They passed the brief time with small talk—Helen chatted about their planned honeymoon with a gay and lesbian cruise line, while Neve let the conversation give her ideas. Terri and Corky had nagged her about taking a vacation from Sugar Rush. In all the years she’d run the place, she’d never taken time off, beyond the major holidays when she closed. A week away on a cruise to a tropical locale appealed to her, though the idea of going alone did not.
She trusted Terri and Corky to hold down the fort, so why not consider a trip now? She’d definitely earned it, and perhaps Judy could take time off for a four-day weekend sail.
Wow. One evening of hot sex with a gorgeous pixie of a girl, and she wanted the romantic getaway already? Surely if she brought it up, Judy might freak out and want to put a little distance between them. Neve had heard the jokes about how quickly some lesbians moved in relationships—the second date being the trip to rent the U-Haul—but Neve was willing to have her fun for now. Who said she couldn’t ask for companionship on a cruise?
She shook her head and murmured an affirmative as Helen talked, feeling guilty for having drifted away. One thing at a time, she reminded herself. She’d spend more days with Judy and play it by ear, though a weekend of sex on land or sea sounded great to her.
“Anyway, I’m glad to hear you still have good business coming in, what with some of the negative attention.” Helen signed the receipt Neve gave her and folded the carbon copy into her purse.
“To be honest, I haven’t looked at Facebook today, so I don’t know what people are saying. We’re supplying food for a birthday party coming up, and the person who hired us knew of you and Maggie. Judy Goldsmith?” Neve tried the name, and Helen brightened with recognition.
“Yes, I know Judy. Lovely girl. She works at the hobby store on Main—I’m in there all the time,” Helen said, and Neve sat down next to her with a coffee. The temptation to pump Helen for information on Judy called silently, but she didn’t want to turn the conversation completely in that direction. Helen might ask questions, and Neve honestly didn’t know what she’d say. Were she and Judy a couple, dating? No sense in presenting an opportunity for a rumor.
Besides, Helen’s smile seemed to relay what she needed to know about Judy at present. She was worth getting better acquainted with.
“Judy’s having the party for her friend at Little Dude’s,” Neve explained. “Girl who works at the coffee shop downtown.”
Now Helen looked confused. “That’s a lesbian bar, isn’t it? Maggie and I are pretty much homebodies, and I never hung out at the clubs.”
Neve shrugged. “Same here. I’m going there tonight, so that should be interesting.” Work prevented her from getting too social in the gay and lesbian community—hell, pretty much anywhere. Though she’d lived in the town much of her life, Neve couldn’t drive to the local LGBT spots if asked. “Her friend Rachael is apparently very popular, enough that they need the space for the party.”
Helen looked up from her coffee mug. “Rachael from the coffee shop. Oh, you must mean Rachael Morris over at Buzzhouse.”
“Hair like a paranormal Barbie doll, glitter on her brows?”
Helen laughed, nodding. “I do know her, or rather of her. That would make her a Libra then. Maggie does astrology charts as a hobby, so I know all about it. Libras are very friendly, love excitement.”
Neve said nothing. She didn’t follow the zodiac and wouldn’t know when Mercury went into retrograde, much less how to pair which sign with which month. She also had no reason to doubt Helen, and considering what Judy told had her about Rachael, the description seemed accurate.
“If I recall, Rachael and Judy were an item once,” Helen said. “Wonder if they still are?”
“Really?” Neve’s heart unexpectedly sank.
“Oh, look at the time. I need to meet with the photographer.” Helen stood to leave and Neve snapped out of her reverie. “Friend of a friend looking to build a portfolio,” the old woman explained.
“That’s good. One less thing to worry about, I hope.” Neve wanted to sound more excited for Helen and her partner, but this recent news rankled her. Had Judy lied to her about her history with Rachael? Or perhaps Helen was mistaken? Neve hoped for the latter. She and Judy had made love last night, and Neve refused to get involved with another liar.
She saw Helen off with as cheerful a goodbye as she could give. Once she shut everything off and cleaned the bakery to her satisfaction, she locked up. All the while, thoughts of Judy occupied her mind. If Judy and Rachael had been an item, why hide that fact from her? Neve considered the possibility that Judy might think she’d get uncomfortable dating a woman whose best friend was an old flame. To be honest, Neve didn’t have a problem with it. But had Judy told a white lie to spare her feelings?
