by Aurora Rey
She checked her reflection in the rear-view mirror. Even with the makeup she’d put on, there were noticeable dark circles under her eyes. Her hair was still protesting its time in Louisiana and was more frizz than curl. Even pulling it back into a twist hadn’t managed to tame it entirely. Although part of her wanted to check into a hotel and freshen up, she couldn’t bear to put this off any longer.
Lia climbed out of her car and stretched her stiff muscles. She smoothed the fabric of her dress, grateful that it wasn’t too terribly wrinkled. She locked her car and walked in the direction of The Flour Pot.
*
Alex peeked out of the kitchen. The flow of customers was steady. She was glad she’d brought on some of her seasonal help early. In addition to keeping the front of house running smoothly, it allowed her to spend most of her time in the back.
She was glad to spend most of her time baking. Working with her hands was good for her mind and her spirit. It also required enough physical exertion that she was able to tumble into bed and fall asleep, despite the emptiness next to her. There was the added relief of being able to avoid glancing over at Lia’s table, only to find it empty or occupied by strangers, or looking at the door every time it opened, hoping to see Lia walk through.
Alex was certain those feelings, those tendencies, would fade over time. It had been only a week, so it was natural that everything was still so fresh. She’d broken her policy against falling in love, but it wasn’t the end of the world. Time, along with the company of some pretty and uncomplicated women, would heal all wounds. At least, that was what she kept telling herself.
Annoyed that she was giving herself yet another pep talk, Alex squared her shoulders and went back to work. Since Lia’s departure, she’d decided to take up chocolate work again. In addition to having some pretty additions to the display case, the work required a fairly intense level of concentration. Tempering was a precise task and it kept her mind from other things.
As she began the process of dipping the truffles she’d rolled the night before, Alex’s mind began to wander. She imagined having a bowl of perfectly tempered chocolate and Lia naked in her bed. She would drizzle the warm liquid over Lia’s belly, her breasts. She would slowly lick the chocolate from Lia’s nipples, then work her way down. Lia’s scent would mingle with the aroma of the chocolate. Alex imagined having the tastes mingling in her mouth.
Jeff pushed through the swinging door, snapping Alex back to reality. She realized that she was gripping the edge of the table, practically panting with want. It took a fair amount of restraint not to throw the bowl of chocolate across the room.
“Whoa, Chef. You okay?”
Alex shook her head to chase away the images that had invaded her mind. “Yeah, sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment.”
“I didn’t mean to interrupt you.” Jeff seemed unusually hesitant. “There’s, uh, someone here to see you.”
Alex scowled. She couldn’t think of anyone she wanted to see, much less talk to. “Okay. Give me a minute to clean up and I’ll be out. Who is it?”
The question was posed to a swinging door. Alex shook her head, stripped off her gloves, and washed her hands. She set her chocolate on a heating pad to stay warm and headed out to see who was asking for her in the middle of the lunch rush.
She looked around. There were plenty of familiar faces, but none of them were looking at her expectantly. She was about to holler for Jeff when she turned and saw Lia standing down at the end of the bar with her hands clasped and a look of nervous anticipation on her face.
It took everything she had not to close the distance between them and sweep Lia into a long and lingering kiss. Instead, she walked toward her slowly. Feelings of hurt and of hope warred for dominance. “Lia.”
“I’m sorry to show up in the middle of the afternoon rush. Between the drive and the traffic, my timing is all off.”
“Did you drive all the way to Louisiana? And back?”
Lia blushed. It seemed downright daft when Alex said it out loud. “I did.”
“Let’s go outside so we can talk.”
Alex was willing to talk. That was encouraging. Lia nodded, allowing Alex to lead the way through the kitchen and out back. Once they were outside, essentially in Alex’s backyard, Alex leaned against the back of one of a pair of Adirondack chairs. It was obvious she was waiting for Lia to do the talking.
Lia took a deep breath. This was it. Alex was looking at her so intently, it was impossible to concentrate. She opened her mouth and the entire speech she’d prepared during her twenty plus hours in the car vanished. Undeterred, she launched in.
“I’m sorry. I was scared and I was stupid and I hurt you. I cannot express how sorry I am for that.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.” Breathe. “Second, Dani is nothing to me. Everything that happened has nothing to do with me wanting to be with her. I let her manipulate me. I let her talk me into doubting myself, doubting you. She knows every button to push, and when there is something she wants, she doesn’t give a fuck about the collateral damage of pushing them. That ability comes from the length of our relationship and my own insecurities, not my feelings for her, or my feelings for you, for that matter.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.” Lia paused, wondering if literally flinging herself at Alex’s feet would be moving or pathetic. She looked at Alex, whose expression gave nothing away.
