Taylor was happy she had to go to work later in the afternoon. While the closeness she and Callie shared earlier had been nice, and it made her feel infinitely better to learn Andrea had indeed gotten her message that day before she died, she was finding it harder to keep the distance between the two of them. Her nerves felt raw, and she was having trouble remembering she had no desire to be with anyone who put their life on the line on a daily basis.
And it was pissing her off that she kept thinking about Callie. About how good Callie had felt in her arms. And especially about how badly she’d wanted to kiss her before finally pulling away from her. She pulled her phone out and scrolled to Callie’s name, smiling when she saw it. Callie had entered her number into the phone so she’d have it, and then Taylor called her so she would have hers too.
“Damn it, I’ve got to stop thinking about her,” she muttered as she stood up from her desk. She wasn’t really needed at the bar since the majority of their business was college students, and most of them had gone home for the holiday weekend, but she needed something to do in order to keep her mind busy.
Camille had everything under control, as there were only three people sitting at the bar. There were a couple others playing pool, and a handful of customers at tables. She sighed. She’d thought about giving Camille the night off, but it was hard to gauge what the night was going to be like, especially on the Friday of a holiday weekend.
A quick glance at the digital clock on the cash register told her it was only ten o’clock. She sighed and walked behind the bar. There was a woman at the end of the bar who was waving in Camille’s direction to get another drink, but Taylor decided to take the customer’s order.
“I’ve got it,” she said as she walked past her temporary head bartender. She couldn’t wait for Quinn to get back from Philadelphia. Camille was great, but Taylor had known Quinn for more than fifteen years. The easy rapport they shared was comforting, and made slow nights like this go by much quicker. She smiled at the woman as she picked up her empty glass. “What can I get you?”
“How about your phone number?” she replied with a grin Taylor was sure she thought was sexy, but to Taylor it just came off as creepy. Seriously creepy. She was attractive enough, but Taylor wasn’t interested. Especially with such a lame pickup line. And then there was the creepy factor to consider.
“What are you drinking?” Taylor hoped rephrasing the question would put an end to her being hit on.
“Come on, honey, I could show you a good time,” she said, trying on a pout, which again, Taylor found unsettling. “Just give me a chance. I promise you won’t regret it.”
“I’m not available,” Taylor said with a shake of her head. She was regretting her decision to wait on this woman though. She held the glass up one more time. “What are you drinking?”
“Rum and Coke,” she said, looking defeated. Taylor could only hope it was the end of it.
“Taylor,” Camille called from a few feet away. “I’m going in the back for more ice.”
Taylor waved her acknowledgment as she prepared the drink for her obnoxious admirer. When she set the glass in front of her, the woman grabbed her by the wrist. It was becoming obvious she’d already had too much to drink, so Taylor used her other hand to grab her wrist and twisted it while simultaneously squeezing as hard as she could.
“What the fuck?” the woman said loud enough for every person in the bar to look at them. At least it had been enough to make her let go.
“You need to leave.” Taylor picked up the drink and dumped it into the sink in front of her before the woman even had a chance to stop her. She was a little frightened by her, but she refused to let it show, and she resisted the urge to rub her wrist. “Now.”
“You hurt me,” she said, but made no move to vacate her seat. She was rubbing her wrist when a rather large gentleman walked up behind her.
“Is there a problem?” he asked Taylor.
“She twisted my arm,” the woman answered before Taylor could.
Taylor met the man’s eyes, and she almost laughed when he rolled them in response.
“If she did, then you probably deserved it. She asked you to leave. I suggest you do it. Now.” He placed his hand under her arm, near her elbow, and forced her to stand up. Taylor watched as he led her toward the front door.
“This isn’t over, you bitch!” the woman shouted just before the door closed behind them.
Taylor took a deep breath and shook her head, trying to calm herself. She smiled at the man as he walked back to the bar.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“What happened?” Camille came up beside Taylor and gently touched her arm.
“I’m fine, thank you,” Taylor said.
“My name’s Randy,” he said, extending his hand across the bar. Taylor shook it and glanced at Camille.
“Give Randy and his friends their next round on the house.”
“Thank you very much, but it isn’t necessary,” he said with a smile. He leaned across the bar. “I asked her for her name on the way out, so if she ever shows up and bothers you again, it’s Sharon. At least that’s what she told me.”
“Thank you,” Taylor said again. When he walked back to his friends, she explained to Camille what had gone on while she’d been busy getting ice.
“Jesus, Taylor, I thought there was something a little off about her when she walked in. I only served her one drink, I swear.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Taylor said, sounding calmer than she felt. “Did she try to come on to you too?”
“No, she just sort of rubbed me the wrong way. I can’t really explain it.”
“Well, she’s gone, so no harm done.”
“Do you want me to call Callie?”
“What? Why? It’s over.”
“You don’t know that,” Camille said adamantly. “She could come back. Or she might be waiting outside for you to leave.”
“We don’t need to call Callie,” she said with a shake of her head. All she needed was for Callie to think she couldn’t take care of herself.
