Heart Block

by Melissa Brayden

  Emory trailed her lips along Sarah’s chin and down the column of her neck stopping there to suck ever so gently. Sarah trembled in her arms, aching, throbbing even, and pulled Emory closer still. Out of sheer desperate need to touch her, Sarah inserted a hand between them to palm Emory’s breast through her T-shirt, causing Emory to let out strangled moan of pleasure. Perhaps it was the sound of her own voice breaking through, but Emory went still alongside her. In that moment, Sarah became very aware of their surroundings and how incredibly impractical they were. Damn it. Emory took a shuddering breath and pulled her lips away. “We have to stop,” she panted in Sarah’s ear.

  Sarah turned her head and blinked back at her, saying nothing. She wanted to say something; she tried to say something, but found herself in the depths of an Emory-induced fog and her faculties strangely weren’t what they should be.

  Emory sat up, and with a gentle hand, eased Sarah up with her. Emory faced her, tenderly tracing the line of her jaw as she spoke. “Your daughter’s upstairs, and while I’d like nothing more than to continue what we’ve started here, I don’t want to rush you.” And then with a mumbled, “Oh, God,” she captured Sarah’s mouth for a final sensuous, toe-curling kiss. “Sorry, momentary lapse. Had to do that one more time.”

  Sarah caught Emory’s hand and kissed the back of it. “I knew I kept you around for a reason.” This got a smile. “And while you’re probably right about the timing, you’re not off the hook that easily.”

  “Trust me when I say I don’t want to be off the hook.”

  “Good, because that,” Sarah gestured to the couch with her head, “was…”

  “I know,” Emory finished, because she did know. Hell, she knew.

  They sat there, staring at each other, and Emory smiled proudly at this new level of intimacy between them.

  Sarah broke the trance. “I should get Grace.”

  Emory stood. “It’s the second door down the hall. I’ll find her backpack.”

  The sight of Sarah carrying her sleeping child, more than half her own size was entirely precious. “Do you need some help?” Emory whispered. “Do you want me to take her?”

  “Nope. I’m a pro. Check out the mommy muscles.”

  “Right.” Emory raced around to open the door for Sarah and followed her out to the car. Sarah gently laid Grace in the backseat, taking extra care to buckle her in without waking her. “Wow, she sleeps through a lot.”

  Sarah ran a hand through her hair. “Always has. When she was a baby, I could blare the TV, vacuum the living room, host a rave, nothing. Oh, I almost forgot. Grace asked me to relay a message to you while we were upstairs, but maybe she was just talking in her sleep, as it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Something about someone named Walter needing fresh water. He may get thirsty tonight.”

  Emory nodded. “Got it. Tell her I took care of it.”

  Sarah grinned and took a playful step into Emory. “Secrets from me already?”

  Emory held her thumb and forefinger very close together in response, which earned her a playful poke in the ribs. “Ow. That hurt,” she said, rubbing the spot. “I may file charges.”

  “I have to go now.”

  “And if I don’t file the charges?”

  Sarah squinted apologetically through one eye. “You’re very cute, you know, but I still have to go.” And after a quick check over her shoulder that Grace was still dead to the world, she leaned in for a kiss good-bye. As she pulled away, she lingered, moving her lips very close to Emory’s ear. “Not off the hook,” she whispered, sending goose bumps up and down Emory’s body.

  Moments later, Emory watched as the car turned the corner. She stood in her driveway for several delicious moments, the glow in her chest almost painful. There was a part of her that wished she were going with them. Instead, she made her way back to what now felt like a very empty house. It was with a full heart, however, that she placed a very large dish of water on the dividing wall out back along with a few small cubes of chicken for good measure.

  Chapter Nine

  It was all very well to make out with another woman on a couch and daydream about it for hours afterward, but quite another to take the first step toward a very big, life-altering declaration to the people she knew and loved. Sarah sat on the corner of her brand new desk, delivered just hours ago to the small office she’d rented for herself across the street from the main office of Immaculate Home.

  Three days had passed since she’d seen Emory, and though she should be getting some work done on her new venture, she was desperately preoccupied with thoughts of Emory and dying to share this new development in her life with someone, anyone. While she was never one to keep secrets, the idea of announcing to her parents that she was dating a woman had about as much appeal as an all-night dentist’s appointment. She decided to go for the next best thing.

  “We need to talk,” Sarah stated matter-of-factly into the phone. She could hear crashing and shrieking in the background, a sure sign that the boys were up from their naps. “Bad time?”

  “Not at all,” Carmen practically shouted with relief. “You’re a grown-up, a hot commodity in my world. Hang on. Let me drag this cord into the closet.”

  Sarah waited patiently while Carmen hid herself from her children in what sounded like a lost scene from Lord of the Flies. “Maybe I should call you later,” she offered, envisioning one of the boys with blood pouring from his face.

  “No need. They’re just having fun. They’re boys. It’s what they do. What’s up?”

  Sarah stood and walked to the window. “A lot. I think I might be ready.”

  “All right. Ready for dinner? Ready for some football? To rumble? You’re going to have to help me out a little here.”