Or was their relationship perhaps ongoing?
The only way to get to the bottom of this would be to ask Judy directly. In an hour or so, she’d have her answer, and no amount of seductive kissing and caressing from Judy would keep Neve from learning the truth. If she and Judy intended to have a relationship, they couldn’t have falsehoods hanging over them.
Lord, give me strength, she prayed, taking the wheel and driving into traffic with thoughts of Judy’s sexy body clouding her mind.
* * * * *
It disappointed Judy to not see Neve’s car when she pulled into the gravel lot behind Little Dude’s. She had arrived earlier than the appointed meeting time, but couldn’t wait to see the gorgeous baker again. Her work shift had dragged like a snail with nowhere particular to go, and all Judy wanted now was a cold drink in one hand and a hot woman in the other.
Thankfully she didn’t have to wait for the former. Judy found two empty barstools and marked one for Neve with her purse. Minutes later, after the first sip of a fruity martini, a finger tapped her shoulder.
She tried to mask her crestfallen expression upon seeing Rachael and her Fonzie clone joined at the hip.
“Well, hello to you too.” Rachael wrinkled her nose at her and snuggled closer to her boi. “You remember Chaz, right?”
Judy shook a work-roughened hand and nodded. “I’ve seen you around,” she said, thinking better than to mention Rachael’s live-sex feed from earlier in the week.
Chaz’s voice came out softer and more feminine than expected, yet Judy detected an edge to it. “We’re going to order a pizza for the back room. You want in?”
Little Dude’s offered a limited menu of cold appetizers so patrons could balance their booze. They allowed the pizza parlor next door to deliver. It was a nice arrangement that seemed to benefit both businesses, since people tended to stay longer at the bar after eating. “I’m waiting on a date, but sure. Let me know how much I owe you,” Judy said.
“I’ll look for you when it arrives. If you’ll excuse me first, however, I need to freshen up.” Rachael planted a wet, lengthy kiss on Chaz before tearing away for the ladies’ room. Chaz smiled appreciatively after her, watching Rachael’s firm ass move in her tight jeans.
Please don’t say anything, Judy silently begged. She loved Rachael like a sister, and the idea of possibly discussing her sexual attributes with Rachael’s partners never made her comfortable. She preferred to close her eyes for a moment and conjure the memory of Neve’s perfect, heart-shaped posterior. Judy regretted not spending much time the other night worshiping those smooth globes and the puckered hole within, but perhaps tonight she’d rectify her neglect.
“Aw, shit,” Chaz muttered, looking away. Judy followed her stare, and her heart skipped upon seeing Neve enter the bar. Damn, but she cleaned up well after a day of rolling in the flour. She wore a long-sleeved cream blouse with black jeans that showed off her shape very well. Dark boots completed the ensemble, and didn’t look comfortable enough for dancing. Fine by Judy—they could spend the evening tucked in a corner booth, munching pizza and making out.
Pleasant as that sounded, though, the way Chaz reacted to Neve’s entrance bothered her. Why did Rac
hael’s latest fling sound so annoyed at seeing Neve?
Before Judy could move to greet her date, Chaz leaned closer. “I just spotted my ex,” she grumbled. “I should know better than to come here on a weekend. You can’t avoid running into a lesbian you don’t like at the only dyke bar in town.”
“Yeah, those are some great odds.” Judy felt queasy. When were Chaz and Neve an item? She took a deep breath and fought to mask her ill feelings. Neve’s past wasn’t supposed to concern her, and if Rachael had a problem with this history they’d find a way to work it out.
Yeah, right. Rachael, the equal-opportunity lesbian? She’d stage a sexual intervention.
To Judy’s surprise, Chaz didn’t turn away when Neve came to the bar. She kissed Judy’s cheek. “What’s the word, bird? Have you been waiting long?” she asked. “I had to shower off several dozen cupcakes. Now I’m ready for a drink.”
So far, so good. Judy smiled and steered Neve to the empty stool. “We can help you there. What are you drinking?”
