by Mika Lane
She ran behind the wrap desk to grab her ringing phone. The screen read Luke. Her finger poised to swipe open the call, but she stopped mid-air. Taking a deep breath, she put her phone back in her purse, where it eventually stopped ringing.
The phone might have been silenced, but that didn’t mean her thoughts of Luke had. As much as she wanted to be mad, she couldn’t shake the feverish delight that passed through her every time she relived the things they’d done together.
Dammit.
The bell on the front door tinkled as Tabitha returned.
“Hey,Tab. I’m running to the ladies’,” Gaia said.
She started toward the hallway where Kiki’s shared restrooms with the adjacent shoe store. Her skin tingled in anticipation of having a few minutes alone to address that nagging itch that had bothered her since before Luke’s unanswered call.
The ladies’ room was designed for one person at a time, and while it had been in pretty good shape when Kiki’s opened, Tabitha had taken it upon herself to jazz it up, in keeping with the boudoir feel of the shop. The walls were a light pink sprinkled with dancing reflections from the small chandelier she’d hung. A furry white rug and a velvet bench alongside the sink and vanity mirror completed the look.
Gaia looked at her watch. She needed to hurry.
She hitched one leg, placing her high-heeled foot on the bench. This caused her jersey wrap dress to slither up to the crease of her thigh. Now her legs were wide open, exposing the sheer silk of her thong panty. Through the thin fabric, her shaved pussy was in easy view—and in easy reach.
Gaia pulled aside the crotch fabric and let her fingers wander over the bare, velvety skin. She let one finger drop into the space where her lips parted, and found herself nice and wet. Just as she knew she’d be.
She thought back to Luke bending over the private jet’s conference table with her jeans around her knees. She began making long strokes from her erect clit to her opening, dipping inside for more moisture. She dragged her wet fingers up and down her crevice until she vibrated with the need. Watching in the mirror, she went to work on her throbbing clit, strumming away until her breath became ragged and her body started convulsing.
The explosion came long and hard, leaving her with thoughts of the sight and scent of Luke taking command of her body. She collapsed onto the bench to catch her breath, then washed up and hurried back to the shop.
“Mr. Schneider just left,” Tabitha said.
“Oh, really? Was he here to shop?” Gaia laughed at her own joke. Grabbing some hand lotion from the wrap desk, she spread moisturizer over her forearms to mask any lingering scent of sex.
“Here. Read this.” Tabitha thrust a letter in her face. She didn’t look happy.
Gaia took a sec to read the letter, and then re-read it.
“Holy shit. You have thirty days to vacate. It’s really happening.”
Tabitha’s face started to crumble. “It is. All my hard work…” She dropped her head into her hands and began to shake.
“Oh, Tab. Don’t give up yet.” She threw her arms around her sister.
“All…all the money I have tied up in inventory…down the drain. I just can’t believe it.” She accepted a tissue from Gaia and dabbed her eyes. She took a deep inhale.“You know what?” she asked. “I’ll sell the inventory at a discount. I’ll close up and get out of here. Maybe I’ll go back to school.”
Tabitha’s resigning herself to next steps was impressive—and heartbreaking. Gaia choked up. “I wish I could do something to help.”
“Oh, Gaia, you’ve already done so much, have been so supportive. Thank you. And I know you did your best with Luke. He just can’t budge from where he is.”
“Yeah. That’s what he says, anyway.”
Dabbing her eyes, Tabitha cleared her throat. “Let’s not blame him or be angry. Maybe he really is stuck because of his business partners. I’ve never bought commercial real estate. What do I know?”
“I don’t know. It seems like he could do something to help us out if he really wanted to.” Gaia pursed her lips.
“No, Gaia, don’t blame him. I don’t. It’s just bad timing. When you rent, this can happen at any time. Commercial properties change hands. It’s the way it is.”
“I don’t know. I wish Dan were here. He’d help us figure out what to do.”
“I know, sweetie. I wish he were here, too. But, you know what? We’re going to be fine, no matter what comes our way.”
Gaia nodded, unconvinced.
“You survived losing your husband. I will survive losing my shop. Dan didn’t call us the ‘Lucky Moons’ for nothing.”
Something stabbed Gaia in the heart. She’d not heard Dan’s favorite name for her and Tab since before he’d died; she’d nearly forgotten all about it.
Lucky Moons. No reason to argue with that.
Chapter 11
The next few days passed pretty much the same as they always had, except with Tabitha trying on different ideas for the next phase of her life, and Gaia trying to keep her spirits up.
She pulled into the parking lot at work and grabbed her favorite spot under a shade tree. As she gathered her things to go inside, her phone rang. It was Luke. Again.
All right, all right.
Chagrined, she looked out her window at Devi’s Bliss, the spa she loved so much. The spa where she’d met Luke. She had a few minutes to kill. What the hell.
“Hello?” she said.
“Hi, Gaia.”
That voice just freaking killed her. Was there any hope of resisting him? Any at all?
“Hey, there.”
“How’ve you been? I’ve called a couple times.”
“I know. I’m sorry I’ve not called you back. I’ve been helping my sister with her next move.”