“I think we do.” Camille crossed her arms and stared at her. “If you don’t do it, I will.”
“Seriously? Did Quinn give you pointers before she left?”
“Yep.” Camille grinned. “And I’m staying until you leave because there’s no way I’m letting you walk out of here by yourself.”
“You do realize you work for me, right?” Taylor asked, trying her best not to smile at the protectiveness Camille was showing.
“Yep, and I intend to keep working for you, which is why you should be worried about that woman coming back.”
Taylor walked away, a little upset at being told what to do, but at the same time grateful for Camille’s assurances she wouldn’t leave her alone here. She would do the same for Camille, so why should she expect anything less? She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and pressed the button to call Callie.
“Hello, Taylor,” she said when she answered. “Miss me already?”
“Your ego really is gigantic, isn’t it?” she asked as she sat down at her desk. “I hope I didn’t wake you up.”
“Nope, Blaze and I are watching a hockey game.” Callie must have heard something strange in her voice. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m sure everything is fine, but Camille bullied me into calling you.”
“Why?”
Taylor heard rustling on the other end of the line and imagined Callie sitting up on the couch and pushing Blaze to the floor.
“There was a woman here. She was drunk. I made her leave.”
“What else?”
“She was pushy. She was coming on to me.”
“Did she threaten you in any way?”
“Not really.” Taylor wondered how much of a threat she really posed, since her parting shot was made while drunk. She’d probably go home, sleep it off, and forget it all by morning, so why even mention it to Callie?
“I’m coming
down there.”
“Callie, no,” she said quickly, but she heard Callie say something to the dog as she was probably getting to her feet. “She’s gone. There’s a guy here who got rid of her, and Camille is going to stay until I close to walk me to the car. There’s no need for you to come here.”
There was a pause, and Taylor heard Callie let out what sounded like an exasperated sigh.
“Fine, but I’m going in with you tomorrow night.”
“You don’t need to come to work with me,” Taylor said. She closed her eyes, put an elbow on the desk, and rested her chin in her hand. “You’d be bored out of your mind.”
“You can let me be the judge of what I find boring, all right?”
Taylor felt a lump in her throat, and she only nodded her acquiescence, knowing Callie couldn’t see it. To be honest, Taylor was more than a little worried about the woman—Sharon—coming back. But if it was going to happen, she was sure it would be tonight. The fact Callie wanted to protect her made her feel good, yet a tad uncomfortable at the same time. She didn’t want anyone to think they needed to watch over her.
“Taylor?” Callie’s voice was soft, and it sent a shiver through Taylor. She opened her eyes and did her best to compose herself.
“Yes, okay,” she said, almost as quietly as Callie spoke. “I’m probably going to close early tonight because it’s not busy. I’d be paying more for Camille to be here and the electricity than I’d be bringing in.”
“Call me when you’re leaving so if you aren’t home ten minutes later, I’ll know something happened and I’ll call the police.”
“Callie—”
“Please don’t fight about it. Just humor me,” Callie said.
“Okay,” Taylor said, knowing it was pointless to argue. Especially if Callie was as much like Quinn as she claimed. “I’ll call you.”
“Thank you. And thank Camille for me.”
They hung up, and Taylor felt her eyes well up with tears. The concern and care Callie showed reminded her so much of Andrea. She really didn’t know what to do with the feelings she was starting to experience for the first time since Andrea died.
Chapter Eleven
Callie kept looking at her phone, knowing she hadn’t missed a call, but wishing she’d thought to ask Taylor what time she might be closing for the night. It was almost midnight now, and she was starting to get a little antsy. It was clear Blaze could feel her anxiety because he hadn’t slept since she’d hung up with Taylor almost an hour and a half earlier. He just sat there with his chin on her leg watching her intently and jumping at every sound he heard outside.
She should have just called a cab and gone to the bar as soon as Taylor told her what happened. She’d seen it too many times in her job. Harassment the victim was sure was no big deal, and the next thing they knew they had a stalker. Her pulse spiked at the thought of it happening to Taylor.
The phone in her hand vibrated before it actually rang, and she answered the call immediately.
“Taylor,” she said in a strangled voice, feeling her heart pounding wildly. The adrenaline at the thought of anything happening to her was threatening to overwhelm her.
“I woke you up,” Taylor said. “I knew I shouldn’t have called you.”
“I was awake,” she answered, not daring to admit the fear she’d been feeling. “Just hanging out with my buddy, Blaze.”
“Well, we’re on our way out the door now. I should be there in a few.”
“We’ll be here waiting.” Callie tried to sound calm, but wasn’t sure she was pulling it off.
Ten minutes came and went, and Callie started to worry. Blaze whined as she reached for her phone again. Just before she finished entering the number for the Brockport Police, Blaze ran to the door, his tail wagging crazily, and he barked once before looking back at her. When Callie heard the key in the door, she set her phone back down and was finally able to relax for the first time since Taylor originally called her about the incident.
“Hello, my baby boy,” Taylor said to Blaze when she finally managed to get past him and inside the house. She smiled at Callie and waved. “I’m home, safe and sound.”
