Twice Shy

by Aurora Rey

  Once she was alone, she contemplated the laundry and the yoga and all the other chores she generally busied herself with. But still, she didn’t get up. Instead, she sipped her coffee and shut off the worry about Daniella’s weird behavior and Mel standing at the oven in her pajamas and how she probably needed to do something about both those things. And she thought about Quinn and the way Quinn made love to her and how soon they might be able to do it again.

  * * *

  “Second date, huh?” Kiera gave Quinn a look of suspicion over the rim of her coffee cup.

  “There’s no reason to sound so surprised.” Aside from the fact she’d only managed a couple of second dates after a couple dozen fix-ups. Zero third dates. And not a single hookup to speak of.

  Kiera smacked her lips together, clearly dismissing the assertion. “So, what, ten more and maybe you’ll think about sleeping together?”

  She pressed her own lips together, but silently. Her way of saying nothing and everything at the same time.

  “You didn’t.”

  She angled her head.

  “Oh, my God. You did.”

  She sipped her coffee, enjoying the emotions play so clearly across her sister’s face. “Again, there’s no reason to sound so surprised.”

  Kiera folded her arms and leaned forward on the table. “I beg to differ.”

  “Okay. I’ll give you that one.” As much as she didn’t relish discussing her sex life with her sisters, they knew she’d been celibate for the last two years. Kiera harassed her about it, Alana respected it, but both of them had started to worry about it.

  “Tell me everything.”

  “I will not.”

  Kiera frowned. “Come on. Not the X-rated version or anything, but something. Even Alana won’t let you get away with complete silence.”

  She could be vague, or coy, but she decided to be honest. “It was worth the wait.”

  “Worth it as in the sex was good or as in you’re falling for this woman?”

  A loaded question to be sure. One she wasn’t ready to answer, even to herself. “I’m going to say the former, but that still doesn’t mean I’m giving you the details.”

  Kiera’s gaze narrowed. “You say that, but there’s something in your eyes that has nothing to do with being a prude. You’ve got feelings.”

  She shook her head, as though doing so would somehow prevent it from being too real. “I think that’s a bit premature.”

  “Maybe, but it doesn’t make it not true.” Kiera twisted a piece of hair around her finger, her signature fidget when she was worried about something. “How far gone are you?” Kiera’s reaction did more to stress her out than her feelings. Well, maybe not more, but as much as, at least.

  “Not that far.”

  “We need to meet her. Stat.”

  Quinn lifted her hands, as though the gesture might defend her against the demand. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. We are not there yet. Two dates, remember?”

  “But pseudo dates before. You said as much. And you slept together. You don’t do that lightly.”

  She could pretend or say otherwise, but it would be a lie. “I like her. We click better than I’ve clicked with anyone in a long time. It doesn’t mean we’re in serious relationship territory.”

  “You don’t have to be engaged to let your sisters meet the woman.”

  Quinn raised a brow.

  “What? We wouldn’t give her the third degree.”

  “No. We wouldn’t.” Quinn put extra emphasis on the “we” because it wasn’t Alana she worried about. Or Xinxin or Gary, for that matter.

  Kiera frowned. “I see what you’re doing there.”

  “I wasn’t trying to be subtle.”

  “Do you really not want us to meet her?”

  She’d been mostly teasing, so the look of genuine concern on Kiera’s face gave her pause. “I’m sure you’d be gracious and lovely. If things keep going well, then soon. I promise.”

  Like a switch being flipped, Kiera’s demeanor changed. Worried to victorious in exactly two seconds. “Fantastic. You name the day. I’ll host. Ooh, or better. We can get a babysitter and do a triple date.”

  Quinn shook her head. Kiera shouldn’t be able to play her so easily at this point. Yet here they were. “One day, I’m not going to fall for it, you know.”

  “Fall for what?” Her smile was all innocence.

  “Don’t you need to get to work or something?”

  “No, I’m killing time until the Chamber lunch at twelve.”

  Quinn drained the rest of her coffee. She should start going to those again. They were good for networking, which she didn’t mind when networking wasn’t code for speed dating. “Well, I should probably get to work.”

  Kiera smirked. “That’s what she said.”

  Quinn groaned on principle. “You’re impossible.”

  “Give me a break. I spend most of my days tailoring my sense of humor to the under ten crowd.”

  “Fair enough. I should get to the office, though. We’re pitching for the new Planned Parenthood annex.”

  Her eyes lit up. “You are?”

  “They’re far enough along in the capital campaign to take bids. It’ll be a while, but they’re getting there.”

  “Day made. It almost makes up for you holding out on me.”

  Quinn stood and slung her messenger bag over her shoulder. “I’m not holding out.”

  “I’ll concede the point when I meet her. What’s her name again?”

  “Amanda.”

  “And she’s divorced? With kids?”

  She could literally see Kiera filing away the details. “Yes, on both counts. College age, though, or one in and one starting.”

  Kiera nodded slowly. “I like it.”

  Quinn chuckled in spite of herself. “I’m so glad you approve.”

  “Don’t be a jerk.” Even as she said it, she stood to give Quinn a hug. “Love you.”

  “Love you back.”

