Serious Potential

by Maggie Cummings

  Table of Contents

  Synopsis

  By the Author

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  About the Author

  Books Available From Bold Strokes Books

  Synopsis

  Welcome back to Bay West, the NYC lesbian condo community bursting with friendships, romance, heartache, and girls—everywhere. Meg and Lexi are back with new friends, new romances, and new problems.

  California girl Tracy Allen has just dropped in on old friend Meg McTiernan to nurse a bruised ego and a broken heart. Will the lure of life at this lesbian-only development entice her to make a permanent move? Local resident Jennifer Betsy certainly hopes so. Meanwhile, reluctant singleton Meg may have just found the perfect girl in coworker Sasha Michaels. There’s only one problem: Sasha is straight as an arrow…or is she? And Lexi and Jesse are planning a dream wedding that promises to be the lesbian party of the year, so long as they can get past a trio of disapproving mothers, and exes that pop up at every turn.

  Bay West Social: where there’s always fun, drama, and more than enough love to go around.

  Serious Potential

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  Serious Potential

  © 2016 By Maggie Cummings. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-62639-634-0

  This Electronic Book is published by

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, New York 12185

  First Edition: October 2016

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editor: Ruth Sternglantz

  Production Design: Stacia Seaman

  Cover Design By Jeanine Henning

  By the Author

  Totally Worth It

  Serious Potential

  Acknowledgments

  Sincerest thanks to Rad and Sandy for affording me this incredible opportunity. Thank you also to Ruth for guiding me steadily along the way, and to the entire team at Bold Strokes Books for making this book possible.

  I want to thank my parents and my sister for their endless love and support. I’d also like to acknowledge my friends, for their encouragement, enthusiasm, and boundless energy in trying to figure out who’s who in my fake universe. There are no direct matches, but all are present in the spirit and energy of these women, in their triumphs, their camaraderie, and their love. Without our history of shared memories to reflect on, I would have an empty fantasy world. Finally, the biggest thank you goes to Kat, who keeps me grounded in this life, makes me smile, laughs at my jokes, and inspires me every single day.

  For CPC

  Chapter One

  Meg McTiernan tucked her feet underneath the wooden bench, allowing two girls in summer skirts to pass with ease on the outdoor deck of the Staten Island Ferry. Rubbing her short, thick brown hair she laced her fingers behind her head, stretching out again and smiling to herself as she watched them walk the length of the boat. It was crowded today even at three o’clock in the afternoon. It was Friday and the beginning of a holiday weekend, and she obviously wasn’t the only one who cut out of work early. Her phone buzzed with a text, stealing her attention from the Statue of Liberty in the distance.

  Three weeks from today, bro. Can’t wait.

  Tracy. Meg smiled at the text from her West Coast bestie and typed back quickly. She was looking forward to her oldest buddy’s visit to New York in a few weeks and she breathed out a wistful sigh that Tracy wasn’t in town this weekend. It was wishful thinking, but Meg was in need of a wingman for tomorrow night’s Fourth of July bash at the Commons in her condo development, and Tracy would fit that role perfectly.

  She was totally bummed that her closest friends at the development, Lexi and Jesse, wouldn’t be around for tomorrow’s open house. They had a command appearance at Jesse’s dad’s birthday party on the Cape. Meg knew Lexi was sad about it too. As much as her best friend loved going to the Cape with her girlfriend, over the last twelve months Lexi had confided to Meg that she never felt entirely comfortable around Jesse’s family and this past week she had vented about it nonstop. Meg knew it was all stress, so she’d listened dutifully and even tried to put a positive spin on the weekend, play-telling Lexi to relax and enjoy the perks that came with having a rich girlfriend. But even as she’d smiled at her own joke, Meg could read the angst on Lexi’s face. Come to think of it, Jesse had looked uncharacteristically tense over the last week or so too.

  Selfishly, Meg wanted them with her this weekend so they could all go to the party together. Sure, Meg would know people at the open house—other neighbors and acquaintances—but even after two years living in the all-lesbian community of Bay West, she was still shy about walking into the condo-sponsored events alone. Betsy was a possibility, and Meg planned on coercing her friend tonight at dinner, but so far she had been noncommittal, citing her duties as the on-call obstetrician for the holiday weekend as the priority.

  Meg continued to scroll through her mental index of friends and breathed a sigh of relief that at least her two exes, Becca and Mia, who’d coupled up sometime back, wouldn’t be around. Since they didn’t live at Bay West, they needed an invite to an open house, and with the absence of Jesse and Lexi, Meg figured they didn’t have one. Of course she could put them on the guest list herself; it would be a nice gesture since they were all friendly enough to each other. Then she would at least have some company at the party. But truthfully, even though Meg knew it was a little shallow, she would rather not orchestrate a scenario where it was just the three of them without any of the rest of her crew around to buffer.