Neve settled on the same fruity martini, with Judy promising to sip slowly so she could catch up. When Chaz moved around her to speak to Neve, Judy held the stem of her glass so tightly she thought it might snap in half.
It surprised her, then, when Chaz held out a hand and said, “Seeing as how Judy is too smitten by you to speak, I’ll introduce myself. I’m Chaz.”
“Neve. Nice to meet you.” Neve shook her hand and Judy relaxed. One potential awkward situation dodged. Obviously Chaz had fixated on somebody else in the bar.
“You look familiar,” Chaz was saying, “but I don’t remember seeing you in here before.”
“Hey, watch it,” Judy warned in a playful tone.
Neve laughed, clearly flattered by the attention. “I own Sugar Rush, the bakery on Vine Street and—”
Her voice failed suddenly and her expression fell into shock. Whatever happened, it affected Chaz too. Rachael’s boi let out a muttered curse as a fourth woman approached their party.
Judy recognized her as the same person who was with Neve outside the bakery last night.
Well, crap. Of all the lesbian bars in all the world…
Neve held her breath for a long moment before slowly releasing it through her teeth. Why wouldn’t Gianna show up here on a weekend? Where else could one indulge in a rebound and find a willing partner for sexual pleasure? Gianna joined them, looking shy and contrite in a blue halter-top dress that was out of place for the season. She wore her dark hair over her shoulders, and bright-red lipstick gave her the appearance of a 1940s movie star stepped off the screen into a very different Land of Oz.
“Chaz, hello,” she began, then her gaze slid toward Neve. “Neve. I didn’t know you knew each other.”
“We only just met,” Neve said, sipping her drink. The look Gianna and Chaz exchanged spoke plenty. Gianna’s ears burned brighter than her lips, and Neve would guess she wanted to head off any possible note comparisons. Clearly Judy’s friend could count Gianna as a former lover as well, news Neve found interesting.
“Yes. If you’ll excuse me, I see my date over there. We’re expecting a pizza for the back room.” Chaz gave a curt nod and backed out of the tight circle. Neve watched her amble toward Rachael, who gazed at them with confusion, and steer her toward the back.
This left Gianna and Judy staring placidly, sizing each other up with silent irritation. Neve felt the tension radiating from them, bringing the room temperature up a few degrees. Might as well make introductions, she figured, before the claws came out. “This is Judy, Gianna,” she said, “my date for the evening.”
No words exchanged, only mutual assessment with tilted heads and raised eyebrows. In a minute they’d begin circling like caged zoo animals if Neve left them alone. She tugged on Judy’s arm. “I think we should join the rest of our party now. Nice seeing you again, Gianna,” she added, and nudged Judy to walk.
“Buh-bye,” Judy chimed with a note of triumph and a wicked grin. Neve didn’t bother turning back to check on the likely death glare following them to where Chaz and Rachael had gone.
“I’m sorry for that,” Neve said as they took two chairs facing the circular half-booth in the back room. “I just realized I didn’t explain Gianna the other night when you showed up at the bakery. She’s my ex.”
Chaz stopped nuzzling Rachael’s neck for a moment to gape at them. “Yours too? I know the dating pool isn’t the largest in this town, but damn.”
“Really?” What more could she say? She’d thought as much. Neve’s heart pounded in her ears; the noise masked the music behind them. She didn’t know Chaz and Rachael well, but they seemed rather happy together now. Still, Neve wondered if Chaz had been the one—the other one—in her relationship with Gianna. Suddenly the idea of Judy keeping a relationship with Rachael secret from her hurt less. “I hope this hasn’t made either of you uncomfortable,” Neve said. “Gianna and I are history, really. I’m over it.”
Judy squeezed her hand and that made her feel better.
“Eh, I’m fine. I never saw Gianna here, so I never expected her to show up.” Chaz shook her head. “Going out with her was a big mistake. Thankfully a brief one. Some days I can’t decide if I should be mad at Gianna or Terri.”
An alarm sounded in Neve’s head. “Terri?” she asked. “Not Terri Pickford?”
“Yeah, that’s her. She’s on my bowling team,” Chaz said. “She was the one who fixed us up, thought we might hit it off.” The boi laughed bitterly and hugged Rachael closer to her side. “She meant well, but as you can see, I turned out okay.”