  “See you Sunday?”

  “Yes. Solo, but yes.”

  Kiera sighed. “Baby steps.”

  Quinn left the café and headed to her office. It wasn’t hard to imagine Amanda at one of their big family dinners. Maybe after her parents were back from their trip. Ironically, more people seemed to make for less pressure or, at least, less chance too much attention would end up focused on her.

  Just as easily as she could imagine it, it struck her that she knew virtually nothing about Amanda’s extended family. And hardly anything about her kids. Really, she and Amanda hadn’t spent all that much time together. Maybe it was a sign she should slow down. Well, if not her moves, then her imagination. Because no matter how timid she might still be in the moves department, it wouldn’t take much for her imagination to get the better of her.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Amanda opened the back door of the bakery and found herself face-to-face with a giant curtain of plastic sheeting. The banging she’d heard from the parking lot was even more pronounced inside. The whine of a saw—it was a saw, right?—joined in. “Hello?”

  No response. Not that she expected one. She didn’t know how anyone could hear anything over the racket.

  She parted the curtain and stepped through. White dust filled the air like a fog, giving her new appreciation for why half her bakery was draped in plastic. A couple of guys she didn’t recognize moved around the space, clearly the ones responsible for the sawing and banging. One of them looked her way.

  “Are Quinn and Joss here?” she asked.

  He angled his head toward the front of the bakery. “That way.”

  “Thanks.”

  He offered her a nod and resumed his work. Efficient. She liked it.

  Even though it felt silly, she plopped the hard hat on her head and tiptoed her way through the construction, thinking maybe it would have been better to go back the way she’d come and around to the front of the building. Too late now.

  It took her a minute to find the opening i
n the plastic this time. She felt around like a slapstick comedian who couldn’t make it through a stage curtain. Unlike a comedian, she resisted the urge to flail her arms.

  She found Quinn and Joss poring over blueprints spread out on a makeshift table made from sawhorses. “The brain trust is hard at work early, it seems.”

  Both women looked her way and smiled. She’d already developed a soft spot for Joss. Between her butch contractor aesthetic and her keen attention to detail, it would be hard not to. Truth be told, though, she had eyes only for Quinn. She was dressed like a contractor today—work pants and a plaid button-down over a navy T-shirt. And boots. Who knew she had a thing for women in work boots?

  “Good morning,” they said in unison. It was kind of adorable, really.

  “I thought I’d check on the progress.” She crossed the room to where they stood. “I might have also brought breakfast for the crew. You know, to stay in their good graces.”

  Joss folded her arms. “Are you implying my crew needs to be bribed?”

  Her tone was teasing, but Amanda wanted to stay in her good graces, too. “Not bribed. Appreciated.”

  “Oh, well, then. Appreciate away.”

  “It’s all out in my car.”

  “Would you like a tour first?” Quinn asked.

  “Yes. Yes, I would.” Quinn probably wouldn’t kiss her in front of Joss, but a tiny part of her wanted her to.

  “Excellent. Joss, would you like to do the honors?”

  “It would be my pleasure.” Joss bowed, but when she stood, she winked at Amanda. “Especially if there’s breakfast to be had.”

  “I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

  They started with the blueprints. Amanda had seen them at least a dozen times before, but not like this, where Joss could point to a line on the page and indicate exactly where and how that line translated to her space. Next came the good part—large openings in the walls. Joss gestured for her to walk through, so she did. Then back. And back again.

  A decidedly unprofessional giggle escaped. “Sorry.”

  “You should never apologize for joy,” Joss said without missing a beat.

  “What she said, one hundred percent.” Quinn hooked a thumb at Joss.

  “Thanks for that. I don’t want to say I can’t believe it’s happening because you’re both professionals and I trust you. But a little part of me can’t believe this is happening.”

  “Totally allowed,” Quinn said.

  Joss nodded. “We’ve got all the old paneling out and are cleaning up the electric on this side.”

  “Already?”

  Joss led the way around the room, pointing out where new outlets would be. “As soon as we get the insulation in and the new wall framed, the drywall and wainscoting can go up.”

  “And you do that before floors, right?”

  “Yes, but the flooring arrived yesterday. We’ve got it up front where the new counter will be.”

  “Oh, that’s exciting.” She’d been disappointed the original floors couldn’t be salvaged, but then Joss had introduced her to the world of ceramic tile crafted to look like wood. The durability and ease of cleaning won her over in about two seconds.

  “Would you like to see it?” Quinn looked at her with a smile she couldn’t quite read.

  “Yes, please.”

  Instead of going back the way they’d come, they kept going. The wall that would divide the decorating room from the seating area hadn’t been framed yet, but Joss indicated where it would go. Amanda paused and turned back, taking a second to appreciate how much room she was going to have. The blueprints hadn’t been able to do it justice. She let out a contented sigh and followed Quinn and Joss around to the front of the bakery.

  Quinn put a hand under her elbow. “Watch your step right here. The subfloor is uneven.”

  The casual touch shouldn’t have made her heart beat faster, but it did. And despite being in the middle of a construction zone and getting her first peek at what her bakery would look like when the work was done, all she could think about was Quinn putting her hands in all sorts of other places.

