by Julian Bloom
She got out of bed, grabbing her clothes off the floor and pulling them on. She should have known it was too good to be true, that Harper probably just saw her as a one-night stand. This always happened; she got overly invested far too quickly, and the other person never felt the same way. It had been mind-blowing sex, but that was all it was. She dejectedly walked out of the bedroom and then stopped short at the sight that greeted her.
Harper was standing in the kitchen, making something on the stove that smelled absolutely divine. He looked over as she walked in and smiled at her. “Good morning! Coffee’s hot if you want some, or I’ve got tea if that’s more your thing.”
Talia nodded dumbly. “Coffee would be great.” She sat down at the island, feeling a little like she had just walked into an alternate universe as Harper set a steaming mug of coffee down in front of her.
“Breakfast is almost done. I hope eggs and toast are okay- I wasn’t sure if you were vegan or gluten free or anything, but it’s all I had on hand.” He shrugged apologetically, and Talia quickly replied, “That’s perfect.”
The next few minutes were filled with silence, but to Talia’s surprise it didn’t feel awkward. It felt…almost homey, Harper bustling around the kitchen while she sipped her coffee. She was startled out of her musings by Harper setting plates on the island with a clatter. “Thanks,” she murmured, trying not to be too obvious as she watched him out of the corner of her eye.
“I’m not going to disappear,” Harper commented with a hint of amusement as he took a bite of egg, “if that’s what you’re worried about.” Talia blushed at being caught, and shook her head. “Sorry. I’m just trying to take it all in, I guess.”
Harper nodded understandingly, but she caught the worried glint in his eyes. “Was last night…okay?” he asked hesitantly. “Oh, it was more than okay!” Talia hastily reassured him, her voice softening as she added, “I had a really amazing time.”
“I did too,” Harper said, relief evident in his tone, “I just wanted to check. Sometimes people get weird about…well, about me, when they’re not drunk or in the moment.” Words didn’t seem sufficient to assure him that she wasn’t going to run away from him in the light of day, so she crossed the short distance between them and pressed a light kiss to his cheek.
“Sounds like we both might have been worried about someone disappearing,” she said gently. “I’m not going anywhere Harper. You being trans is just another part of you, and if I’m being honest after last night I’m not in any hurry to run away from you.”
She let her lips curve up into a slight smirk at the end of her sentence to try to inject a bit of levity into the situation, and was rewarded with an answering wink from Harper. Going back to her stool, Talia took a quick bite of egg to ease the moment of quiet between them. She couldn’t help but moan at how unexpectedly delicious they were, and immediately took a second bite. Harper watched her with interest and a hint of arousal, his eyebrow quirked at her response.
“It should be illegal for eggs to be this good,” Talia mumbled around a mouthful, “You didn’t tell me you were a chef!”
It was Harper’s turn to blush as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “I’m not, really, they’re just eggs. With some seasoning. And stuff.” Talia almost laughed at how different the man in front of her was from the cocky, flirty man she had met at the bar last night. It was endearing to see such a different side of him, and she felt herself swoon a little.
“I was thinking about that, actually,” Harper said.
“What? Being a chef?” Talia asked.
He chuckled and shook his head. “No, that we don’t really know anything about each other. I don’t want to seem like I’m pushing for anything, but I had a really great time last night, and I’d like to see you again. And, you know, maybe in a context where we actually talk and get to know each other.”
Talia couldn’t resist teasing him. “What, there wasn’t enough talking for you last night?”
Harper’s eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. “No! That’s not what I meant! I just-“
“I would love to,” Talia softly said, deciding to put him out of his misery.
“You would?” Harper’s voice was hopeful, and Talia nodded to confirm her answer. “How about a late dinner on Monday?”
“That would be perfect,” Talia replied with a smile, “I get off work at 5:00, so maybe meet at 7:00?”
Harper nodded enthusiastically. “Where do you want to go? I was thinking maybe Gigi’s, but I don’t know how far that is for you.”
“It’s actually pretty close to me,” Talia said, “So that would be no problem.”
“Great! It’s a date then,” Harper replied, and Talia felt her heart melt a little at the sincere excitement in his voice. She glanced at her watch and saw it was nearly noon. Looking up at Harper apologetically, she said, “I actually should probably go, I promised to meet a friend in a little bit.”
Harper waved her off as she started clearing her plate and said, “Of course. Don’t worry about picking up, I’ve got it. I’ll see you Monday?”
Talia nodded and started to walk to the door before hesitating and turning back. She crossed the kitchen to lean up on her toes and plant a soft kiss on the corner of Harper’s mouth. “Thank you for last night and this morning.” Harper pulled her in for a proper kiss that started out sweet but quickly became heated. By the time he pulled back, Talia felt light headed and could feel herself getting turned on all over again.
