Blueprint for Romance

by Shannon M Harris

  “Excuse me. I’ve never been here before. How do you order?”

  He chuckled. “You’re in for a treat. Best burgers around. Make sure you know what you want, then approach the counter.” He pointed to a spot. “Then holler it out. When you have your order, you pay for it.”

  “Thank you,” Kat said.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Do you want tater tots or fries, monkey?” She jostled Griffin in her arms.

  “Tots.”

  She knew Griffin only wanted cheese and ketchup on her burger, but Kat felt in the mood to try something new. The combination of grilled onions, banana peppers, and cranberry jam sounded too good to turn down. “Let’s do this.” She held up her hand and Griffin slapped it.

  She stepped up to the counter, called out their order, and hoped she’d done it correctly. She must have, because less than fifteen minutes later a tray laden with their food was set on the counter in front of her. The woman must have known she was new and directed her to the cash register, then stated she would get their drinks when the food order was paid. This straightforward approach looked hectic but worked.

  Kat set Griffin on the floor, with a warning to stick close to her, picked up the tray, and made their way to the register. As soon as the woman behind the counter turned toward them, Kat was glad she’d set the tray on the counter, or else she would have dropped it, as her heart thudded in her chest almost painfully.

  Dark curly blond hair framed a pair of dazzling brown eyes. She’d never had a reaction to a woman like this before. Underneath the woman’s make-up, Kat could see a faint dusting of freckles that enhanced her beauty. Snap out of it.

  “What can I get you to drink?” As the woman rang up the items on their tray, Kat couldn’t get her mouth to work.

  Griffin reached up and placed her hands on the counter. “Milk.”

  The woman leaned over the counter. “Hello there, sweetie. Milk?”

  “Please.”

  “Well, aren’t you a cutie.” She retrieved Griffin’s milk. “And what can I get for you…or should your daughter order for you?” Her eyes twinkled.

  That pulled Kat out of her stupor. “Niece. She’s my niece and I’ll have—water’s fine. Water.” Kat cursed her lack of suave.

  The woman held back a snicker. “Water it is.” She left and came back a moment later. “That will be fifteen forty-eight.”

  Without a word, Kat dug in her pocket for her wallet and handed over a twenty. As the woman accepted the money, Kat noticed a rainbow bracelet on her wrist. It looked like the same one Briley wore that she received when she volunteered at Garriety’s LGBTQ summer fundraiser a few summers back. Though, not a clear indication that she was gay, it was a positive sign. “Keep the change.”

  “Thanks.”

  Quickly, Kat picked up the tray, spun around, then spotted an empty table in the corner and directed Griffin to hurry to it. After Kat set the tray on the table, she jerked around at the touch on her arm.

  “Sorry,” the woman said, and took a step back. “I thought she might need a booster seat.”

  “No problem. Really.” Kat smiled, hoping she didn’t look deranged. “Thank you.” Seeing her out from behind the counter added to Kat’s distress. The woman stood a head shorter than her and the jeans and Polo showed off the woman’s curves to perfection. Breathe, Kat, breathe.

  “You’re welcome, Kat.” She must have noticed Kat’s startled look. “Your name’s on your shirt.” She looked to the stitched name on Kat’s shirt pocket.

  Kat looked down. So it was. She would have to thank Kyle for suggesting that. Get it together. Good lord, Briley had more game than she did. “If you know my name, it’s only fair I know yours.” That she could complete a sentence made her proud. It was a start.

  The smile that blossomed on the woman’s face and the emergence of two adorable dimples was almost Kat’s undoing. “Dylan. I hope you enjoy your meal. Someone’s already started.” The twinkle in her eyes came back as she turned and walked away.

  When Kat registered what Dylan said, she turned to find Griffin standing on her tip toes eating a tater tot.

  “Sorry, monkey.” Kat removed Griffin’s backpack. “Let’s get you set up.” She felt eyes on her but chose to focus on eating and helping Griffin. After pouring Griffin’s milk into a sippy cup, she cut Griffin’s burger into smaller bits. When Griffin started eating, Kat sat and picked up her burger. With the first bite, she moaned as the flavors exploded in her mouth. Good grief. The burger was amazing. She knew it was a home run when Griffin didn’t look up from her plate.

