It was Callie who moved first, snaking her good arm around Taylor’s waist and pulling her body against hers before gently pressing her lips to Taylor’s. Taylor heard herself moan as she parted her lips to invite Callie in.
Callie deepened the kiss, obviously following Taylor’s lead. The sensation of Callie’s tongue sliding along hers was causing amazing things to happen, mostly between her legs. She put her arms around Callie’s neck and tried to get even closer to her, but the kiss ended abruptly. Callie let out a hiss and pressed her forehead against Taylor’s.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” Taylor said when she realized she’d hurt Callie’s shoulder.
“It’s okay.” Callie took a deep breath and leaned back slightly. When Taylor moved to pull away from her, the arm around her waist held her there. “Really, it’s okay.”
“No,” Taylor said, shaking her head as she finally did back away from her. “None of this is okay. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
The hurt in Callie’s eyes was evident, even in the small amount of light coming through the window. She hadn’t wanted to hurt her, and honestly, she was ashamed of herself for initiating the kiss. She took another drink of her water before putting it back in the fridge.
“I’m sorry, Callie,” she said again.
“Maybe we should talk about it?” Callie suggested before Taylor could leave the room.
Taylor didn’t respond. She went straight to the couch and pulled the blanket over her head, facing the back of the couch. The embarrassment she felt at running away from it wasn’t enough to dispel the realization that Callie kissing her had felt so right.
Chapter Twelve
They managed to get through the next day without any awkward moments, and Callie was beginning to wonder if maybe she’d dreamt the kiss from the night before. When it came time for Taylor to leave for the bar, Callie slipped her shoes on and grabbed her jacket.
“Where are you going?” Taylor asked.
“I told you last night I was going to work with you.”
“I didn’t think you were serious.”
“I don’t always joke around,” Callie said. She held the door open for her and they exchanged a look Callie couldn’t quite identify, but she knew then without a doubt their kiss had really happened.
“Good to know, I guess,” Taylor said, almost low enough for Callie to miss the comment.
They were silent for most of the ride to the bar, but right before Taylor turned into the lot on the side of the building, Callie decided to get a little more information on what had happened the night before.
“You said she got pushy. In what way?”
“She was coming on to me,” Taylor said again as she pulled into a parking space and turned off the ignition before twisting in her seat to face Callie. “I told her I wasn’t available, but it obviously didn’t matter to her. At one point she grabbed my arm, and I twisted her wrist, which was when I told her to leave and then Randy showed her the way out.”
“Randy?”
“Just a customer. I don’t remember ever seeing him before, but he was very helpful.”
Maybe it was just the cop instinct in her, but Callie wasn’t sure she trusted this Randy character. For now she’d believe he had Taylor’s best interest in mind, but she’d definitely keep an eye on him if he were to show up before the night was done.
“Okay, good,” Callie said with a nod. “If she thinks you have a girlfriend—or boyfriend—we can use that. If she does come in tonight, I’m the reason you aren’t available.”
“No,” Taylor said, putting the keys in her coat pocket and reaching for the door handle. “I won’t do that.”
Callie placed a hand gently on her forearm to stop her. It worked, but Taylor didn’t turn to look at her.
“It’s just for tonight, and only if she shows up.” Callie let go of her and put her hand in her jacket pocket. “If pretending for one evening you’re in love with me gets her to back off, isn’t it worth it?”
Taylor said nothing, but after a few moments she finally nodded once and then got out of the car. Callie followed her into the bar, where Camille was getting things set up for when they opened in half an hour.
“Hey, Callie,” she said with a wave. She pointed at her shoulder. “How does it feel?”
“Like I was shot,” Callie answered with a grin. Taylor rolled her eyes and offered to take her jacket into the office. She gave it to her and then settled in at the bar.
“I knew I could count on you to say it.” Camille laughed. When Taylor disappeared into her office, she set a cup of coffee in front of Callie and leaned on the bar. “I’m glad you’re here tonight.”
“I’m glad you made her call me last night. Thank you.”
“I figured somebody needed to know what was happening in case it didn’t end with Taylor throwing the woman out.” Camille reached under the bar and pulled out an envelope she then placed on the bar and pushed toward Callie. “Which it obviously didn’t.”
“Where was this?” Callie resisted picking it up and looking at it more closely. There was only one word written on the envelope.
Taylor.
“It was taped onto the front door when I got here. Do you think I should give it to her?”
“You don’t know for sure it’s from her,” Callie said, even though she knew they were both on the same wavelength in regards to who it came from. “How does she know her name?”
Camille winced slightly and looked away from her. “I think it was my fault. I called her name to get her attention so I could let her know I was going in the back for some ice. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. You didn’t know it was going to turn into anything. It still might not.” Callie shrugged with her good arm and took a sip of her coffee. She wished she was sure of what she was saying, but her gut told her this wasn’t a simple apology.
“Right,” Camille said with a snort. She turned to make sure she had enough liquor for opening on a Saturday night. “So, will you give it to her?”