“That’s cool. Hey, um, would you like to get a drink?”
She was about to turn him down when the one little voice in her head, the one that had been guiding her since she’d lost Dan, piped up.
Do it. Go.
“Sure. We can do that.”
“Great. Tomorrow night?”
“That’ll work.” She exited the car and moved toward Devi’s. The extra time she’d built into her schedule was rapidly ticking away. “I’ve gotta get to work. Talk tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
She swiped her phone closed and passed through the door to her paradise, her escape, her home away from home.
Inside, she threw her things in her staffroom locker and quickly stripped to nothing but panties. Pulling on her kimono robe, she turned, as the door opened, to see Jewel join her.
“Hey! Long time, my friend,” Jewel said, as she pulled open her locker.
“No kidding. Things have been crazy.” Gaia slammed her locker shut, heading to meet her first client of the day.
Jewel called after her, “Hey, you wanna get a drink after work?”
Gaia stopped and turned around. “You know what? That’s the best thing I’ve heard in a long time. Let’s do it.”
They pulled up to Left Bank later that evening. Gaia sprinted for the door.
“Jesus. Where’s the fire?” Jewel asked, struggling to keep up.
Gaia held the door for her friend. “Sorry, girl. I’m freaking starving. I’ve had moules frites on my mind all damn day.”
“Oh, god, that sounds good.”
They bolted for the first two open seats at the bar and waved the bartender over.
“Two orders of moules frites and two glasses of bubbly,” Gaia said.
“Hey, nice to see you ladies, too.” Jake laughed.
“Sorry, babe, we’re starving,” Gaia said.
“I could tell. I’ll have the kitchen rush.”
“Thanks, Jake,” both girls said unison.
“All right. What the hell is up with your sister’s shop?” Jewel asked.
Gaia sighed deeply. “It looks like she’s gonna close it. She’s just heartbroken.”
Jewel’s mouth dropped o
pen. “Just like that? Kiki’s is gone?”
“Something like that. I’m so sad for her.” She shook her head with resignation as Jake delivered two glasses of bubbly.
“So that guy you were dating wouldn’t help?”
“He couldn’t. He’s got business partners to contend with.” Gaia sipped her champagne. “I have something to confess.”
“What? Spill.”
“I’m gonna see him again.” Her restless hands tweaked the corner of a bar napkin. What was bothering her? Was it disloyalty to Tabitha? Dan? Herself?
“Why is that a confession? What’s the big deal? It’s not like he intended to hurt Tabitha’s business. It was just a strange coincidence.”
“Yeah. Life is funny. You never know what’s coming your way.”
The bartender set two orders of steaming, garlicky mussels and fries in front of the girls.
“Yum! Thanks, Jake,” Jewel said. “God, I’m starving.”
Gaia speared her first mussel with a seafood fork and popped the briny deliciousness into her mouth. Her eyes closed as she swallowed with a small moan.“Better than sex. Well, not really. But close.”
Gaia turned to Jewel.
“It’s hard with Luke. I think of Dan every day. My beloved husband, who didn’t live to see his thirties. Sometimes, life seems so cruel. But on the positive side, the time I had with him was such a gift. He wouldn’t want me to sit at home, alone, for the rest of my life. But then I think, no one will be like him, so why even try?”
Jewel reached for Gaia’s hand. “You are absolutely right. No one will be like Dan. No one. The next guy will be different. And different is okay.”
Gaia nodded slowly. “I know you’re right. It’s weird.”
“Of course it is. But you’re strong. You’ve handled Dan’s death better than anyone could have.”
“I want to be sure to honor his memory.”
“You are honoring his memory. You’re honoring it beautifully by continuing to live.”
Chapter 12
Gaia waited inside the door of the wine bar for a moment while her eyes adjusted to the dim light. She toyed with the long red braid that hung over her caramel-colored leather jacket, when she spied Luke. The two-person banquette he’d settled into was tucked into a private little corner, out of the way of the other patrons—but hopefully not out of the way of the server. Wine was desperately needed.
Nerves, and all.
He sat with an arm slung across the back of the banquette, his head tilted as he watched her walk. His dark eyes and slight smile made her heart pound, and she purposely slowed her stride to give herself time to breathe.
As she approached the table, he popped up to kiss her on the cheek. He waited for her to settle into her side of the booth, and he returned to his seat. A single candle burned in a glass jar at the edge of the table, and a couple of wine lists were pushed to the side.
“This place is great,” she said, doing her best to sound cool and casual. “I didn’t even know it was here.”
“Yeah, isn’t it something? I’ve wanted to try it out for ages. It’s a trip. You walk down this deserted alley, there’s no sign out front except for the street number, you come down the stairs, and you find this little piece of heaven.”
A waitress approached with a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a corkscrew. She set everything on the table and got to work opening the bottle.
“I ordered us a zinfandel,” he said.
They silently watched the waitress pour just enough for a taste. Luke nodded toward Gaia, who did the honors.
“Oh. My. God. That is incredible wine,” she gushed.
The waitress smiled, filled their glasses, and disappeared.
“Thank you for ordering such a great bottle.”
