Just One Moment

by Dena Blake

  “She doesn’t work in this office?”

  “Nope. She’s in the Atlanta branch now. She transferred there a couple of weeks before your accident. She’s been traveling back and forth since you’ve been out.”

  “I knew about the transfer?”

  Amber nodded. “After you got the promotion, you made it happen. I hear you gave her an awesome recommendation.”

  “So, she’s in charge in Atlanta?” Something was terribly wrong with this picture.

  “Technically, no. You’re in charge everywhere, at least you will be when you come back, but she’s higher up than she was here. Some people in the office grumbled about that.”

  She took out her phone, scrolled through the list of names in her contacts, and didn’t see Lila’s. “Do you have her cell number?” She clicked on the button to create a new contact.

  “I do.” Amber picked up her phone from the desk and opened her contacts. “You ready?” She nodded, and Amber rattled off the number.

  When she started to save it, the number came up under the contact of Work main. What the fuck? She closed her eyes and realized she hadn’t put it in under Lila’s name for some reason. Why would she do that? “Don’t tell her about this conversation, okay?” She turned and looked into Amber’s eyes, knowing tears were ready to spill out of her own.

  Amber seemed to get it and pulled her into a hug. “I won’t say a word. Promise.”

  “Thanks.” She turned quickly and sped out the door, managing to make it to the parking lot before the first tear ran down her cheek. She stopped, took a breath, and swiped it from her face before she slid into her car.

  All of Whitney’s vague answers from last night made sense now. She and Chloe had more than drifted apart, and one of them had moved on. She didn’t know which one and why, but her gut told her she wasn’t innocent in whatever had happened. She had to find her newer journals.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chloe was completely surprised when she saw Shay pull into a parking space in front of the gallery. She’d picked up the rental car her insurance provided when Shay came home but hadn’t realized she’d been released for driving yet. The vision she saw get out of the car made something stir deep in her belly. Shay was dressed in a flower-patterned, sleeveless sundress and sandals. Her hair was swept up into a short ponytail that exposed the beauty of her long, luscious neck and the space where it met her jaw. The perfect place, one that Chloe used to love to kiss.

  Stop! She shook the thought from her mind before she met Shay at the door and opened it for her. “Hey, this is a nice surprise.”

  Shay tilted her head and raised her eyebrows. “Is it?”

  “Of course it is. I just didn’t know Rachel had cleared you to drive yet.”

  “Some decisions I can make on my own.” Shay seemed irritated by the comment, but then she smiled. “I wanted to come help you clean up since I had to leave early last night.”

  “Oh, okay—” All she heard was the door clang shut before Shay swept her into her arms and kissed her with intent, but also with tenderness. Chloe didn’t fight. She let herself fall into it, feel every moment of it, from the soft sweetness of Shay’s lips to the magic of her tongue as it slipped across her own lips and into her mouth. Sweet Lord, she’d forgotten how good it felt to be kissed so thoroughly and with such care and glorious passion. She’d been kissed by many women in her life, but never, ever like she’d been by Shay. She silenced the voices in her head telling her to stop, let her arms snake around Shay’s waist, and kissed her back with all she had. And she enjoyed it.

  When they parted, Shay touched her lips gently again with hers and stared into her eyes. “Sorry. I’ve been wanting to do that since last night,” she whispered. “But there were too many distractions, too many people around.”

  She fell back against the doorway, rested for a few minutes trying to find her balance and cool the heat consuming her body.

  Shay left her there, moved across the gallery, and said, “Now, what can I do to help?”

  Chloe cleared her throat, found her footing. “Well, there’s not a whole lot to do. I’ve just been cleaning up the remnants from last night.” She scooped up a cup that had been left on the window-display platform. “You know how people find the oddest places to leave their trash.”

  “Even though there’s a garbage can in every corner.” Shay picked up a feather duster from the counter and started swiping it across the framed and glassed watercolors.