“Sure.” Callie finally picked it up, and when she was about to get off her bar stool and take it to Taylor in the office, Taylor walked out with the cash for the register to start the night with.
“It’s still a holiday weekend, so I’m not expecting an overly busy night,” she told Camille, her back to Callie.
“I hate the slow nights,” Camille replied. “Time seems to drag.”
“Taylor?” Callie said. When she turned to face Callie, Callie looked down before holding the envelope out to her.
“What’s this?” Taylor took it, and if Callie hadn’t been so worried about what was in the envelope, she’d think the look of curiosity on Taylor’s face was cute.
“It was on the door when I got here,” Camille said.
Taylor folded it in half and stuffed it into the back pocket of the jeans she was wearing. Without a word, she turned and straightened the glasses on the back of the bar.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” Callie asked, not even trying to hide her irritation.
“Not right now.”
Callie let out a frustrated breath and took another sip of her coffee. This was infuriating. The contents of the envelope would no doubt tell them whether or not there was anything to worry about if it was indeed from Sharon. After a moment, Callie stood, went behind the bar, and took Taylor by the arm.
“What are you doing?” she asked as Callie led her toward the office.
“You’re going to open it, and you’re going to do it now.” Callie knew her tone left no room for argument, and thankfully, Taylor seemed to realize it. She didn’t say another word until they were in the office, door closed.
“I don’t like being told what to do, especially in front of an employee.” Taylor stood facing her, arms crossed over her chest.
“You can chastise me later, okay?” Callie never wished more than she did right then for the use of her right arm. She would have grabbed the envelope out of Taylor’s back pocket and opened it hers
elf. “Please, just open it.”
Taylor stared at her for a minute before walking to the other side of her desk and sitting down. Callie stood watching her, one foot absently tapping the ground as she waited. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment.
“I don’t think I can,” she said. She was afraid of what it might contain. Obviously, Callie thought it was from Sharon, and Taylor had no reason to think it had been anyone else. What if it was a threat of some sort? She supposed there was no better time to open it than when there was a cop in the room with her.
She picked up a pen and slid it under the flap then slowly pulled it up so it ripped open across the top. There was a single sheet of paper inside, and when Taylor unfolded it, two tickets fell out. She glanced up at Callie, who looked to be as perplexed as she was. She saw they were tickets to the Rochester Americans. She looked at the paper they’d been folded inside of and found a note.
Taylor,
One of the guys I was with last night plays for the Amerks, and he wanted me to give you these as a thank you for the free round of drinks.
Randy
She handed it to Callie so she could read it. She laughed at Callie’s confusion, and until then hadn’t realized how relieved she was at finding out it wasn’t from Sharon. She looked at the tickets, noting they were for the weekend before Christmas. The Americans, or, as they were more commonly referred to, the Amerks, were the local minor league hockey team of the Buffalo Sabres.
“This is the guy who helped you last night?” Callie asked.
“Yes.” She stood and headed for the door. “He and his friends obviously noticed the pennant I have hanging behind the bar and assumed I was a fan.”
“You aren’t?” Callie seemed surprised. “Andrea liked to tell me how you guys always went to the games. She and I always went to the games together, so it kind of pissed me off a bit when she stopped going with me.”
“We did always go,” Taylor said with a nod. “But I haven’t been since she died.”
“Well then, we should go.”
“We should?” Taylor couldn’t stop the smile she felt tugging at the corner of her lips.
“I mean, you know, unless there’s someone else you had in mind to take.” Callie looked genuinely nervous now, and Taylor thought it was adorable.
Shit, where did that thought come from? She shook her head to dispel the notion, but Callie was still looking at her, apparently waiting for an answer.
“Maybe,” Taylor said with a shrug. “It’s a Saturday night, so I’m not sure I can be away from the bar, but I’ll think about it.”
Of course she was going to go, and there wasn’t anyone she’d rather go with than Callie, but she wasn’t about to tell her as much right now. Maybe it would be good to make Callie wonder about it for a while.
* * *
Taylor was considering letting Camille go home around eleven, but then she saw Sharon walk through the door. She glanced over at the spot at the end of the bar where Callie had been all night, but she wasn’t there. Her panic must have been evident because Camille walked past her on her way to the cash register and bumped her shoulder.
“She went to the bathroom,” she said with a grin Taylor thought looked more like a smirk. “Can’t say I blame her after all the coffee she’s put away tonight.”
“She’s here,” Taylor said, following her to the register without looking over her shoulder at Sharon. “I’m going to the office for a minute.”
She didn’t wait for a response, but hurriedly made her way down the short hallway to the office. This was stupid. Camille being overprotective the night before, and then Callie insisting on coming here tonight was succeeding in making her much more nervous than she would have otherwise been about this entire situation. It wasn’t like she hadn’t dealt with people like Sharon before. Men and women both tried to ask her out, and she always handled it and moved on. Why should this time be any different?
She reached for the doorknob just as there was a knock, causing her to jump. She laughed quietly at herself before clearing her throat.
“Who is it?”