  “Good?”

  Griffin nodded, ketchup smeared across her face. Kat snapped a picture and sent it to Briley and Leah. A moment later, she received a picture of a fancy decorated table with candles and wine. Briley knew how to step up her game when needed. After all, she had gotten Leah.

  All through their meal, she tried to keep her eyes from straying to Dylan, who she figured was around her age, but failed five times out of ten. A couple of times she caught her staring back.

  When she caught and held Dylan’s gaze, a warmth enveloped her that she’d never felt before. It was always nice to catch the attention of a beautiful woman. Besides, a couple of smiles wasn’t enough to turn her whole world upside down. Dylan was working; of course she smiled and treated all her customers in a friendly manner. That was good business sense.

  A whimper drew her back to Griffin, who, as she watched in horror, spit out onto the table what she’d eaten. With a quick glance at the table top, Kat started at the remains of a banana pepper that Griffin had swiped from Kat’s plate.

  “Monkey?” Kat jumped up from the table, drawing the attention of the people seated around her. Fear washed through her at the sheer look of panic on Griffin’s face. Fuck.

  Griffin had her tongue sticking out and wiped it off with her napkin.

  “Shoot.” Kat picked up her milk and screwed off the top. “Drink this. It’ll make you feel better.” Kat lifted Griffin into her arms, then sat down with Griffin in her lap. Tears were visible in the little one’s eyes. “Drink.” Griffin grabbed the cup, and Kat was sure she’d gotten more on herself then in her mouth. She picked up her phone, googled whether it would be harmful to her, and breathed a sigh of relief when read it wouldn’t.

  She looked up from her phone when a shadow passed above them.

  “Is she okay?” Dylan set another small glass of milk on the table. “It won’t hurt her. I’m almost positive she was more freaked out by the taste as much as the heat.”

  And the butterflies were back. “Monkey, you okay?” To both of their surprise, Griffin turned in Kat’s lap and held her arms up for Dylan to hold her. “No, monkey, she’s working.”

  “I can take five.” Dylan waited for Kat’s nod of approval before lifting a willing Griffin into her arms. “There, there.” She patted Griffin on the back. “You’re okay. Just a bit of a surprise.” Dylan scooted the booster seat over and sat across from Kat, rubbing circles on Griffin’s back, who had snuggled into her chest.

  Kat stared at her in awe. Her little wingwoman had more moves than she did. For Dylan to be so comfortable with Griffin, she’d either been around kids a lot or she had some of her own. Kat opened her mouth to say something when her phone rang. She glanced down at the screen and groaned. Of course it was Briley. It’s like she had a sixth sense for these things. That’s the last person she wanted to talk to, but knew she had to answer, or Briley and Leah would worry. “Hello.”

  “Hey, we wanted to Facetime with Griffin now, because we won’t get a chance to later.”

  Kat fumbled with her napkin and ignored the look Dylan gave her. “Oh, I don’t know. I’m sure you’ll have time later.”

  “No, we won’t. We just got engaged. If we’re interrupted tonight, it better be because something’s on fire or someone’s dying. Evan’s spending the night with a friend,” Briley said. “Is everything okay?”

  “Fine. Fine.”<
br />
  “You’re acting weird.”

  “We’re still at the café.”

  “Mommy. Mama,” Griffin said, making grabby hands for the phone.

  Kat sighed. “Okay, Bri. She ate a piece of my banana pepper and is upset. One of the workers here is comforting her. She’s okay.”

  A pause, then another voice came over the line. “That’s odd. Griff usually doesn’t like strangers,” Leah said.

  Kat ignored the comment because she knew Griff didn’t like strangers, switched to Facetime, and turned the phone around to Griffin, who grabbed it. “Mama.”

  “Hello, sweet pea. Mommy is here with me. Are you okay?”

  Griffin almost dropped the phone, but Dylan grabbed it. “It hurt.”

  “I’m sure it did, but it looks like you made a new friend,” Leah said.

  Griffin nodded.

  “I’m Dylan.”

