Lovebirds

by Lisa Moreau

  “Is that why you broke into the cabin? Because you didn’t have money for a hotel? I got an email from Jill.”

  Sydney jerked her head toward Emily, her face heated. “The jig is up, I guess.”

  “You didn’t have to lie. You should have told me you couldn’t afford a place to stay.”

  “And you wouldn’t have thrown me out?”

  “All right. I would have then, but we’re friends now. Aren’t we?” Emily gazed at Sydney, looking hopeful.

  Sydney grinned. “Yes. We’re friends.”

  That felt nice. Really nice. Sydney didn’t have many of those. She looked at her phone when it chimed with an incoming text, her chest tightening when she saw it was from Owen. He was the last person she wanted to hear from.

  “Is anything wrong?” Emily asked.

  “Just no one I care to hear from anymore.”

  Sydney slid the phone into her back pocket and decided right then to cut Owen off. It wasn’t worth selling out someone she cared about. The admission that she had feelings for Emily should have shocked her, but it didn’t.

  “So,” Sydney said. “Can I stay until the audition?”

  “Of course.” Emily responded without hesitation. “I don’t want you to leave.”

  Sydney’s heart felt lighter than it ever had before. She wasn’t sure if that was the result of having a roof over her head or because Emily wanted her to stay.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Disco Fever

  “Any news yet?” Emily stood in the bedroom doorway.

  Sydney frowned and shook her head. She’d been lounging on the bed the better part of the day with a computer perched in her lap waiting on the GED results.

  “It’s four o’clock. You’d think the scores would be available by now.” Sydney scowled.

  Emily sat beside Sydney and stretched out her legs. Being in such an intimate setting probably should have felt uncomfortable, but instead it seemed natural.

  Sydney crossed her arms over a gray, cotton T-shirt and stared at the computer screen. “What if I don’t pass?”

  “Worrying about it is useless.” Emily snatched the laptop, closed the lid, and hugged it tight against her chest.

  Sydney sat upright. “Hey! Give that back.”

  “You’ve been staring at this thing all day. You need to relax.”

  “I need to know my results.” Sydney glared.

  “What do you usually do to unwind? Go for a walk or run maybe?”

  Sydney grumbled something about Emily being a pain in the ass and pointed to a silver pole in the middle of the room. “I do that.”

  “Well, so…do that then.”

  “Let me check just once more.”

  Sydney reached for the laptop and jerked her hand back when she accidentally brushed Emily’s breast. Her eyes widened and she jumped off the bed. Hopefully she hadn’t noticed that Emily’s nipples hardened from the contact and goose bumps appeared on her arms. She’d never had such an immediate reaction to a simple touch before.

  “Fine. You win,” Sydney said and slightly shook her body, as though to relieve tension.

  Sydney closed her eyes and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. When she whisked off her shirt and tossed it into the corner, Emily’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. Sydney was practically naked! Granted, she was wearing shorts and a sports bra, but still. Emily should leave and give her some privacy, but she couldn’t very well do that when her eyes were glued to Sydney’s long, lean legs and rippled abs.

  Emily’s mouth went dry as she watched Sydney prance to the pole and grab it above her head. She rose on her toes and took two steps forward, looking more graceful than any ballet dancer Emily had ever seen. Without slowing down, Sydney placed her other hand on the rod and levitated off the ground, going around it at least three times. Talk about upper-body strength. Sydney whirled around in a fancy move Emily couldn’t quite follow and proceeded to rest her back against the pole, put her hands on her knees, and squat several times with her legs spread. Her movements were elegant, flowing, and downright erotic.

  Is it getting hot in here? Emily’s pulse quickened and she tugged on her collar. Thank God no sexy striptease music was playing. Otherwise she’d probably hyperventilate. Emily really needed to scram, and she did try, but her butt seemed to be cemented into the mattress. In one swift move, Sydney turned upside down, released the pole, and held on with nothing but her legs.

  Emily’s jaw dropped. “Oh my God!”

  Sydney righted herself and looked at Emily like she’d forgotten she was even in the room. “What’s wrong?”

  “You’re amazing.”

  Sydney smirked and lowered her head, looking embarrassed.

  Emily scooted to the edge of the bed. “I’m serious. I figured you’d be good. I mean, look at you.” Emily waved her hands toward Sydney. “But you’re like circus good. No. Olympic good.”

  “Thanks. I’ve worked hard at it. I could show you a few things if you’d like.”

  “On that?” Emily drew her head back and pointed at the pole. “No way.” She crept back onto the bed.

  “Why not?”

  “There are so many reasons, I don’t even know where to begin.”

  Emily would rather spend the day with Owen than take her shirt off in front of someone as perfect as Sydney, not to mention the fact that she’d embarrass herself silly by falling on her head. But Sydney didn’t need to know any of that.