  “Is everything okay? I know it can be hard to imagine the finished product when everything is such a mess.”

  Amanda shook her head, wanting to dispel the concern in Quinn’s eyes. “No, no. It’s perfect. I got a little distracted is all.”

  Joss offered an encouraging smile. “It can feel like sensory overload at times.”

  It was sensory overload all right, but not the kind Joss had in mind. She laughed. “That must be it.”

  Quinn took a few steps and turned around, expanding her arms wide. “So, this is where your display counter and register was.” She shuffled ninety degrees. “And this is where they will be.”

  She enjoyed Quinn’s gesture as much as she did imagining how it would look. “It’s going to be perfect.”

  Quinn tipped her head and lifted a shoulder. “I’m not sure about perfect, but I think it’s going to work.”

  Joss lifted her chin. “Hey, speak for yourself. I’m aiming for perfection.”

  “I only mean perfection is a problematic term when it comes to old buildings.”

  Watching the two of them debate the semantics of perfection was beyond cute. “How about perfectly imperfect? Can we agree on that?”

  Both Quinn and Joss seemed willing to concede the point. They finished the tour and Quinn helped Amanda bring in the treats she’d brought for the crew. As much as she wanted to linger, she didn’t want to be in the way. Or impede progress. She thanked Joss and said her good-byes, but Quinn offered to walk her out.

  “I didn’t expect to see you this morning. It was a pleasant surprise,” Quinn said once they were out in the parking lot.

  “Likewise.”

  “Are we still on for dinner tonight?” Quinn looked at her hopefully.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Are you sure there’s nothing I can bring?”

  She contemplated answers for a moment, then decided why the hell not. She looked down for a second, then into Quinn’s eyes. “You could bring a bag.”

  Any worry or hesitation she had over being so forward evaporated as she watched confusion, understanding, and arousal play across Quinn’s face in rapid succession. Quinn swallowed, but didn’t speak.

  “No pressure, of course. But we’ll have the house to ourselves and it might be nice not to think about driving home.”

  Quinn nodded slowly. “Very practical.”

  She smirked. “That’s me.”

  “I like that about you.” The comment was innocent, but Quinn stared at Amanda’s mouth as she said it.

  “So, I’ll see you around six?”

  “You most certainly will.” Amanda made to open her car door, but Quinn took her hand. She glanced briefly at the building, then back at Amanda. “How would you feel about me kissing you in your parking lot in broad daylight?”

  She appreciated that Quinn asked, but appreciated even more that Quinn wanted to. “I feel very positively about it.”

  “Oh, good.” Quinn closed the distance between them and slid her mouth over Amanda’s.

  Her eyes closed instinctively, but sunlight caressed her eyelids. The breeze teased the hair at the base of her neck. Quinn’s hand cupped her cheek in a way that was familiar at this point, but there was a novelty in the combination of sensations. Something that managed to be innocent and suggestive, like the way Quinn had looked at her a moment before.

  When Quinn eased away, she almost whimpered. She settled for a blissful sigh.

  Quinn grinned. “I’m going to have to do that again. Is that okay?”

  “Yes, please.”

  The second kiss had more heat than the first and left her tempted to pull Quinn inside. Too bad there wasn’t a square foot of privacy to be had in the bakery at the moment. The thought made her giddy. She’d never had sex in the bakery. Would Quinn indulge her? Not today, obviously, but maybe before she reopened.

 
“What? What are you thinking right now?”

  She shook her head, suddenly embarrassed. “Only that I should let you get back to work and I don’t really want to.”

  Not untrue, and it made Quinn smile. “I’ll see you soon.”

  “Can’t wait.” Especially now that they’d established Quinn would spend the night.

  * * *

  Quinn returned to the bakery, whistling. Work had stopped. Some of the guys huddled around the boxes Amanda had brought; others stood around with cups of coffee and what appeared to be muffins. Joss stood off to the side on her phone, so she helped herself to a cup of coffee and a muffin. Sure, she’d eaten breakfast only a couple of hours prior, but these were Amanda’s muffins.

  She took a bite and suppressed a moan, if only because she was surrounded by construction workers. It had all the elements of coffee cake—a cinnamon swirl through the middle and crumb topping. She sipped her coffee and let out a contented sigh. She’d never had a baker for a girlfriend before. Not that they were officially in girlfriend territory, but she liked the idea of moving in that direction.

  When her phone buzzed, she set down the coffee and pulled it from her pocket. Seeing Amanda’s name made her smile. She swiped her thumb across the screen to read the message. There was something I wanted to ask you earlier, but I chickened out.

  Considering Amanda had asked her to spend the night, her curiosity piqued. What’s that?

  Um.

  What could she possibly be shy about now? Go on. TBH, I can’t imagine saying no.

  She hit send, then realized maybe the question wasn’t a request. Maybe Amanda wanted to know her sexual history. Or maybe it was something about the bakery. Maybe she was unhappy with something and felt uncomfortable bringing it up. Maybe—

  I wanted to make a request for your overnight bag.

  Pajama preferences? Maybe Amanda didn’t like her cologne. Or maybe she—

  I was hoping you’d pack.