  Chloe chuckled. “Exactly.” She couldn’t help but smile at Shay as she wandered around the gallery from painting to painting, dusting them and making sure they were all perfectly straight. She was so much more like the woman Chloe fell in love with and yet still so different.

  “The gallery is a success. You’ve done wonders with it.”

  “That’s the most depressing thing I’ve heard in weeks.”

  “What?” Shay’s sundress flew up as she spun around. “I meant it as a compliment.”

  The garbage can rattled as she dropped the trash she’d collected into it. “I don’t want to run the gallery. I don’t want to deal with the books. I don’t want to handle advertising. I don’t want any of that. I just want to paint.” She pushed the curtain aside and stepped into the back room.

  Shay followed her. “Okay. Then I’ll run it.”

  “You can’t do that. You already have a job.” She picked up a stack of invoices and dropped them onto the desk again.

  “Not right now.” Shay took some papers from the desk and fingered through them.

  “But you’ll be going back to it soon.”

  Three stacks of papers turned into two as Shay sorted them. “When I go back, it’ll probably be part-time to begin with.”

  “I can’t ask you to do that. It would be too much.”

  “Tell you what. I’ll take over the books for now, make sure they’re in good shape, and then we can find an accountant. We can also hire someone to work the gallery during the days it’s open and help out during events. That’ll give you more time to paint.”

  “You’d do all that?”

  “Of course. I’d do anything for you.” Shay stared into her eyes, and Chloe could see she was sincere.

  Her eyes began to well with the impact of the statement. She looked away and cleared her throat. “That would really help.” This new Shay was so different from the old one. It wasn’t that Shay hadn’t lent a hand before, but she’d never understood Chloe’s passion for painting the way she seemed to now. Previously, everything had always been black and white with Shay. Chloe’s creativity had remained a mystery to her. Now she seemed to get what it took for Chloe to find the frame of mind she needed to be in to paint, to figure out what came next.

  “I’ll get an ad ready for the paper this week, okay?” Shay said, like it was the easiest thing in the world.

  Relief overwhelmed Chloe. “Okay.” Suddenly all the weight from her shoulders had disappeared. Well, the gallery piece of it anyway. Her personal life was a different story. A couple of months ago she was so ready to move on with Erica, but now she wasn’t so sure. How long would this new Shay last? Would everything fall apart again when her memory returned? Could she take that chance?

  They’d been having a wonderful day getting organized, and then the bell on the door chimed. Shay said she’d get it, so Chloe hadn’t gone out front, but she immediately recognized the voice as Shay greeted the customer. Coffee spilled out of her cup onto the papers in front of her as she launched out of her chair behind the desk. She ran to the bathroom, spun a few paper towels from the roll, and dropped them on top of the spill before she raced to the front of the gallery.

  “Hi, Erica.” She held out her hand. “It’s good to see you.”

  Shay looked uncertain as she spoke. “Oh, you know each other?”

  “Yes.” The back of her neck burned as she tried to calm herself. “Erica has become one of my best customers.”

  “You might say I’m her biggest fan
,” Erica added. A moment passed before she spoke again. “I was just hoping to get a status on that painting I commissioned. The one of the beach?”

  “Right. Yes. I’ve started it but haven’t seen just the right sunset I need to complete it.”

  “Maybe we could have dinner later and discuss that and another project I’d like you to consider.” Erica’s code for “I need to see you immediately.”

  She glanced at Shay, who seemed to be listening intently, taking in the whole conversation. “Do we have anything planned tonight?”

  “No. Not at all.” Shay shook her head. “Go ahead. I’ll just take some of the paperwork we’ve been working on home and catch up on the books.”

  Erica smiled widely. “That’s very generous of you…”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” She motioned between them. “This is Shay…my wife.” The words tumbled out in the weirdest of ways, and she hated herself for that. She was irritated with Erica for showing up unannounced. She’d specifically told her to call or text before she came to the gallery to prevent a situation like this.