Judy’s hand stiffened on Neve’s knee now, almost as a sign for her not to pursue this line of conversation. And Neve knew she should let it go, but Terri’s involvement surprised her. She had to know if there was a connection…
“When did this happen?” she asked, already regretting the question. When Chaz told her, the words stabbed Neve right in the heart.
She gripped her purse. She couldn’t feel Judy’s touch anymore.
“I’m very sorry. I just realized I have to take care of something important.” Neve scooted her chair back and rose to leave.
“What? You just got here,” Judy protested. “Do you have to leave?”
Neve looked into the younger woman’s eyes and her heart panged deeper to see the hurt. She’d intended to discuss her conversation with Helen, but that possible deception paled in comparison to what she’d just learned. Even if Judy and Rachael had been an item once, Neve could take some comfort in the likelihood that it ended long before she’d met Judy.
What Terri did, if Neve could confirm it, was unforgiveable.
“I’ll see you tomorrow for the party,” she added before rushing away.
“Neve?” Gianna called after her as she brushed through a crowd of women at the front of the club, but Neve ignored her at first. She stood at the door for a moment, contemplating her next move and how Gianna might interpret it.
Fuck it, she thought. She had to know.
“Gianna,” she turned back but kept her ex at arm’s length, “Chaz told me that Terri introduced the two of you when we were dating. Is that true?”
Gianna looked away, as though embarrassed to admit it.
“You don’t have to answer, I can read it on your face,” Neve said, shaking her head.
“It’s all Terri’s fault, you know!” Gianna’s eyes glassed over. “If she hadn’t interfered, we’d still be together.”
Oh really? Gianna could have walked away from Chaz, could have told Terri to butt out. But she took the bait and broke Neve’s heart. Angry as she was with Terri right now, Neve refused to give Gianna hope that they could pick up where they’d left off. Gianna had two years to say something, but hadn’t. Neve chose to move forward.
“If believing that gets you through the day, more power to you,” Neve said. “See you later, alligator.”
Chapter Seven
Despite the many years Neve and Terri had worked together, th
ey socialized only occasionally—usually birthdays and holidays, and even then with mutual friends and acquaintances. When Neve dated Gianna, she had dismissed Terri’s concern as that of an employee and friend looking out for her. That was why she couldn’t understand why Terri would willfully set up Gianna with a potential suitor, while she was already with Neve.
Neve pondered this as she stood outside the door to Terri’s condo. She knocked twice and waited—her employee was home, she could hear the television on the other side of the door. A cooking competition, if she understood the dialogue.
“Neve, what’s wrong?” Terri asked the second she opened the door. She looked in for the night, with her hair bound in a ponytail and a pink terrycloth robe covering a t-shirt and sweatpants. “You’ve got a wild-eyed look…oh God, it’s that girl.” Her expression soured. “She fucked you over.”
“Well, somebody did. May I come in?”
Terri moved aside. Neve took in her employee’s immaculate den and the glass of wine on the coffee table next to a small plate of cheese and fruit. Terri lived no differently than she did, it seemed. Were it not for Judy, Neve imagined she’d have spent tonight alone with comfort food and television instead of having fun at Little Dude’s. Of course, she wasn’t there now.
She refused a seat when Terri offered. “Terri, I’m afraid this isn’t a social call. This evening I learned that you intentionally fixed Gianna up with somebody from your bowling team while she and I were together. I’ve heard from the two of them, now I want your side of the story.”
Neve instantly saw the shock and evidence of betrayal on the other woman’s face. The temperature seemed to cool, and a thick silence enhanced the tension between them.
“How could you?” Neve whispered, her voice cracking.
Terri reached for the remote and shut off the television. “Neve, it was for your own good,” she began.
“Let me rephrase that—how dare you?” Her voice found new strength. “My personal life is none of your concern, never was. What in the hell were you thinking, messing with me that way?” Neve’s body trembled with her anger, and she struggled to call up a memory she could associate with Terri’s behavior. Why would she, a trusted employee who’d been with Sugar Rush since before the doors opened for business, set Gianna’s infidelity in motion?
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