  She glanced back down at her text from Tracy. Damn if their timing wasn’t just a little off. She could sit here for the rest of the ride and sulk about it, or she could move on. Pursing her lips at her thinning options, she thumbed through her phone and texted Taylor Higgins.

  They had an unusual track record, she and Taylor. Friends at first, their relationship blossomed on a hot summer night a year ago when Meg had been strong-armed into a setup with a neighbor’s cousin, which of course didn’t pan out. But the night hadn’t been a total loss. When there was no click during the pre-arranged meeting, Meg turned her attention to Taylor, at the time a new resident of Bay West
living in the rental section. They were inseparable for a few weeks, but their spark burned hot and fast, fizzling completely by Labor Day.

  It was no big deal, really. Despite their physical attraction, they just didn’t have that much in common and regardless of their conscious uncoupling months ago, they still went home together fairly often, most recently after a late night at the Kitchen a few weeks back. These episodes only occurred when the circumstances lined up—nights they were both on the prowl where no other prospects had emerged. Meg wasn’t proud of it, but these little one-nighters had kept her going all year. She credited them with keeping her from making other, more questionable choices motivated by her libido—take, for example, last Thursday’s escapade in the freight elevator when she’d ended up going to third base with Lisette, the building’s sole female maintenance worker. Meg was still in shock over that one.

  With Taylor, she knew what she was getting. A basic hookup with a nice girl, uncomplicated by day-after drama. Looking ahead to the open house, Meg couldn’t help but wonder if tomorrow night would fall into that category as well.

  She smiled to herself as she walked to the front of the boat while the ferry docked, not entirely disappointed at the prospect.

  *

  “Sorry to be a pain, but I could get called back any minute. We should really get our order in.” Betsy scanned the restaurant floor, unsuccessfully searching for their waiter. She tossed her long blond hair lightly behind each shoulder to smooth it down, even though there wasn’t a single strand out of place. Perfectly orderly, just like the rest of her, Meg thought as she casually assessed her friend. Betsy had a classic, timeless look—tall and fair, naturally blond with delicate highlights, and eyes that were blue some days, green others—and she always looked just so. Even now, on her meal break from the hospital, her subtle makeup and cap-sleeved chiffon shirt with skinny jeans completely contrasted with Meg’s tomboy style anchored tonight by an aged tee and worn-out sneaks.

  “First off, is there any chance I’m convincing you to come to the open house with me tomorrow?” Meg started.

  “No.”

  Betsy’s sweet but firm tone told Meg there was no wiggle room in the response, so Meg moved on. “So catch me up. What’s going on with the nurse and the anesthesiologist?”

  Meg loved getting a running commentary of the inner workings at the hospital. She could not care less about the surgeries and scientific breakthroughs, though. She wanted to know who was sleeping with whom, how often, and what the fallout was. It was a universe so completely foreign to her own unbelievably PC workplace that she absorbed all of the details like they were storylines in a soap opera of which she was the sole viewer.

  Over the top of her glass, Betsy gave Meg a knowing look. “The anesthesiologist went back to her wife. Like we knew she would,” she added, taking another sip of her Diet Coke.

  “And what about the nurse?”

  Betsy covered her heart with her hand in mock despair and dropped her voice dramatically. “Left with a broken heart, I suppose.” She giggled a little at her silly joke. “I’m just kidding. She’ll move on. She’s kind of known for that actually,” she said with a shift of her eyebrows.

  “Perfect. Does that mean you’re next?”

  Betsy opened her eyes widely, not even attempting to hide her disbelief at Meg’s suggestion.

  “I’m just saying…you should get back out there.”

  Betsy was a private person who didn’t talk much about her past relationship or its demise, even with her closest friends. What Meg knew she’d gleaned in tidbits Betsy had dropped here and there and from Jesse, Betsy’s closest confidante, and even when that info was put together the details were sparse. But Meg knew there had been a girlfriend, a guitar player named CJ, whom Betsy had been on and off with for the last decade before things ended for good months ago. Meg thought their breakup inevitable—and long overdue. Honestly, in two years of friendship, Meg had never even laid eyes on the woman.

  For years Jesse had been urging Betsy to move on, always suggesting someone new. Meg had even fallen into that category once upon a time. Looking back, Meg was glad she didn’t go for it—Betsy either, for that matter—because they fit perfectly as friends. It was simply gravy that their respective besties—Lexi and Jesse—were a couple, making it easy for all of them to hang out.

  “So no to Nurse whatshername?” Meg asked.

  “Alecia. Correct. That is a no to Nurse Alecia.”