  “Briley, Kat’s sister, and my fiancé, Leah. Nice to meet you.”

  “You as well,” Dylan said.

  “Goodnight, Griff,” Briley said. “Don’t give Aunt Kat a hard time.”

  “No.”

  “Love you, sweet pea,” Leah said.

  “Love you, Mommy.”

  Kat accepted the phone back and slipped it in her pocket, even as Griffin snuggled deeper into Dylan’s arms. Kat jumped up and gathered all their trash, never taking her eyes off the pair sitting at the table. As she walked back to the table, her phone vibrated. A text and photo from Briley. The photo showed both grinning at the camera and giving her a thumb up.

  Wow. She’s gorgeous and Griffin likes her. A win-win.

  Kat rolled her eyes and slipped the phone back in her pocket. When she made it back to the table, Griffin was asleep. “I’m sorry she dragged you away from your work but thank you.” She settled her hand on the table.

  “Not a problem. She’s a little sweetie. It’s not every day you try your first banana pepper.”

  Kat buried her head in her hands. “I’m a terrible aunt.”

  “What? No.” Dylan touched Kat’s arm and Kat lifted her face. “She’s fine. Surprised, but fine. Trying new things is a part of life. Granted, it might be a while before she tries one again, but lesson learned.”

  Dylan then laughed low, the sound like music to Kat’s ears. What was wrong with her? These types of things didn’t happen to her. Meeting a stranger and feeling an instant connection. She’d met her last girlfriend through a mutual friend, and it took weeks for her to be comfortable. There weren’t enough hours in the day for working, let alone a relationship.

  “You’re right,” was all Kat said.

  “Dylan,” someone called out. “We could use you back here.”

  Dylan smiled. “That’s my cue.” Kat jumped up and accepted Griffin back. “We loved having you two. Come back any time.” Her hand lingered on Kat’s arm.

  Kat gulped, then nodded. “We will.”

  “Good night.”

  “Night.”

  On the way home, she kept stealing glances at Griffin in the back seat, who slept soundly curled up in her car seat, Bob, her stuffed giraffe, firmly in hand. She’d made it through her first fear induced event with Griffin by herself. If that’s what it meant to be a mother, she could, maybe, handle that. Mostly it was fun times, temper tantrums, and yoga, but Kat wouldn’t trade her time with Griffin for anything.

  As she pulled her truck into the garage, her thoughts strayed to Dylan. She wasn’t so shallow to only be interested in a woman for her looks, but Dylan also showed a side of compassion and empathy for Griffin that you didn’t see every day. That was incredibly sexy.

  She stroked her hands down her face when Griffin whimpered. Shaking the thoughts of Dylan out of her mind, she got out and opened Griffin’s door. When Griffin clung to her neck, Kat drew in a deep breath. This is what mattered. Not an interaction with a woman she probably wouldn’t see again. The burgers were good, but she couldn’t see herself driving to get one that often.

  With a groan, Dylan collapsed in her driver’s seat after starting the car. She reversed out of the parking lot of the Burger Café and headed toward NightCrawlers, a bar and grill in downtown Garriety, for drinks with Haley. It turned into a long day, but she would do it again if her cousin asked. The two hundred dollars in tips plus her wage for the day didn’t hurt either.

  Forty minutes later, she was seated with a Sprite, listening to Haley fill her in on the dealings at the hotel. Her eyes scanned the large space and she did a double take when a woman in the corner caught her eye. For a split second she thought it was Kat and felt a bit disappointed it wasn’t. Their interactions earlier had thrown her off her game but having Kat’s complete attention was a nice treat.

  When she had taken her break at the restaurant, she’d googled Kat’s business. The business was new and in Garriety. She also tapped on the icon that would lead her to Kat’s Instagram page. It wasn’t at all what she expected. There were posts about her business, but most of the pictures were of her niece and her ferret. What hadn’t surprised her, but was a nice confirmation, were the photos of Kat at Pride last year. In the post underneath one of the photos, Kat had talked about her coming out experience. How lovely, Kat had answered every question under her post.

  Haley snapped fingers in front of her face, then turned to see what held Dylan’s attention. “If you want to talk to her, I won’t mind.”