“Taylor, it’s me.”
Callie. Nothing to worry about. She unlocked the door and let her in. She could tell Callie knew Sharon was there, and Taylor wondered if Camille had gone into the bathroom to inform her. She wouldn’t put it past her, and it would have been exactly what Quinn would have done.
“Did she say anything to you?”
“I came in here as soon as I saw her. I didn’t give her a chance.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, Callie. I was just about to go back out there when you knocked.”
Callie nodded and they went back to the bar, Callie following closely behind her. Taylor glanced over her shoulder and gave her a slight nod before heading behind the bar, and Callie continued on to the seat she’d claimed before they even opened.
“Hey, beautiful,” Sharon said with a wink. Taylor saw she already had a drink in front of her, so she simply smiled and moved on to help another customer. “Don’t be like that, honey. I just want to talk.”
“Honey?” Callie mouthed, one eyebrow raised in question when Taylor looked at her. Taylor shrugged and shook her head.
“Did you need something else?” Camille asked as she stopped in front of Sharon.
“I need the other bartender,” Sharon said, the irritation obvious in her tone.
“She’s busy with another customer. My name’s Camille if you need anything.”
Taylor saw Callie get off her bar stool and walk toward the pool table, which wasn’t very far from where Sharon was sitting. She watched a couple who were playing, acting as though she wasn’t interested in what was going on behind her, but Taylor knew she was close enough to hear everything.
“Taylor,” Sharon called out. Taylor braced herself before turning and walking over to her.
“Is there a problem?” she asked, trying to sound pleasant.
“Yeah, there is. I didn’t get your number last night,” Sharon said with a wink.
“I told you I’m not available.” Taylor was trying to discern if she was drunk again without being obvious about it.
“Yeah, you did, but what does it mean exactly?”
“It means she has a girlfriend,” Camille said, butting into the conversation.
Taylor cringed at the words, but hoped Sharon didn’t notice. She was going to kill Callie if she’d discussed this with Camille. To Callie’s credit, she was still facing away from them.
“It’s okay, I don’t mind being the other woman.” Sharon winked again. Taylor wanted nothing more than to slug her.
“I told you I’m not available,” Taylor said again. She was fighting to keep her voice steady. “I’m not interested in anything you have to offer.”
“Oh, ouch,” Sharon said with a short bark of laughter. “How can you possibly know that without experiencing what I’m offering?”
“Because with what I’ve already got, I couldn’t possibly want anything from anyone else.” Taylor saw Callie turn toward them out of the corner of her eye, but she refused to look her way. “I’m quite happy with what I have.”
“Whatever you think you have with your so-called girlfriend, I could give you so much more, trust me.” Sharon shot a confident smirk in her direction.
Callie walked toward the bar, and Camille lifted the section that opened so she could get to where Taylor stood. Without any hesitation, she slipped her arm around Taylor’s waist and kissed her on the cheek, letting her lips linger a little longer than was necessary.
“This is Callie, my girlfriend,” Taylor said, surprising herself by not faltering over the lie. “Callie, this is Sharon.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Callie said. “I’d offer a handshake, but as you can tell, I have a bum arm. And there’s no way I’m letting go of her.”
“Believe me, if you ever do let go of her, I’ll be right there to pick up the slack,” Sharon sai
d but Taylor noticed she had no cutesy little winks or smirks for Callie. Instead, she sat there staring at the two of them for a moment, her face growing red with what Taylor was sure was anger and not embarrassment. She slammed down the rest of her drink before getting up and storming out of the place.
“Okay, that went well, don’t you think?” Taylor asked, not really making any attempt to get away from Callie, whose arm was still encircling her waist. She glanced over at Camille. “Is she gone?”
“Yep.”
“I’d say it went well if it succeeds in getting her to stay away,” Callie said, still staying exactly where she was.
Taylor felt herself lean into her, although it was the last thing she really wanted to do. She finally forced herself to pull away from Callie on her own and went directly back to her office, wondering why it was her body was betraying her by not listening to her mind.
Chapter Thirteen
“So, you really think she’s going to leave me alone now?” Taylor asked as they walked into her house later the same night. She walked right to the back door and opened it so Blaze could run out and do his business. She got a couple of waters out of the fridge and tossed one to Callie. Taylor wasn’t so sure about it herself. “She looked awfully pissed when she left.”
“I think telling her you aren’t available, and then allowing her to see your girlfriend will be enough to deter any further problems.”
“I hope you’re right.”
After letting Blaze back in, they went into the living room and sat on the couch, Taylor noting the fact Callie was sitting way too close to her. After a few moments of sitting in silence that wasn’t entirely uncomfortable, Callie reached for her hand, and Taylor didn’t pull it away.
“I think we should talk about it,” Callie said.
“About what?”
“Seriously? Last night? The kiss?”
Taylor reached for her bottle, trying hard to come up with a response, but she didn’t think Callie would buy it if she tried to tell her she’d been sleepwalking and didn’t remember any such thing taking place. She shrugged and blew out a breath.
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