“Any time,” Harper said, a trace of his self-assured attitude from the night before coming through. Giving him a final kiss, Talia tore herself away and said “I’ll see you Monday.”
She could feel his gaze following her as she walked back to the door, and it took all her willpower not to turn back around and let him take her up against the island. Checking her watch again she almost swore when she saw the time. Sean would probably be at her place already, but her phone had died sometime overnight and she had no way of telling him she was definitely going to be very late.
Looking around to get her bearings, she sent a quick prayer of thanks to whatever gods were watching out for her when she realized she was only a twenty-minute bus ride from her apartment. By the time she got to her stop she was nearly half an hour late, but she figured that Sean would forgive her.
She almost laughed when she saw him waiting outside her building, playing on his phone and looking very put out. When he saw her walking towards him, he started to say something snarky before pausing and looking her up and down. “Same clothes as last night, huh?” he asked with a smirk. “Shut up,” Talia said, “Or I’m not going to feed you.”
He raised his hands in playful surrender and followed her up to her flat. He managed not to say anything until Talia had made them mimosas before casually saying, “So, how was the rest of your night?”
Talia groaned and swatted at him, but truth be told she was actually happy to have someone to be able to talk with about Harper. She gave Sean an abbreviated version of her night and morning, and then waited for his response. He looked to be deep in thought, and right when she was starting to get worried he finally looked at her and said, “Well, I suppose that’s an acceptable reason to be late to brunch.”
Talia burst out laughing at the unexpected comment, and Sean grinned at her. “Seriously, though, he sounds like a catch. I’ve seen him at the Docks before when he performs, but he’s never been one for much socializing. Frankie and I actually kind of wondered if he might be ace, because there has definitely not been a shortage of people throwing themselves at him, but turns out he was just waiting for our resident tough femme to make an appearance!”
Talia rolled her eyes at the teasing, but she couldn’t deny that it put her a bit more at ease to know that Harper didn't do this type of thing often. People were free to live their lives however made them happy, and if that included wining and dining groupies on a regular basis that was fine. It just wasn’t her thing- she like
d commitment and monogamy and stability, and it was nice to know that Harper might be interested in those same things.
Her good humor quickly evaporated, however, when Sean hesitated and then asked, “And it doesn’t bother you that he’s, you know…” He trailed off, but his meaning was perfectly clear. “No, Sean,” she replied sharply, “If you’re referring to him being trans then it is definitely not an issue.” She paused for a moment to try to gather herself and contain her anger. Exhaling loudly through her nose, Talia shook her head in frustration. “Honestly, I’m insulted that you would even insinuate something like that Sean. I mean, you’ve known me for how long? You really think that I would be attracted to someone and then turn tail just because they’re trans?”
Sean winced and shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he said apologetically, “It was a stupid question, you’re right.”
“I really like him, Sean,” she sighed. “He’s sweet and caring and funny, and also absolutely mind blowing in bed. He just seems…I don’t know, it’s so hard to explain it. I’ve never clicked with somebody like that, it’s almost as if we’ve known each other for ages instead of only one night. I almost wish we were getting dinner tomorrow instead of Monday.” Sean feigned gagging and said, “Oh no, don’t you dare become one of those lovesick puppies that can’t stand to be away from their lover for more than an hour!”
“Hey! Like you’re one to talk- I don’t think I could have pulled you away from that bouncer last night if I tried,” Talia shot back. Their banter turned to the topic of Sean’s love life- or, as he put it, his lack thereof, for the next hour, until he finally stood. “I’ve got to go,” he said begrudgingly, “I promised Frankie I would help them move later tonight and I need a shower before I head over.”
“Why would you shower before doing manual labor?” Talia wrinkled her nose in confusion. Sean opened his mouth, closed it, then shrugged. “Because I want to, that’s why!”
He gave her a quick hug and then paused, staring her down. “I better get updates on everything as it happens with Harper!” Talia laughed. “I’m not going to real-time-text you about our dinner date!” Sean grumbled and said, “Fine, fine, just make sure you keep me in the loop! I want all the juicy details about your new beau!”
Talia shooed him out the door, promising to keep him updated, before collapsing onto her couch. Her mind wandered over the events of the previous 24 hours, and she shook her head at how quickly things had changed. She certainly hadn’t been looking for a possible relationship, but she was genuinely excited about seeing Harper again and exploring whether there was potential for more than a one-night stand.
Heaving herself off the couch, she walked over to her closet and began perusing her clothes. She had the rest of the weekend to kill, and she intended to use the time to make sure that her outfit for their date would be enough to make him swoon all over again.
Chapter 4
“Earth to Talia! The new contractor is going to be here any second!”
Talia jolted out of her daydream and smiled apologetically at Luna. “Sorry, I know. I’ve got everything ready to give them a tour when they get here.”