  Erica held out her hand “I’m Erica. Pleased to meet you.”

  When she turned back to Chloe, Shay clasped her hand tighter. “Is that like Cher, or do you have a last name?”

  Erica glanced at her hand then back at Shay. “Freeman,” she said slowly, without expression.

  Shay released her hand. “Nice to meet you, Erica Freeman.”

  Erica smiled briefly before she turned her attention to Chloe. “The usual place at sevenish?”

  Damn it, she was being way too familiar, and she was doing it on purpose. “Which place was that again?”

  “That Italian place you like so much,” Erica said.

  “Grattzzi’s?” Shay asked.

  Erica scrunched her eyebrows. “La Terrazza.”

  The grimace that appeared on Shay’s face almost made Chloe burst out laughing. “The place with the server who averaged our drinks? We swore to never go back there.”

  The memory flashed in Chloe’s mind, and she chuckled. “I believe that server has moved on.” The last time they’d eaten there with Jackson and Whitney, the server had neglected to keep count of the beverages they’d ordered and had decided to settle on one an hour for each of them on the bill. “The food is good, and Erica likes it.” She glanced at Erica. “Right?”

  “I do, but I’m fine with Grattzzi’s.”

  “No. La Terrazza is good.” She walked to the door. “I’ll see you there at seven.”

  Shay had remembered that incident correctly. Chloe didn’t particularly like going to La Terrazza, not because of the food, but because of its location. The restaurant was in Ybor City, which was farther away than Grattzzi’s. She’d purposely gone there with Erica because she knew they wouldn’t run into Shay.

  “What was that about?” Shay asked.

  “Grattzzi’s is our place to eat and relax. I don’t want to take customers there.” She smiled. It was true. The restaurant had been special to her since the first time they’d eaten there together, and she hadn’t wanted to share it with anyone else. “Are you sure you’ll be all right tonight without me for a little while?”

  “Yeah. I’ll be fine.” Shay glanced at her phone. “Rachel’s supposed to come by for a therapy session this afternoon. I’ll text her and see if she wants to have dinner.” She worked the keypad with her fingers.

  The knot in Chloe’s stomach resurfaced. Nothing like giving Rachel a perfect opportunity to get even more cozy with Shay. “You’ve become pretty good friends with her, huh?”

  Shay shrugged. “I guess you could say that. She’s smart, funny, and a good listener.” The phone chimed, and she read the message. “She’s in.” She dropped her phone into her bag.

  Amid this whole disaster, Shay had managed to make a friend. She wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that being Rachel. She should be happy that Shay had found someone other than her to confide in, even a possible love interest for her in the future, but she hated it all in the same thought. Deep in Chloe’s heart, she still ached to be the smart, funny girl Shay wanted to talk to and was suddenly very aware that she might lose her again. Why did it matter? She’d moved past that point, hadn’t she?

  “Your therapy sessions are almost done. Do you think you’ll remain friends with Rachel after they’re finished?” She tried to stop the questions from spilling out of her mouth, but something inside her needed to know. “Do you like spending time with her?”

  “Well, yeah. She’s nice and we get along well. She kinda gets me. I think we need to find her a girlfriend, though. Then we can all go out together.” She went to the desk, gathered the laptop and the receipts, and slid them into Chloe’s computer bag.

  Relief washed over Chloe. Rachel’s attempts at flirting hadn’t seemed to faze Shay in the slightest, or if they had, she wasn’t letting on.

  “I didn’t realize how late it was. I need to leave if I’m going to beat her to the house.”

  Chloe raised an eyebrow and smiled. “You mean, so she doesn’t get there first and catch you driving.”

  “Exactly.” Shay moved with lightning speed toward her, took her into her arms, and kissed her before she turned and headed for the door. “See you later.”

  It wasn’t a peck on the lips or a long, slow kiss like before. This was something in between that set each of her senses on fire, a kiss that held the promise of what was to come. Who was this new Shay who seemed to be taking charge as she never had before? Chloe didn’t know, but she liked the change.

