortless attraction and complementary personalities have Elli experiencing feelings she hasn’t felt in many years – it’s both encouraging and terrifying. Lana says she wants this relationship to last – to be the one relationship that stands the test of time. And Elli wants the same thing – she wants it so badly she is giving each moment with Lana every ounce of energy to make sure of it, knowing she could be draining her heart into something that will crush her completely if it ends.
“Tell me, Sunshine, what do you view as flaws?”
“A temper, lack of attentiveness, being inconsiderate, being selfish – those sorts of things. So far, I haven’t witnessed any flaws in you, even though I have shown you some of mine.”
“I’m not perfect, Lana. I have my own…”
Lana places a hand on Elli’s, causing her to clam up. “I know and I don’t expect you to be. I also don’t plan to disappear at the first sign of a flaw either, unless of course you end up being a serial killer or something.” Both of them release small laughs before Lana continues. “What I mean is, you gave me another chance after I blasted into your shop like a bitch out of hell. We all have our moments, and we’ll learn what each other’s moments are like and how to deal with them.”
“It has been awhile since I’ve been in a relationship, so please tell me if I do something that counts as a flaw so I can have a chance to see the error of my ways and fix it.”
“I think it’s only fair to our future if we both do that.”
“Aye. So, it’s a deal. We’ll tell each other when we’re being wankers and smarting each other’s nerves.”
Elli’s British slang brings levity back into the room and causes a pleasant tickle in Lana’s belly.
Chapter Thirteen
“Coffee. For the love of God, I need coffee.”
Asia’s exhausted and impatient proclamation causes Lana to laugh. If she wasn’t flying on residual endorphins from last night’s date with Elli, she would probably look and feel the same. After a wonderful dinner and cleaning up, Lana sat with Elli on the couch and they talked for hours. It was close to midnight when she finally decided she better call it a night, and by the time she got home and into bed, she only slept for four-hours before she had to be up for work.
“Rough night?”
“Oh, fuck, you are glowing too brightly. Maybe I should go to the café alone.” Lana laughs as she nudges Asia in the arm, getting her off balance for a moment. “I’m guessing the date went well?”
“It was wonderful, but we’re not talking about it till you tell me why you’re so delightful today.”
“I made the mistake of buying a carton of dark chocolate covered espresso beans and I ate half of the container last night. I was so wired I couldn’t sleep.”
“Asia, I need to tell you something.”
The seriousness in Lana’s tone causes Asia to freeze on the spot and she suddenly becomes very alert. “Honey, what’s wrong, is everything okay?”
“No, not at all. Asia, I believe you have a problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“You are addicted to coffee.”
Asia’s head falls back with a bellowing surprised laugh. Lana laughs and loops her arm in Asia’s to tug her forward to get on the elevator.
“That was a good one. You really had me going. So, how was the date with the shoemaker?”
“Amazing, really amazing. How many relationships have I had since we’ve been friends, three?”
“Something like that.”
“I know it’s early and I shouldn’t be having this level of expectation or hope, but I honestly think this will be the last. I think I finally found the woman I want to be with for the rest of my life.”
“Damn, this is serious. Wait, did you sleep together last night?”
Lana shushes her as she playfully slaps her arm because the elevator has opened to several people waiting outside of it. They rush out between the masses and head straight for the line at the café.
“No, we didn’t.” She lowers her voice and leans in closer, saying, “We could have and I know I wouldn’t have regretted it. Oh, my god, she really knows how to kiss a woman. I swear, it was the best kiss I’ve ever had.”
“So, what you’re saying is when we go out this weekend to scope out each other’s dates, I need to weasel a kiss out of her to try to…”
Lana laughs and smacks her arm again, saying, “You better not. I will kick your ass.”
“Oh, honey, who are you kidding? You can’t kick my ass. Kiss it maybe, but not kick it.”
“Mornin’, what can I get ya?”
Asia and Lana step forward to place their orders for cappuccinos and a couple of muffins, then move down to the other end of the counter to wait for their order to be made.
“Did you make your shoes?”
“We started the process. I had to first pick a pair of shoes I want to make, then I drew and cut the pattern and picked the materials I want to use. It was such a rush. I haven’t experienced that kind of rush in a long time.”
“Shit, you’re going to leave and become a shoemaker, aren’t you?”
Lana laughs and shrugs a shoulder
. “I don’t know about that. I mean, it was a lot of fun, but it’s not like I can just walk in there and start working. Elli has been training on the job since she was a kid. I’m over thirty years behind the curve.”