Luna looked at her appraisingly and shook her head. “I don’t know where you just went, but it sure looked like it was somewhere nice.” Talia laughed and nodded. The rest of the weekend had dragged on, and she had spent most of it trying not to obsess over Harper. In spite of her best efforts, her overactive imagination had gotten the best of her a few times as she replayed that night and thought about what their next night together might include.
The front office door chimed as it opened, and Luna hurried out to greet the contractor. Talia heard her talking to them and gathered her promotional materials on the work the Bridge was doing. They had been trying to get someone who was a musician or a producer to come in and work with the youth for months now; a good chunk of the youth wanted to learn to play an instrument or knew how to play but didn’t have an instrument of their own. Luna was convinced she had found the perfect person, and it was Talia’s job to show them the center and get them up to speed on things.
Talia tried to mentally banish all thoughts of Harper from her mind so she could focus on her work for the day before walking out of the back offices to meet the new contractor. She stopped dead in her tracks when she walked into the front office and saw Luna talking to none other than Harper himself. Blinking hard to make sure her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her, Talia felt her stomach sink when it was still Harper standing there.
She and Sean always joked about how small the queer community was, and how they couldn’t date anyone without their lives overlapping in more ways than one. Still, it was a big difference between her current partner having dated her ex and her current potential partner working for the same organization that she did.
Schooling her expression into a neutral mask, Talia stepped up to the chatting pair. “Oh! This is the case manager I was telling you about! Harper, this is Talia. Talia, Harper.”
Harper’s eyes had widened minutely when he saw Talia, but his face was otherwise the picture of cool professionalism. “It’s a pleasure to be here,” he said, reaching out to shake her hand. “The pleasure is all mine,” she replied, wincing internally as she registered that the words were a nearly verbatim reenactment of their first meeting. Harper cleared his throat and looked at the ground before redirecting his gaze to Luna. “So, you said Talia will be showing me around today?”
Luna didn’t answer for a second, her eyes flitting shrewdly back and forth between Talia and Harper. Mercifully, she didn’t say anything and instead nodded and focused back on Harper. “Yep, I’ve just got a little bit of paperwork to go over with you first. Talia, want to meet us at the Sylvia Rivera room in twenty?”
Talia nodded and forced a smile. “Sounds good.” She watched them go down the hallway towards Luna’s office and waited until the door shut behind them before sagging against the wall. Twenty minutes didn’t feel like nearly long enough to figure out how she was going to handle this.
She went out one of the side doors to get some fresh air, and sent a quick SOS text to Sean. Breathing deeply to try to calm herself, she cursed Sean for not checking his phone. Okay. I can do this. Just need to be the consummate professional and do my job, this doesn’t have to be a huge deal if I don’t let it be.
Internal pep talk done, she checked her phone one last time in the hopes that Sean would have responded in the last thirty seconds before she exhaled sharply and went back inside. Making her way to the Sylvia Rivera room, she only had to wait a minute before she heard Luna and Harper approaching. They rounded the corner and came to a stop in front of Talia.
“Okay, this is where I leave you,” Luna told Harper. “I promise you’re in capable hands with Talia!”
Heat rushed to Talia’s face as she saw Harper avert his eyes, knowing he was undoubtedly thinking the same thing as her, and remembering just how capable her hands could be.
“Just make sure you keep her in line, she’s a feisty one!” Luna teased before turning and heading in the direction of her office. Talia barely resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands, and she cursed her body for responding with excitement to the thought of all the different ways Harper could keep her in line. She glared at Luna’s back, sure the other woman had been hoping for a reaction with her comments, before shaking her head and looking at Harper.
It made her feel a tiny bit better to see him looking equally torn between being embarrassed and being turned on, and she gave him a rueful smile. Deciding it would be the least painful for both of them if she just did what she would do with any other new contractor, she began giving him a tour of the Bridge. He followed along attentively as she showed him the door that led to the shelter, the computer and tech lab, the room where they had a free health clinic every other week, the community kitchen, and the lounge area.
She fell into her standard spiel about what the Bridge did, and could almost forget that this was anything but a
standard tour. She had to restrain herself from reaching out to grab Harper’s hand when she would go to lead them to a different area, or for reaching out for him in other subtle ways. To his credit, Harper played along and did a fairly effective job of acting as though he had never met her and was just another person getting a tour. The only exceptions were the times that his eyes glazed over as he stared at her mouth, or the few instances she caught him staring at her ass.
Talia felt like a jumble of warring emotions as the tour went on. She was getting progressively more and more turned on just being around Harper, but the knowledge that there was suddenly a professional dynamic to their budding relationship was also completely nerve wracking. She had just finished showing Harper the different exterior entrances and exits that helped ensure youth could access the center anonymously when he finally said something.
“Talia.” They had just stepped outside and the door was shut behind him when the quiet sound of her name brought her up short. She glanced around nervously, looking for any signs of her coworkers or youth, but when she didn’t see anyone she turned to look at him.