by Aurora Rey
Lia winked and Alex felt her pulse quicken. This woman was full of surprises and growing more irresistible by the minute. It took only seconds for her to decide to throw caution to the wind.
“I think we could arrange something. I’ll be here starting at four in the morning both Saturday and Sunday. We’ll be open until eight in the evening both days. Let me know what hours you want and I’ll put you on the schedule.”
There was a glint in Lia’s eye. “If I come in at four, do I get to help you make croissants?”
Alex was struck by a vivid image of herself standing in the kitchen behind Lia, guiding her hands over a big rectangle of dough. She could almost feel Lia’s backside pressing against her as she worked the rolling pin. She had to look away to regain her composure. “I’d certainly never turn down that offer.”
“It’s a deal, then.”
“It’s a deal. And while I plan to compensate you for your time, I’d love to take you to dinner as a token of thanks.” Again, she was asking her out with a pretense other than a straightforward date. Why did she keep doing that?
Lia looked at Alex, wondering if the invitation was an offer of obligation, one of gratitude, or something altogether different. Like a date. It had been so long since she’d been asked out on a real date, she wouldn’t even know how to tell. There was that kiss. Even if she was otherwise ready to dismiss the idea that Alex found her attractive, the kiss was intense. If it had half the effect on Alex as it had on her, maybe it was a date.
She’d been doing plenty of thinking about whether or not she wanted Alex to kiss her again. At this point, her brain said no, her body said yes, and her heart was abstaining. One thing was for sure—the sparks that flew between them during the all-too-brief kiss in the bakery were greater than any she could remember feeling, for Dani or anyone else. If for no other reason than that, she wanted to see what would happen if they kissed again. “I’d love to.”
“Well, the week is going to get busier and busier. Tomorrow night would be great if you’re free.”
“Tomorrow night would be perfect.”
Alex picked up their now-empty coffee cups. “Perfect. It’s a date.”
Lia swallowed hard, but her smile didn’t falter. Although her brain contended that the phrase was one with multiple meanings, she forced herself to shove aside the doubt. It was a date. There would be dinner, just the two of them. There would, without a doubt, be kissing. Would there be more? Lia was pretty sure that Alex would be up for more, whether or not she pressed it. She would need a game plan, and fast.
When she got home from the café, Lia did some more work. She grilled some chicken and made a big salad for her dinner. When she was sure that Sally had made it home from work and finished dinner with her family, Lia picked up her phone.
“Hey, girl.” Sally always seemed happy to hear from her, a fact that always warmed Lia’s heart.
“Hey, yourself. What are you up to?”
“Will’s on bath duty, so I’m flopped on the couch folding laundry.”
“Oh, good. How was your Thanksgiving?”
“Will’s folks came in from South Carolina, which was great. Logan had a stomach bug, which was less than great.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“He’s over it now. Fortunately, it was just a twenty-four-hour thing.”
“That’s good. Poor guy.”
“How about you? How was dinner at the sexy baker’s?”
Sally knew about the near-kiss when Lia and Alex went for drinks. Lia filled her in on Thanksgiving, the steamy kiss in the kitchen, and Lia’s offer to help during the upcoming busy weekend. When she was done, she said, “I think I’m going on a date.”
“I see. And you’re trying to decide if it is, in fact, a date? Or are you trying to decide whether or not it’s a good idea?”
Lia rolled her eyes heavenward. The girl was good. She took a deep breath. “Both. I think it’s a date. It’s dinner, so I’m pretty sure it’s a date. If it is a date, then what do I do about it?”
Sally, who’d refrained from inserting commentary while Lia told the story, launched in. “Yes, it’s a date. This woman clearly thinks that you are smart and sexy and fun to be around. I like her already. As for what you should do, I’ve said before I think you’d benefit from a hot roll in the hay and I still do. How long has it been since you’ve had sex?”
Lia chuckled. Sally was never one to mince words. “Almost a year.”
“Cripes. I knew things with Dani had gotten bad, but I didn’t realize you weren’t sleeping together at all.”