“I can see that,” Callie answered, her voice a bit unsteady. Taylor straightened up and looked at her, her head tilted to one side.
“You were really worried about me, weren’t you?” she asked.
“Just a little,” she lied. She forced a smile. “Okay, maybe a bit more than that.”
Taylor just watched her for a moment, a strange look on her face. She finally took her coat off and hung it in the closet before going into the kitchen. Callie took a deep breath and tried in vain to calm her racing pulse. The thought of anything happening to Taylor scared her more than she thought it would. More than it should. Definitely more than she’d expected. After a few minutes, when Taylor didn’t return, she got up and went to find her.
Callie hesitated when she saw her standing at the sink, her hands on the edge of the counter, and her head hung down. When she saw Taylor’s shoulders hitch, she went and stood beside her. She wanted nothing more than to put her arm around her, to comfort her, but she was pretty sure that type of contact wouldn’t be welcomed.
“Are you okay?” Callie asked softly, ducking her head in an attempt to meet Taylor’s eyes. “Did she come back?”
“Yes, and no,” Taylor answered. She lifted her head but was careful to look the other way. “Yes, I’m fine, and no, she didn’t come back. It all just kind of caught up with me when I saw how worried you were.”
“I’m sorry if I upset you.”
“You didn’t,” Taylor assured her. Her hand twitched with the desire to reach out and touch Callie’s face. The look in Callie’s eyes told her it would be okay, but there was something stopping her. She shoved her hands in her pockets and leaned against the counter. “It just reminded me so much of Andrea.”
“I hope that’s a compliment.” Callie smiled. “People never give me enough compliments. It’s frustrating, really.”
“I see what you’re doing here.” Taylor laughed, and she felt herself relax. She was surprised to realize it was the first time since Randy had escorted Sharon out of the bar.
“Am I that transparent?”
“Just a wee bit,” she said.
“I’ll have to work on it then.”
They both stood there, watching each other and not moving. Taylor felt a change in the air between them, and she wondered if Callie felt it too. The longer they stood there, the stronger the desire became to touch her. When she was certain she couldn’t hold back any longer, Callie broke their eye contact, and the moment was gone.
“I think I need to get some sleep,” she said.
“Okay,” Taylor answered, feeling a little lost with the connection gone. “Just let me get some sweatpants from my room, and you can sleep in there.”
“Are you sure? I’ve managed all right on the couch the past two nights.”
“I’m sure. I’ll just be a minute.”
Taylor hurried to her room and went straight into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. What the hell was going on? Touching Callie, kissing her, was all she could think about. But it was so wrong. They hardly knew each other. Why in God’s name did Callie have to be the first person she felt an attraction to since Andrea? She was convinced the universe was playing a colossal joke on her.
* * *
A noise from the kitchen woke Taylor up from a sound sleep. Her first thought was Sharon had somehow found her and broken into the house. She got up, wishing Blaze had stayed in the living room with her instead of following Callie to the bedroom. She made her way slowly toward the kitchen, trying her best to not make any noise. She noticed her hands were shaking just as she reached the door, and she heard Blaze’s nails on the floor.
“Good boy,” she heard Callie say quietly. “Let’s go back to bed before we wake your mom up.”
“Too late,” Taylor said, causing Callie to jump.
; “Jesus Christ, you scared the hell out of me.”
“I could say the same.” Taylor walked to the fridge and got a bottle of water. She held one out to Callie before grabbing a second one for herself.
“Blaze decided he needed to go out, and he was very adamant about it. I tried really hard to be quiet, but you were snoring so loud, I didn’t think you’d hear us.” Callie leaned against the counter, and Taylor followed suit, the fact they were in this exact position earlier not escaping her notice. “Sorry we woke you up.”
“I don’t snore,” Taylor said defiantly.
“I beg to differ,” Callie said with a smile. “I think you could rival Blaze in that department.”
She said nothing in response because the pull she’d felt earlier was there again, and Taylor was tired of fighting it. The moonlight coming through the window was enough to see by, and the way the light illuminated Callie’s eyes was mesmerizing.
“I don’t snore,” Taylor said again, her voice little more than a whisper. She needed a distraction, so she looked at Callie’s arm, still in its sling. “How’s your shoulder?”
“It hurts, but not anywhere near as bad as it did. I’m healing.”
“Good.” Taylor took a drink of her water before setting the bottle on the counter next to her. Before she could think twice about what she was doing, she took a step toward Callie. The kitchen was small, so this succeeded in putting her only a couple of feet away.
“Taylor,” Callie said, her eyes shifting to Taylor’s lips for just a fraction of a second. Taylor could see her breathing was almost as quick as her own, which only emboldened her.
She reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Callie’s ear. Callie’s eyes closed momentarily, and Taylor eliminated the remaining distance between them. When Callie looked at her again, she shook her head slowly.
“What are you doing?” Callie asked.
“I don’t know,” Taylor admitted. All rational thought was gone, and the only thing she wanted now was her lips on Callie’s. And Callie’s hands on her. Everywhere.
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