“Okay. Is there a third?”
Lia realized suddenly that, in her desperation to apologize and explain, she’d neglected the most important part. “Yes, there is a third. Third, I love you. I am completely, totally, one hundred percent, over-the-moon in love with you. I have been, I think, since those first afternoons in the café when you came to my table and we talked. I’d convinced myself I had no business falling in love, so I convinced myself I wasn’t. Or at least I tried to.”
Lia stepped forward and took Alex’s hands in her own. “I love you Alex McKinnon. I love you and I want to be with you.” She freed one hand to swipe away a tear. She grasped the hand again, adding, “If you’ll have me.”
It was, essentially, the moment Alex had fantasized about since Lia left. It was the moment she’d begun to convince herself wasn’t going to happen. As much as she wanted it, she needed more. She needed to understand. “So what changed your mind? Why did you come back?”
Lia looked away for a second, then replied sheepishly. “Sally convinced me I was…I believe her phrase of choice was lily-livered ninny.”
Alex raised an eyebrow.
“She’s got kids. She’s gotten rather creative in her use of non-cursing insults.”
“Ah.” Alex’s heart did a little flip inside her chest. Still, maybe she did want Lia to squirm a bit. “It took a trip to Louisiana and a week of nagging to convince you?”
Lia cleared her throat. “No. No, it did not. It took me three days to get to Louisiana, two more to sulk. She effectively convinced me I was an idiot in a single morning. I spent one night with my parents and then got back on the road.”
“Well, when you put it that way.”
“Look, Alex, I know I’m probably the last person you feel like you can believe right now. I’m not asking to just pick up where we left off. I’m asking for a chance, and we can go as slow as—”
Alex cut her off. “Where are your things?”
“My things?”
“You moved out of your apartment. Where did you put all your stuff?”
The abrupt shift left Lia confused. Alex could see it in her eyes. Rather than offering any clarification, she crossed her arms and waited.
Eventually, Lia half-shrugged. “Everything’s still in my car.”
“There’s a closet and a dresser and half a bookcase cleared out for you upstairs. That should hold most of it for now.”
Alex watched realization dawn on Lia’s face. It was quickly followed by a look of guilt. “You did that for me?”
“I did, the day I asked yo
u to move in. I guess I was being optimistic.”
Lia cringed. “I’m so sorry I freaked out and ran away.”
Alex looked at the woman who’d stolen her heart. She was here, in the flesh. Alex reveled in the incredible lightness that filled her chest. She happily shoved aside all of the fears and worries that it might be over, that she might have to figure out a life without Lia. Then she smiled. “I considered posting a want ad for a lesbian with a U-Haul, but I didn’t have the heart.”
Lia thrilled at the gleam in Alex’s eye. She allowed herself a glimmer of hope before shaking her head. “I really fucked everything up, didn’t I?”
Alex took Lia’s face in her hands. “Yes, but you’re fixing it now. And, it just so happens that I’m still madly in love with you.”
Alex leaned in and kissed her. Lia felt her knees go weak and her skin grow warm. Why she ever considered giving this up seemed suddenly absurd. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that.”
“Good. Now it’s your turn to listen. First, don’t ever run away again. If we have a problem, we work through it. Together.”
Lia smiled, still feeling a little sheepish. “Okay.”
“Second. I mean it. Don’t ever ever do that again.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.” Alex squeezed her.
Lia leaned back. “Okay. Is there a third?”
Alex kissed her again. “Yeah, there’s a third. Welcome home.”
About the Author
Aurora Rey grew up in a small town in south Louisiana, daydreaming about New England. She keeps a special place in her heart for the South, especially the food and the ways women are raised to be strong, even if they’re taught not to show it. After a brief dalliance with biochemistry, she completed both a B.A. and an M.A. in English.
When she’s not writing or at her day job in higher education, she moonlights as a baker and is slightly addicted to Pinterest. She loves to cook and dreams of a big farmhouse in the country with a garden and some goats. She lives in Ithaca, New York, with her partner and two dogs.
Aurora can be contacted at [email protected]
Website: www.aurorarey.com
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