  Sarah took a breath. “Ready to tell you that I have feelings for someone. I didn’t plan on this happening. In fact, it completely blindsided me. It’s not perfect, and there are things still in the way of this being a fully functioning relationship, but it’s a step, right? These feelings?”

  There was silence on the other end of the phone before Carmen exploded like a Fourth of July firework. “Ahhh! This is the best news I’ve heard in months! What color should my bridesmaid’s dress be? Green? I like green. I can work it in green. I knew you two were perfect for each other! I told you. I told you! Didn’t I tell you?”

  “Wait, Carmen, let me finish.”

  “I can’t wait to tell Roman. He’ll be home any minute. We should all go to dinner together.”

  “Nope, flag on the play. It’s not what you think.”

  “Are you free this weekend? I could get a sitter.”

  “Carmen, you’re not listening to me. I’m not talking about James.”

  Another pause. “Well, then who?”

  “Someone new.”

  “What’s his name?”

  Here goes nothing. “Actually, I’ve been kind of dating a woman.”

  Silence. “I’ll be right over.”

  *

  Things were hopping at Global Newswire that Wednesday. Emory had personally handled five new client calls (three of which landed them new accounts), hired two new upper level sales people in the southwest region, and outlined a new leadership development track for promising junior account executives. Now she was moments away from concluding her weekly sales meeting and couldn’t wait to get home and tend to her real life, a feeling that was entirely new to her.

  “So as you can see, our selling strategy is working for the mid-range companies, but the larger, public corporations haven’t latched on to the multimedia releases as readily.” Emory moved to the last slide of her PowerPoint presentation.

  The end of the day was in sight.

  “What I’d like to see happen in the next quarter, at least on the West Coast, is more of the services listed here, offered to our top clients, free of charge for five releases. If we give them a taste of the multimedia side of things, they’re going to see a huge jump in their stats and inevitably want more. After
that, ladies and gentleman, we’ve got ’em.”

  Her sales staff answered with a hearty round of applause.

  “Thanks, everyone. August was a good month. Let’s make September even better.”

  After some proverbial patting on the back of her upper level staff as they shuffled from the conference room, Emory sank into a black leather conference chair and finally gave her BlackBerry, which had buzzed several times throughout the meeting, her full attention.

  Lucy lingered and tidied up the conference table, a job Emory had told her a hundred times could be left to their assistants. But Lucy was the type who liked to have her hands in everything, and eventually, she’d just given up.

  “So that went well,” Lucy mused. “I think you sufficiently fueled their fire. I like this new motivational side of you. You look good in positive.”

  Emory stared at her BlackBerry in horror. “Shit.”

  “No, it was much better than that, trust me.”

  Emory held her head in her hands. “This is so not what I needed right now.”

  “It’s surely not that bad. What’s up?”

  “Vanessa’s coming.”

  “Shit.”

  “Exactly.”

  “What brings the ice queen to California?”

  “Mother’s house sold earlier this week, and instead of just signing the papers and making this as quick and seamless as possible, she’s insisting on doing it in person. It gets better. She’s bringing her Mini-Mes and that robot of a husband along with her.”

  “Double ouch. My sympathies, Em.”

  “Want to come to dinner with us this weekend?”

  “Ah, gee. So much to do this weekend. So terribly much,” Lucy said without a trace of emotion. “I don’t think I can swing it. Wow, so disappointed.”

  “Nicely done.”

  “Take Sarah.”

  “In case I haven’t made it clear, I actually like Sarah, and it’s too early to scare her away entirely. Cruel and unusual punishment does not a good impression make. Vanessa’s not only a bitch, but she’s a snob and would be about as welcoming to Sarah as a cuddly python.”

  “Touché.”

  “Maybe I should start drinking heavily. An alcoholic for the weekend. What do you think?”

  “I think I don’t envy you when it comes to spending time with Viper Barbie, but I know that you’ll handle her with the utmost of class and finesse until the moment you get to gleefully put her back on that plane to Aspen. I’d like to get your cartwheels at the airport on video this time.”

  Emory sighed dramatically and wondered why in the world God had just slam-dunked her on what had been such a good week, thus far. Vanessa, really?

  *

  Sarah stared across the red and white checkered tablecloth at a very shell-shocked, wide-eyed Carmen. She’d managed to hold her off until the end of the workday when they could get together for a drink at Sabro’s and discuss the newest development in her life.

  They sat at a table along the sidewalk so Carmen could keep an eye on her boys, who were busy wreaking havoc on the small playground across the street from the café.

  Carmen set down her glass. “So you’re serious about this.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “I just never would have—you know what? You have a lot of explaining to do,” Carmen chastised her, changing directions. “Who is this woman? Are you a lesbian now? Why didn’t I know about any of this? That’s really my first question, why didn’t I know about any of this? I’m your best friend.” Through the anger, Sarah spotted that earnest quality in Carmen’s eyes that signaled she was hurt she’d been left out. Sarah tried to explain as best she could.

  “Part of me didn’t fully realize I was feeling what I was feeling until it was well underway, and I just needed time on my own to process. I guess there was another part of me that worried about what you, what everyone, would think. This probably seems like it’s out of left field.”