  “No. She reminded me of someone.”

  “I see.” Haley sipped her cosmopolitan. “Somebody new?” Dylan recounted her meeting Kat. “Kat?” She bit her lip. “Did you get her last name?”

  “Her shirt said Anderson Tiny Homes. Do you know her?” Dylan leaned forward, more eager then she wanted to admit, to hearing what Haley had to say. Cyber stalking could only tell you so much.

  Haley grinned. “I don’t know her, but I know of her and her sister, Briley. A woman that used to work the front desk at the hotel had a crush on Kat at one point. Kat turned her down when she asked her out.”

  That wasn’t what she expected. First impression told her Kat was a player. “Didn’t you tell me that your sister said Briley was the name of the woman that Easton had a crush on?” Ashley, Haley’s sister, worked at Brew and Bake, the bakery that Easton owned.

  “Yup. She was going to ask her out, but by that time Briley started dating someone else…Leah is her name. Always this close.” She held up her thumb and forefinger close together.

  Dylan took another sip of her Sprite. “Briley and Leah are getting married.”

  Haley looked up from her drink. “Since when?”

  Dylan explained what happened with Griffin. “She introduced Leah as her fiancée.”

  Haley held her glass up. “To love.”

  Dylan rolled her eyes but held her glass up anyway. “To love.”

  “Don’t be so cynical. It’s out there. Kat’s a looker, I’ll give you that.”

  “She doesn’t strike you as a player?” Dylan sipped her drink.

  “Kat?” Haley shrugged. “Not really. She’s got that whole hot butch thing going on, but she can also rock a dress. I think she just presents herself well.”

  That wasn’t the exact impression Dylan had of her. “She seemed a bit nervous tonight.”

  “Really? How so?”

  Dylan went on to explain everything that transpired.

  “Sounds like she saw something in you that interested her.” Haley grinned over the rim of her drink.

  “Don’t be silly. We barely even talked and how would she even know I’m bi?” Dylan waved her off.

  “What’s to be silly about? You’re a beautiful woman and those dimples could bring about world peace. Don’t sell yourself so short. You have a lot to offer someone and if she noticed your bracelet, that would have at the least told her you were an ally.”

  “I suppose. I hate dating.” At least she did now. When younger, it was a lot easier. Now it was hard to tell whether someone wanted a one-night stand or happy ever after. At thi
s point in her life, she couldn’t date anyone indecisive.

  “When was the last time you went out? Been laid? What, four or five weeks?” Haley accused.

  “Something like that,” Dylan mumbled, downing the rest of her Sprite. Truth was, she hadn’t had sex with anyone for over two years. Between her jobs, and taking care of Emma, there wasn’t time and she wasn’t a one-night stand kind of woman.

  The waitress set an order of fried mushrooms in the middle of the table. Haley dipped one in the sauce. “Mmm,” she wiped her mouth, “that’s good. I was going to ask. You know the gala is in a few weeks?”

  “Of course.” It was an opportunity for the business people in Garriety to get together and raise money for charity and not an event she would ever be invited to.

  “Gayle is catering the event and could use some extra hands. I told her I’d ask you. With setup and clean up, she’s offering two hundred and fifty dollars.”

  Dylan drowned a mushroom in the sauce then plopped it in her mouth. She’d worked for Gayle, Haley’s older sister, before and there was no way she could turn down that kind of money or the leftover food Gayle allowed them to split and take home. “Just tell me when and where.”

  “Awesome. I’m going to be there too. It’ll be great. I’ll have her send you an email with all the details.”

  They finished off the mushrooms.

  “Who knows,” Haley said, “Kat might be there, and you can ask her out.” Haley wiggled her eyebrows.

  The thought scared her more than she was willing to admit. Not because she feared for Kat to see her working the event but because the thought of Kat being a guest meant there was no way she’d ask her out. They were on two different playing fields. At least money wise, and people that had plenty of money never seemed to understand the ones that didn’t. She dated one woman that told her if she worked harder and tried harder, she wouldn’t be struggling. Dylan had thrown her drink in the woman’s face and stormed off. It hadn’t been one of her finer moments.