  “Poor Alecia. Can’t get no love at this hospital,” Meg joked, shaking her head.

  “Oh, she gets plenty of love. Trust me,” Betsy countered with a smile.

  “Okay, see, that’s kind of my point.” Meg put her hand up to stop Betsy from speaking. “Just hear me out on this.” Since Betsy’s breakup a few months back, Meg had spent a lot of time listening to her friend and she couldn’t help but notice Betsy didn’t really seem heartbroken or devastated or scrambling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. She seemed one hundred percent fine, except she hadn’t expressed any interest in revitalizing her love life. After coming out of a long-term relationship that, by all accounts, had been over way before it officially ended, Meg was pretty sure Betsy was a nervous wreck at the prospect of dating again.

  Not wanting to overstep, Meg chose her words carefully. “You just came out of a really long relationship. I just wonder if, I don’t know, something fun and carefree might not be the worst thing in the world.” Meg pulled her paper napkin from underneath the silverware and wiped her hands with it. “You’ve been out of the dating pool for like, ten years. It’s okay to ease back in.”

  “I understand what you’re saying, Meg.” Betsy hesitated. “But I don’t know.” She looked down at her sheer nail polish. “Everyone is like, oh, you should go out, have fun”—she pushed around a crumb on the tabletop with her index finger—“and I know they have my best interests in mind.” She reached for her soda and ran her hand along the side of the glass. “I know this may sound ridiculous to you, but I’m thirty-two. I want to get married. Have kids.” She made eye contact across the table. “I’m not going to waste my time on something that isn’t serious.” She raised her shoulders as though she were giving in to something. “Maybe it’s just because I’m too square, but the idea of going out and hooking up randomly, it doesn’t sound like fun to me.” She fidgeted in her chair. “It never did.”

  Meg let out a deep breath. “For starters, I don’t think you sound ridiculous.” She reached for a tortilla chip from the plastic bowl in the center of the table. “Secondly, it doesn’t have to be a random hookup. That’s why I suggested the nurse. You know her. You know she’s not crazy. I’m basically suggesting a fling. With someone known and trusted. Just to get back on track.”

  Betsy gave a halfhearted smile. “Honestly, Meg, I’m not cut out for it.” Her elbow rested on the table and she leaned into it, tilting her cheek against her open palm. “I think that’s why I stayed with CJ for so long, even with her crazy road schedule. I knew what I had. Despite our differences and the time apart, she’s a good person. If we could have made it work, it might have been okay.”

  Betsy was clearly opening up, something she rarely did, and Meg felt terrible that her cell phone had suddenly lit up with a barrage of texts. She thumbed through them quickly, trying not to be rude.

  “Is that Lexi?” Betsy asked, nodding her chin at the phone.

  “Sorry,” Meg apologized, taking the phone in her hand and studying it as she spoke. “It’s actually my friend Tracy in California. She’s freaking out because she’s going to some charity thing and she’s conflicted about what to wear. She sent me a bunch of pictures in different outfits,” Meg said as she nodded offhandedly at the latest message.

  “Let me see.” Betsy motioned for the phone.

  Meg scrolled up. “I think this is the winner.” She handed the phone to Betsy.

  Betsy took a minute to assess the photo of the tanned dark-haired woman decked in all black. />
  “She looks good, right?”

  “I’ll say.” Betsy looked at the image closely. She nodded, biting her lower lip subconsciously. “She is…very attractive, Meg,” she said, handing the phone back.

  Meg jumped all over it. “Yeah? She’s coming to visit next month. Just saying.”

  “Let me see your phone again.”

  “Atta girl.”

  Betsy ignored Meg’s taunt and enlarged the pic with two fingers. “She looks familiar to me.”

  “You watch golf?”

  Betsy furrowed her eyebrows in response to the strange question.

  Meg explained. “She’s a golfer. Like, professionally. I thought maybe you had seen her on TV or something.”

  “I’ve never watched golf, that’s for sure,” Betsy said, returning the phone for the second time. “She probably looks like one of my patients. That happens to me sometimes.”

  “Well, she’ll be here in a few weeks. Maybe you can see if she needs an exam, if you know what I mean.” Meg winked salaciously.

  “Gross,” Betsy said, but she was unable to conceal her smile at Meg’s quick wit.

  “I’m going to tell her you think she’s hot.”

  “You are not.”

  “I don’t know,” Meg teased. “I think I probably am.”

  “You’re an idiot.”

  Meg slapped the table with her palm. “Oh my God. This is it.” She pointed to her phone. “Tracy should be your carefree hookup.” Meg was on a roll and wasn’t stopping. “It’s so perfect. She comes to visit. You guys hang out. You’re awesome. She’s awesome. You get it out of your system. She goes back home. You are refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to meet Miss Right.”