Lia sighed. The last time she and Dani slept together was New Year’s Eve. For a while, she’d bought Dani’s story about being stressed at work, about it being a phase that would pass. Of course, Dani had been wetting her whistle just fine with her assistant. Although the deep hurt was starting to fade, the sting of the insult remained. “Yeah, I know.”
“Okay, tell me what’s holding you back?”
Sally had a way of getting her to say things she hadn’t even said to herself. She wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that Sally got people to confess things for a living. Persuasion was practically her middle name.
“I’m afraid of getting hurt. I don’t want to be made a fool of again. I think I might be a bad lover.”
The first two were expected. The third was something she hadn’t even admitted to herself. Lia cringed at the thought.
“Just because Dani is a fucker, it doesn’t mean you are lacking in any way.”
“I know, but—”
“No but. Her midlife-esque crisis has nothing to do with you.”
Lia sighed.
“I think you should do it.”
“Do what?” Lia asked, even though she knew what Sally meant.
“I think you should date, have fun, put yourself out there, have a fling. All of it. It will be good for you.”
“Yeah, I just—”
“Lia, you are the girl who came out to her parents, her very Catholic parents, at sixteen. You’re the girl who went to college a thousand miles from home. You are the girl who knows what she wants and is fearless. Where is that girl? Where is that woman?”
Like so many other times in her life, Sally managed to say what Lia had wanted her mother to say, to value the parts of her that her mother never quite understood. Lia found herself wondering if she would have been brave enough to be that girl if she and Sally had not been friends. She didn’t want to consider how different a person she might be.
“Lia?”
“Sorry.” She brought her focus back to the conversation. “You’re right. You are absolutely right. I’m going to do it.”
“Thatta girl. I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
Chapter Fourteen
Alex rang the bell at Lia’s apartment at 7:00 on the dot. To her surprise, she found herself nervous. Alex couldn’t remember the last time a date made her nervous. She rolled her shoulders a couple of times and tried to shake it off.
When Lia opened the door, her nerves were promptly replaced with a shot of pure lust. Lia’s hair was swept up into some sort of twist, but there were bits that had escaped to curl softly around her face. She wore a black dress that revealed a tantalizing hint of cleavage. It was a deceptively simple cut, seemingly to simultaneously hug every single one of her curves while flowing and falling almost modestly to a hem right above her knees.
Alex swallowed and tried not to be obvious. “You look fabulous.”
“Thank you, and likewise.”
“Thanks. We’re going to drive since we’re heading to the East End, but you’ll want a coat anyway. It’ll be in the twenties by the time we’re done with dinner.”
The last thing Alex wanted Lia to do was cover up, but it would only be for a little while. She wanted Lia to shiver, but not from cold.
“I’ve got one right here.” Lia took a coat from a hook by the door and slipped it on. “So, where is it we’re going?”
“A surprise.
It’s a little out of the way place, a favorite of P-town’s old literary set.”
Lia picked up her purse. “You had me at ‘out of the way.’”
Ciro and Sal’s was indeed out of the way, at least from Lia’s daily routine of walking between her apartment and the café. The sign on the street was small and unobtrusive, the entrance down a narrow gravel driveway. The inside was warm and dimly lit. Exposed brick walls and wine barrels made the entire restaurant feel like an old wine cellar. Candles and Chianti bottles sat on every table.
They were shown to a small table against one of the walls. The dining room was by no means full, but there were couples and small groups at more than a few tables. Lia took her seat and looked around.
“How is it I never knew this place existed?”
Alex smiled at her. “How many times have you been to Provincetown?”
Lia thought for a moment. “Four or five. My ex and I came here for a few days every other summer or so.”
“Well, it’s not completely hidden from tourists, but it is past most of the galleries, so you aren’t likely to happen upon it. And it’s definitely not one of the hot spots, if you know what I mean.”
Lia nodded. Dani leaned toward the trendy, the exclusive. She’d never pick something so old school. “I do.”