“You’re taking a two-month sabbatical. That should give you plenty of time to figure out if you want to join the shoemaking family.”
“It sounds like you’re trying to marry me off to Elli and you haven’t even met her yet. That’s so unlike you.”
“I didn’t sleep and I haven’t had my coffee yet. I’ll be unreasonably possessive and self-imposing with you and your life later after I’m more awake. Did you make the date for this weekend?”
“Aye, I’m going…”
Asia bursts with laughter, and mocks, “Aye? What the hell was that?”
“I said that?” Lana laughs and blushes as she brushes her hair behind her ear. “Elli says that in place of yes.”
“And let me guess. You swoon every time she says it?”
“Oh, god, I love how she talks.”
“You’re too fucking adorable. Okay, when are we doing dinner?”
“I’m picking her up at six on Saturday. I have to call in the reservation later today.”
“Saturday it is.”
The barista calls them forward for their coffees and muffins and Asia practically pounces on the young man to get to her coffee. While they’re walking back to the elevator, Asia carefully drinks several throat-warming gulps, moaning between each one.
“Okay, I think you’re right. I have a problem.” Asia and Lana laugh, then Asia adds, “If coffee was a person, male or female, I’d have to marry them.”
“What would this fantasy coffee woman be like?”
“Are you asking me to talk dirty to you, Lana Scott? Don’t you have a girlfriend who can do that for you now?”
Lana laughs hard and playfully smacks her friend’s arm. “That coffee is working quickly. Maybe you’re right, you need some nerds to convert coffee into human form. It would probably crush your mother’s dreams of owning the gratification of finding your perfect man though.”
“Especially if those nerds turn coffee into a woman.”
“Ladies, how is training coming along?”
The unexpected sight of Beverly causes Asia to nearly choke on her coffee, wondering if Beverly overheard their conversation on their walk back to their desks. Lana, however, doesn’t have the same sense of foreboding she has been experiencing every time she sees or has to talk to Beverly for the past couple of months. The approval of her sabbatical has her feeling completely indifferent to her boss and the stern expression on her sharp slender face.
“Great. Asia won’t have any issues being able to take over my responsibilities after I’m gone.”
The way Lana says, “I’m gone”, registers as finite in both Beverly and Asia’s ears, causing both of them to give her looks of surprise and dread. Beverly, however, quickly corrects her face and nods once as she walks away, telling them, “Good, keep at it.”
“You’re not coming back, are you?” Asia’s question is quiet and sad.
Lana loops her arm through her friend’s and tugs her forward. “I honestly don’t know.”
They sit down next to each other at Lana’s desk and just look at each other for a few moments while they sip their coffees. Lana has been training Asia periodically on new tasks since Asia started with the company four years ago. This is the first time Lana has had to fully train her on everything she does with the possibility of Asia taking on all of those tasks indefinitely. The same possibility existed yesterday, but neither of them really felt the seriousness and finality of it. Today, however, they can feel it in their guts.
“Am I crazy? Tell me I’m crazy. I mean, I’m thirty-six years old. I’m not supposed to be starting over. I’m supposed to be…”
“You’re supposed to be following your heart, no matter what your age. Listen, this is good, really good. You’ve been in a weird funk for months. You need to take this break to step back and examine your life. We all have to do it sometimes.”
“Have you ever done it?”
“I have, but that’s a conversation we have over hard drinks, not coffee.”
“You want to go to Blu after work?”
“I’ll probably regret it tomorrow, but yeah, let’s do it. I can sleep next month.”
***
With her shapely hips swaying side to side in her form fitting light gray pencil skirt, Asia sashays through the bar following the hostess with Lana tailing them in her sharp form fitting black business suit. While Lana only has eyes for their destination, Asia’s eyes wander with her lips curled into a curious, slightly predatorial grin, scoping out the finely dressed men, even the ones sitting with women. Her eyes lock with a few very handsome prospects for a few moments on their way to their table, but she doesn’t stop to spark a conversation.
“Someone will be with you shortly to take your orders.”
“Thank you.”
Asia and Lana sit down across from each other at a small shiny black round table with stark white leather chairs and with a dim blue sphere above them. Blu is an upscale bar and lounge with an intimate modern atmosphere, nightly live jazz and soul music, a small plates menu, and award-winning mixologists behind the bar serving up some of the best drinks the city has to offer.