He took a deep inhale, then a sip of his wine. “Wow. This is good.”He set his glass down. “I’m very happy to be sharing it with you.”
Thank goodness for the dim light because a burning heat washed over her, no doubt leaving her with a bright red face.
What is it with this guy?
She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry I came down so hard on you. I acted like an idiot.”
“I don’t blame you. I would have done the same in your position.”
She gave a resigned shrug. “What have you been up to?”
“Aside from trying to get in touch with you?” He laughed. “Actually, working. A lot. In fact…I might be moving to Boston.”
Her stomach twisted. “No kidding? Boston’s great. I think you’ll like it there—”
He reached for her hand. “I’m not leaving yet. I said might.”
“What are you going there for?” She moderated her voice to a reasonable cheeriness, to squelch the oh-my-god-I’m-gonna-lose-my-shit threatening to escape her lips.
“Well, you know I’m in the game development business. There’s a lot going on in that area, and a lot of good talent to hire.”
“Don’t they have good talent here?”
“Yeah. Of course. But we’re absorbing another, smaller company, and it’s already established there.”
“Oh. Cheers to your next adventure, then.” She held her glass to his and smiled brightly.
“Thank you. But, like I said, I’m not gone yet. And if I do go, I’ll probably be traveling from coast to coast a lot.”
A pang of relief calmed her.
Why do I give a shit?
The ping-ponging feelings made her sick to her stomach.
The waitress came by and emptied the bottle into their glasses.“Would you like another?” she asked.
Luke looked at Gaia, and then turned to the waitress. “Give us a sec, would you? We need to confer.”
“Of course.” With a smile she scooped up the empty bottle and moved on to another table.
“Would you like another? Or do you need to get going?” he asked.
“I…I’d love another glass of that zin. But I do have to get up early.”
“I completely understand,” he said, motioning for the check.
“Thank you for inviting me to this place. It’s so cozy and romantic. And I think we got the best seats in the house. They’re so private.”
“Well, then, we’ll come back sometime.”
A strange sadness nagged at her.
He held the door as they reached the top of the stairs. They entered the clear night. Close to downtown, the glittering high rises loomed over them like giants.
Gaia zipped up her leather jacket. “Well, I guess I’ll be—”
But before she could finish, Luke’s lips claimed hers with a hunger only she could outmatch. She wanted this man, every inch of him, and her pounding heart was proof.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he breathed as they devoured each other. Another couple passed them on their way into the wine bar, chuckling.
“Come with me,” Luke said, grabbing her hand.
She ran after him, laughing, her high heels clicking on the pavement. They ducked into a smaller alley between two buildings.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the moment you walked in,” he said, holding her face.
They stared at each other. And a sense of calm washed over her.
Everything’s going to be okay.
And when she accepted him, two years of pain and sadness found their place. They didn’t go away; she knew they never would. But they became part of her rather than defining her. Their suffocating weight was balanced with something new. She deserved this, this nice guy, and this happiness. She deserved to live.
“Can we go to your place?” she asked with a sly smile. It was closer than hers, after all.
He kissed her one last time and took her hand. “I know,” he said. “Let’s go to the beach.”
In Luke’s Tesla, they drove across the city, traveling due west toward the Pacific Ocean. Pulling into the lot for Baker Beach, they ditched their shoes, exited the car, and ran for the soft sand.
There were a few other people
walking in the chilly outgoing surf, and here and there lovers clandestinely merged in the shadows of the cliffs that led to the road above. Luke and Gaia headed to the private north end of the beach, the farthest away from the parking lot, where there were sure to be few or no people at night.
With the tide out, they climbed over boulders to get to a smaller patch of beach. In complete privacy, Luke lay back in the sand and pulled Gaia on top of him.
His erection poked into her tummy as his hands slid up her shirt to find her breasts. He pushed down her bra as he kissed her, pulling on her nipples until she moaned. She scooted her knees up until she straddled him, her short skirt hiked up to her hips. Undoing his belt and zipper, she freed his hard cock, and with one hand under his balls, stroked it until he shivered.
“God, baby. Your hand feels so good.”
She planted a kiss on his nose. “Well, your cock feels good. Really good.”
He released her nipples and reached for the crotch of her thong panty. With a yank, the fabric split, leaving her shaved pussy bare and exposed to his probing fingers. He put one on each of her lips and spread her open to get access to her throbbing sex.
“Damn, you’re wet.”
She let go of his cock for a second to dip a finger into her moisture. She brought it to her mouth and sucked.“Mmmm. Tastes nice.”
He followed her lead, and tasted her, too.
Returning his fingers to her pussy, he zeroed in on her clit. One thumb held her open, and the other made circles on her erect nub. She rocked against his hand and started stroking his length faster.
In between her ragged breaths, she asked, “Luke, you wouldn’t happen to have a condom, would you?”
“It just so happens that I do. I was hoping tonight might be the night…”
He produced a foil wrapper, which she grabbed. She carefully sheathed his cock and positioned herself over him. She was sure about this, really sure.
“Ready, baby?” she asked in a sultry voice.
“God, yes.” He placed his hands on her hips and lowered her a fraction of an inch onto his swollen head.