They shared an order of bruschetta and an arugula salad with capers and lemon. When their main courses arrived, Alex glanced over at Lia’s capellini with tomatoes and mussels.
“I have entree envy.”
Lia laughed, feeling ridiculously charmed. “I’ll share. As long as I can try yours, too.”
Alex cut off a bite of her chicken and held the fork out. “As a gesture of good faith, you get the first bite.”
*
In Alex’s car, there was jazz playing. Low and languid, the saxophone and trumpet made Lia think of the hot, humid nights she spent lying outside looking at the stars and thinking about the girls she wanted to kiss. Despite the chill outside, the air in the car felt warm and thick.
Lia indulged herself in a long, slow look at Alex while she drove. She was wearing black pants and a French blue button-down, a charcoal gray pea coat, black boots. Lia tried to study the cuff links she’d noticed at the restaurant, but it was too dim. She thought you could learn a lot about a person based on the cuff links they wore, not to mention the fact that they wore cuff links in the first place. It seemed like the more she learned, the more she liked.
There was no denying the physical attraction. Lia felt it the day they met. She felt it the next day and the day after; she felt it when she was near Alex and when she was alone. More than once, Lia had skimmed her hands over her skin when she was in bed, or the bath. She touched herself while imagining Alex’s hands, Alex’s mouth, on her body. Thinking of that now, Lia couldn’t help but to squirm, relishing the sexual tension that had eluded her for so many months. She wondered if the feeling was mutual.
She tried to conjure Sally’s words of encouragement. That dinner had most definitely been a date. There was nothing wrong with letting the attraction play out. She didn’t have to throw herself at Alex. She just had to make it clear the door was open. Doing so had never been a decision she’d made consciously. It felt both empowering and terrifying.
The drive was, once again, a short one. Alex pulled her car up behind Lia’s and put it into park. Before she could stop herself, Lia heard herself inviting Alex in. “Can I interest you in a nightcap?”
If she was surprised by the invitation, Alex showed no sign of it. Lia tried to tamp down the flutter of anxiety that appeared in her belly. It was fine. People did this all the time.
“You most certainly can.”
See? All the time. Lia unlocked the door and stepped inside, holding it open for Alex to follow her. She flipped on the lights in the kitchen and set down her purse. She draped both of their coats over the wingback chair heading into the living room.
“I haven’t stocked a full bar, but I have a Cabernet, a Chardonnay, and bourbon.”
“Bourbon?” Alex raised an eyebrow. “A woman after my own heart. I’d love a nip of bourbon.”
“On the rocks or neat?”
“When it’s cold, always neat.”
“Now you’re a woman after my own heart.” Alex made the conversation easy, but still, Lia was grateful to have something to do. She poured a couple fingers of Maker’s into each of a pair of highball glasses. She walked over to Alex, handed her one, and motioned to the couch. “Shall we?”
They sat and sipped. Alex looked around. “This really is a great place. It has a lot of character for a rental.”
Lia couldn’t decide if Alex was nervous or just trying to help Lia relax. Or maybe this was the kind of conversation two people had before having sex. She willed herself to calm down and play along, see where things went. “Right? It’s funny, but when I saw this room with all the bookshelves, I was hooked. I figured it’s always good to be surrounded by books, even if they aren’t mine.”
Alex laughed. “Spoken like a true English major.”
Lia caught herself fidgeting and made a point of keeping her hands still. She fought the urge to think about what she should do, what signals she should try to send. The bourbon, after the wine with dinner, made it a little bit easier for her to quiet that usually overactive part of her mind. Of course, Alex seemed perfectly at ease. She’d probably done this before. Lia reminded herself that was exactly what she wanted—not a relationship, not a negotiation, just a night with an attractive, engaging, unattached woman.
She put her hand on Alex’s arm when she talked. She curled one foot under her and leaned in to listen. She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and made eye contact. Although she couldn’t bring herself to make the first move, she sent all the signals she could.