  “It’s definitely a lot to take in. I’ve known you since the fourth grade, and you’ve never even hinted at anything like this. We’ve scoped guys together for as long as I can remember. Granted, I did a little more of the scoping, but you were right there with me. A sidekick scoper.”

  “That’s true. I scoped.”

  “So, yeah, I’m a little shocked here.” She paused. “That being said, I might find a way to forgive you, but only after you tell me every last juicy detail, and leave nothing out.” Carmen leaned back in her chair and grinned expectantly.

  Sarah lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “I’m not exactly sure. It was out of the blue. But now that I think about it, maybe it wasn’t. It started with the house. There was coloring at the kitchen table. Then the crying on the patio outside, hers not mine, and then long talks. Mad kissing in the entryway, like socks-knocking caliber, an actual date with way too expensive wine, and then lots more kissing, groping, and pretty much all-around torture on the couch a few days ago. Now I don’t know which end is up.”

  Carmen squinted. “Only because I’ve known you forever, am I able to translate half of what you just said. This is all so—wow. But it’s good? It sounds good.”

  “It feels good. But the logistics are pretty dicey.”

  “Okay. Well, start with the good.”

  Sarah smiled. “It’s all so different than with anyone else I’ve ever dated. It’s like I crave being in her presence, and not just physically. She was my friend at first, and I deeply value that side of us too. She’s smart and funny and—”

  “Rich,” Carmen supplied, grinning.

  “She is that, but to be honest, that’s been more of a hindrance than anything else. There’s somewhat of a culture gap because of it.”

  “But you are attracted to her physically?”

  Sarah exhaled deeply and thought about Emory. Even now, with Carmen, that sneaky wave of lust overcame her. “Yeah, I really, really am.”

  “But there’s been no sex.”

  “Sex has not happened.”

  “Do you want the sex?”

  Sarah regarded Carmen seriously and took a moment to ask herself the question. Easily finding the answer, she nodded slowly.

  “Wow.”

  “I know. As far as sex goes, I think I’m finally starting to understand what all of the fuss is about. Listening to you go on about Roman for years and the guys you dated before him, I thought you were just an overly enthusiastic person, when actually I was the one who was out of touch. I feel this, I don’t know, jolt of heat every time I’m around her. Or even when I just think about her.”

  “So what’s the problem, Juliet? There are issues?”

  “Well, yeah. Am I ready to change my life this way? It’s a big lifestyle shift and not everyone is going to approve. I wish that kind of thing didn’t matter to me, but it does. It always has.”

  Carmen regarded her seriously. “I remember.”

  “And if it came down to it, I would need to know that she was all in first. And right now, I’m not getting that from her. Family, based on the way she was brought up, almost has a negative connotation, and so she’s leery of me, Grace, and the concept of happily ever after. She doesn’t trust it.”

  “So you’re in this, but it feels like you may be in this alone?”

  Sarah bit her bottom lip as she thought on this. “Yeah, I guess that’s it.”

  Carmen reached across the table and squeezed Sarah’s hand. “Are you sure you haven’t bitten off more than you can chew?”

  “I’m not sure, no. But what I do know is that when I’m around her, I feel more alive than I’ve ever felt in my life.”

  Carmen’s face lit up listening to Sarah talk. “Aww. It’s so cute when you talk like that. Seriously, you’re all glowy. I like seeing you happy. It looks good on you.”

  Tears touched the corners of Sarah’s eyes against her wishes. “Thank you. I don’t know if there’s a future here yet, but for now, it feels right. Is that crazy? Am I crazy? I feel a little crazy.”<
br />
  “To want to be happy? No, Sarah, that’s not at all crazy.” And then schizophrenically switching gears the way only mothers of young children can, she yelled, “Nicholas, freeze! Put that rock down right now, mister.”

  Sarah laughed and took a fortifying swig of her beer, waiting out the tongue-lashing. Once Carmen came back to her, she brought up obstacle number two hundred and twelve. “So there’s more. I received a delivery of roses from James today.”

  “Oh shit, I forgot about James, and the fact that Roman introduced him to your father when he stopped by the job site earlier this week. I meant to tell you. I’ll do it now. Your father met James.”

  “Oh God.”

  “I know. And your mother’s already drafting a guest list for the wedding. I don’t think they’re going to take this well.”

  “Probably not. Let’s not tell them. Ever.”

  “Just a shot in the dark. Why not bring Emory to your brother’s birthday party next weekend? Let them get to know her first. That way, if they already like her when and if you decide to spring the relationship on them, well, that’s half the battle.” Carmen narrowed her eyes. “She is likable, isn’t she?”

  Sarah smiled. “Yes, she’s very likable.” And she was. Usually. “That might not be a bad plan. You’re a smart one.”

  “The smartest.” Carmen grinned. “And the cutest. You consistently forget the cutest.”

  *

  James stood as she approached the bar and smiled in that charming way he often smiled. This wasn’t going to be easy, but she’d put it off long enough.

  Deep breath.

  “Hey there, beautiful.” He kissed her cheek and pulled out the bar stool across from his. “I ordered myself a drink, but wasn’t sure what you’d like.”