  * * *

  Chloe had purposely arrived at the quaint, upscale restaurant, La Terrazza, early. The hostess had seated her at their usual table in the corner by the large oak cabinet where wine bottles lined the top and an old tapestry hung. With deep-rust-colored walls, the place had a dark, clandestine feel, which she’d enjoyed in the past, but tonight it felt a little too romantic for the conversation she had planned.

  She’d debated whether to get a table in the middle of the restaurant instead, to make sure the conversation stayed on a level tempo, but she didn’t want to become the main attraction if the conversation took a bad turn. The waiter had brought their usual bottle of cabernet, and her first glass of wine was almost gone. The situation Erica had put her in earlier at the gallery had made her extremely uncomfortable and angry, and Erica hadn’t seemed to care.

  Erica’s voice echoed through the restaurant when she arrived. She never did anything quietly. Her straight, blond hair bounced on her shoulders as she swept through the restaurant without assistance to the table.

  “You’re early,” Erica said with a smile as she kissed her on the lips softly before taking the seat adjacent to her.

  “The gallery wasn’t busy, so I closed up. Figured I’d avoid some of the evening traffic.”

  “Good idea.” Erica squeezed her arm and then let her hand drift down it and land on Chloe’s leg. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. The hospital, the house…” She broke eye contact and stared at the black tablecloth between them. “Everything has just been so hectic.”

  “Can’t Shay’s family help her with that? Or whatsername?”

  “I told you Shay’s family will not be involved in her recovery, and whatsername is out of the picture.” At least she thought she was. Lila hadn’t been back since she’d told her to stay away that day at the hospital. Either she really wasn’t concerned about Shay’s well-being or she wasn’t invested enough in whatever they’d had between them to deal with the fallout from the accident. Either way, she was glad she hadn’t had to contend with her again.

  “Okay. Then get her a nurse.”

  “I’m not going to do that. She’s a big part of my life, and I won’t abandon her.” She finished the wine left in her glass.

  “Is a big part of your life? Don’t you mean was?”

  Just then the waiter appeared. Perfect timing. “Are you ready to order?”

  “Yes.” She didn’t g
ive Erica an opportunity to respond before she rattled off her order. “I’ll have the capellini primavera.” She needed something light to keep her stomach settled and to absorb the wine.

  The waiter looked at Erica, who seemed a little flustered at being put on the spot. “I’ll have the filet mignon, medium rare. Bring us a caprese salad as well.” She handed her menu to the waiter, and he picked up the bottle of wine and filled both their glasses. She waited for him to leave before she said, “What’s going on with you?”

  “Nothing. I just don’t like to be pushed.” She picked up her napkin, put it on her lap, and smoothed it across her legs. “This is something I have to do, and you’re going to have to accept it.” Erica’s hurt expression was unexpected and had her rethinking her words. “I know it’s a horrible situation, Erica, but I can’t do anything else about it.”

  The wounded look disappeared, and Erica scowled. “Actually, there’s a lot you can do about it.”

  “I’m doing the best I can. What do you want from me?” Chloe fiddled with the silverware next to her plate, aligning each piece with the other.

  “I want you to tell her how she broke your heart and that I was there to pick up the pieces.” Erica tossed her napkin onto the table. “It’s not fair to anyone to keep it all a secret.”

  “I can’t do that right now. The doctor says it could set her back.” He hadn’t, but she wasn’t ready to deal with the repercussions if it did. Her life would be impacted as much as Shay’s would be.

  “Then at least stay with me tonight. I miss you. It’s been lonely without you.”

  That was the second time Erica had said that tonight, but strangely Chloe didn’t feel the same way. “Okay.”

  Erica smiled, the answer seeming to appease her for now. The waiter dropped off the caprese salad, and Erica added a few slices of mozzarella and tomatoes to each of their plates before she dug in like she hadn’t eaten in days.