“Even with Justin on the hook for a second date this weekend, you were still eyeing up every man in here. When are you going to give a guy a fair chance?” Asia’s smile drops and she shrugs a shoulder as she takes a disinterested look around the bar. “What just happened? I rag on you all the time for being so quick to kick a guy to the curb. You look like I just slapped you in the face or something.”
“More like you brought me back into focus – back to the reason we came out tonight.”
“Good evening, lovelies. What can I get for you?”
The sweet feminine coo of the tall, fit waiter pushes pause on the seriousness of the moment so they can place their orders for a couple of drinks and a few small plate items to share. After he walks away, Asia takes one more glance around the bar before she meets Lana’s curious eyes.
“I haven’t told you this before because it’s the most painful time from my past and I just hate talking about it. I don’t even allow myself to think about it. As soon as the memories crop up, I have to immediately busy myself with something to drown them out.” Asia exhales hard and begins flicking her pastel teal blue thumb nail. “Actually, getting the job at Bit-Cube Tech was one of the best sources of distraction when I was really struggling with the fallout. That place is so fucking demanding – it was exactly what I needed.”
“Hello, ladies.” Asia and Lana look up to see a man with an eager smile and two bright green apple martinis in his hands. “I couldn’t help but notice you haven’t received your drinks yet, and I thought that was a crime I needed to solve.”
“Let me guess. You’re a cop or a paralegal?”
The man laughs a little at Asia’s assessment and nods. “I’m a paralegal with an apprenticeship while I’m working on passing the bar. I’ll be a lawyer soon enough. My name is Chris Richardson.”
He starts to lean forward to place the drinks on the table, but Asia holds up her hand and he immediately stops.
“Chris, while I appreciate the gesture, neither of us will drink that Barbie drink.”
At that moment, the waiter returns with their drinks – a dry vodka martini for Lana and an old fashioned for Asia. The waiter looks at the apple martinis in Chris’ hands and scrunches his face in disapproval.
“Oh, what a tragedy.”
Before Chris can respond, the waiter walks away with a stiff back and a switch in his hips.
“Okay, well, I guess I’ll go drown myself in these disgusting drinks. Ladies, I’m sorry to interrupt your evening.”
“If you think they’re disgusting, why did you bring them to us?”
Chris’ sense of embarrassing failure slightly dissipate
s from Asia’s question and the teasing sparkle in her beautiful soft hazel eyes.
“Ah, well, that would be because of a piece of bad advice I read on the internet. This was the top recommended drink to offer a woman when trying to engage her in public.”
“Sounds like advice of a man who doesn’t really know women very well. A drink like that might win you a cute giggle from a barely over twenty-one girl, but most women who drink on a semi-regular basis, especially in a bar like this, will not go near a drink like that. Also, a woman with any sense will not drink anything a strange man brings to her directly. If you want to properly court a woman, you ask the bartender to make and have delivered a refill of whatever she has been drinking for the evening. This, of course, requires a bit of investment into the courtship. You’ll need to obverse, without being a stalking creep, and notice when she has placed an order, then wait for her to drink about two-thirds before you have another sent to her table.”
A waiter walks by and Chris quickly turns, and asks, “Uh, excuse me, do you mind dumping these?”
“With pleasure.”
Chris releases a small laugh as he sets the martinis on the man’s tray, then turns to Asia with his hands up in defeat.
“If I had paid money for the advice, I think I’d have a case for fraud. When the bartender asked me if I was sure about the drink request, I should have known then I was doomed to fail. So, have I failed beyond repair, or do I have a shot to make it right?”
“Tonight, no, but if we see each other here again, maybe.”
“Fair enough. Well, have a good night, ladies.”
“You too.”
As soon as Chris turns his back, Asia rolls her eyes and lifts her glass to take a hearty gulp of her old fashioned.
“You’re never going to give him a chance, are you?”
“No, of course not. The assumption that all women like those disgusting green apple martinis is an instant hell-no. It’s so fucking sexist to assume women can only palate liquor if it’s sickly sweet. And even if I give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he doesn’t frequent bars often enough to notice that hardly any women actually drink those abominations, he should at least have enough common sense to not personally hand deliver a drink to a woman, especially since he is supposedly working in criminal justice. His entire approach screamed desperate horny date rapist. Hell-no, he has no chance, but I wasn’t about to tell him that and anger some beast inside him. He could be a great guy, but I’m not willing to take the risk. Besides, weren’t you just getting onto me for having wandering eyes when I should be giving Justin a fair chance?”