Lia looked down and realized that Alex’s hand was on her leg. It was a really great hand, strong from all the hours of kneading and shaping dough. It was a little rough, but impeccably clean. She had a thing for hands, and it was so easy for her to imagine how Alex’s would feel on her, inside of her. She drained the last of her bourbon and set the glass on the coffee table.
It must have been the opening Alex was waiting for. She set aside her own glass and leaned in very close. About six inches away from her, Alex paused, as though waiting for permission to proceed. Lia swallowed in anticipation.
Alex’s lips were on hers. They were firm and soft at the same time; they were warm and tasted faintly of bourbon. Lia’s body, like a slingshot pulled as tight as it could go, snapped alive. Her blood raced through her veins and her skin grew hot. She felt herself grow wet. There was an immediacy, an intensity, in her desire that she’d never experienced before. It was scary and exhilarating at the same time and she wanted more of it.
Lia slipped her hand to the back of Alex’s neck and into her hair. Her other hand went around Alex’s waist, trying to bring her closer. She felt Alex grasp at the clip holding her hair and then felt it fall loose. Alex’s hands were tugging at it gently, tilting Lia’s head back and exposing her neck. Alex’s lips moved to her jawline, down her neck.
Lia arched her back. Her breasts were throbbing, desperate to be touched. Alex obliged, tracing her lips down the neckline of Lia’s dress and running her hand up Lia’s side to cup her breast. Alex bit at her nipple through the fabric. Lia, growing desperate, heard herself saying Alex’s name, along with “yes” and “please,” over and over.
In one swift, skilled move, Alex shifted and Lia found herself lying on the couch with Alex over her. She felt Alex’s belt buckle press into her hip, Alex’s thigh nestled between her own. The reality of what she was doing hit Lia suddenly. It felt like she’d just gone screaming past the point of no return.
Alex’s body tensed, as though she sensed Lia’s hesitation. She pulled back and looked at Lia. “You okay?”
Lia struggled to find words. “I…uh…mmm hmm.”
Alex continued to look at her intently. “Are you su
re? Because we can stop. I don’t want you to feel pressured.”
She didn’t have to do it. Alex had given her an out. Knowing that made Lia realize just how much she didn’t want Alex to stop. “I don’t. Feel pressured, I mean. I don’t want you to stop. Please don’t stop.”
Alex smiled and kissed her again, more slowly than before. She moved her free hand to Lia’s leg, starting at her ankle and running it up to her knee and under the hem of her dress. As her hand slid higher, Lia felt her fingertips graze the top of her stockings, the clasp of her garter belt.
The hand froze and Lia felt a stab of panic. Was it too much? Too girly? Too straight? When Alex leaned away, she feared she’d managed to turn Alex completely off.
Alex slid the hem of her dress up, exposing Lia’s leg. After what felt like an eternity, she tore her gaze away and locked eyes with Lia. “You are gorgeous.”
The relief was palpable, and the hunger she saw in Alex’s eyes made her suddenly glad she’d opted for the garters. She blushed and resisted the desire to cover herself. Instead, she smiled, ready to let herself be devoured.
Alex untied her dress and spread it open. After trailing kisses across her breasts and down her belly, Alex ran her tongue up and under each garter while her hands kneaded Lia’s buttocks. Lia’s hips continued to move, lifting and pressing against Alex’s touch. Lia felt Alex’s fingers slide up the seam of her panties. She’d soaked them through and Alex knew it.
With tortuously slow deliberation, Alex unhooked each of the garters. When Alex leaned back, Lia whimpered. Alex removed her shoes, then slowly slid the stockings down her legs. Her skin felt so hot; she thought she might burst into flames right there on the sofa. Alex trailed her fingers from ankle to thigh. She hooked her fingers into the waist of Lia’s panties and inched them down.
Lia lifted her hips, desperate to have Alex on her, inside of her. When she feared she might be on the verge of begging, Alex’s tongue found her, pushing her over the edge. Lia thought she called out Alex’s name, but she couldn’t be sure. The orgasm ripped through her hard and quick. It left her breathless and aching for more.