  Emily opened the laptop. “How about we check to see if your scores are in?”

  “You’re totally changing the subject, but okay.” Sydney sat beside Emily and crossed her legs. “You look. I’m too nervous.” Sydney handed Emily a laminated card. “Here’s my student ID. You have to type in the number.”

  Emily connected to the website and navigated to the test-results section. She jerked her head toward Sydney. “They’re in.”

  All the blood drained from Sydney’s face, and she closed her eyes. “All right. Let’s have it.”

  Emily typed Sydney’s name in the search bar along with her ID number.

  “What’s taking so long?” Sydney asked. “I failed, didn’t I?”

  “Hold on. I’m almost there.” Within seconds, Emily beamed and said, “What’s the opposite of failed?”

  Sydney opened one eye. “You mean…”

  “Look!” Emily turned the computer, knowing Sydney probably wouldn’t believe it unless she saw it with her own eyes.

  Sydney stared at the screen in seeming disbelief. “Oh my God. I passed? Really?”

  “Congratulations. You have successfully earned your GED.”

  “Un-fucking-believable!” Sydney threw her arms around Emily’s neck, which caused them both to tumble backward onto the bed.

  One minute Emily was sitting upright, and the next she was lying on her back with Sydney’s breasts pressed against hers, not that she was complaining. Who wouldn’t want a hard-bodied pole dancer on top of her? Wait. That’s not something she should want. She was engaged to…to…what was her name…Gretchen. That was it!

  Get up. Move. Blink. At least take your hands off her ass. But all Emily could do was lie there and bask in the feel of Sydney in her arms. Surprisingly, she wasn’t all muscle; she had a softness and warmth to her frame. Emily inhaled deeply, as much as she could do so with a pole dancer pressed against her, and smelled the scent of mouthwatering coconut. She had an insatiable urge to run her fingers through Sydney’s golden locks to see if the aroma was coming from her shampoo. Luckily, she didn’t do so but instead gazed into mesmerizing blue eyes, which―if Emily wasn’t mistaken―were filled with desire. Sydney’s breathing increased and she licked her lips, the space between them so still and silent that Emily heard the distant whistle of a bird.

  Birds. That’s what I’m here for. Not this. Emily jerked her hands off Sydney’s ass and held them high in the air. The movement seemed to jolt Sydney back to reality.

  “Oh my gosh. I’m sorry,” Sydney said
in a husky voice.

  She jumped out of bed and hurriedly put her shirt back on. Well, that was disappointing. It seemed almost a sin to cover such an amazing body. Emily swung her legs over, stood beside Sydney, and resisted the urge to tell her that her shirt was not only inside out but also backward.

  Emily wasn’t sure what to say or do. Should they laugh about it or hug it out? God, no. Not hug. That’s what had started all this. Well, she should do something other than stand there like an idiot shuffling her feet back and forth and staring at the bedspread.

  Thankfully, Sydney made a move when she opened the nightstand drawer and pulled out a piece of paper and pen. Emily watched as she marked an X next to the high school-diploma question on the PowerBar application. She’d probably anxiously been waiting to do that for weeks.

  “We should celebrate.” Emily clapped her hands together.

  Sydney’s face lit up. “Let’s go to the women’s festival. There’s a dance tonight.”

  “Dance? Absolutely not.” Emily vigorously shook her head. “Rhythm isn’t in my blood. Besides, I don’t think my fiancée would like me going out with another woman.”

  “It’s not a date. Come on. You have to go. You’re the reason I passed.”

  “Thanks, but you’re the one that did it.”

  Sydney placed both hands on Emily’s shoulders and stared into her eyes. “I’m serious, Em.”

  Emily’s heart lightened at the shortened version of her name. No one ever called her that. She liked it.

  “I appreciate you helping me, and I’d really like to celebrate with you,” Sydney said.

  Sydney’s striking, earnest eyes were like a magnet. Emily couldn’t have looked away even if she tried, and strangely she had no desire to do so. In fact, she probably would have done anything Sydney had asked in that moment.

  “Okay. I’ll go with you,” Emily said. “But I’m not dancing. I’ll just watch.”

  Emily mentally kicked herself. Great idea. Sydney’s dance moves were probably even sexier than her pole ones, if that was possible.

  * * *

  Life was good. Sydney had her high school equivalency, an audition for her dream job, and a night out on the town with a beautiful woman. Granted, Emily wasn’t her woman, but it was still nice, particularly when she was rocking snug black jeans, a white fitted V-neck T-shirt that displayed enticing cleavage, and black boots. In fact, Emily looked so hot Sydney had to force herself not to stare when she came down the stairs.

  “Do I look okay?” Emily asked, rubbing her palms on her thighs.

  “No. You look amazing.”

  The corners of Emily’s mouth turned upward. “Really? I wasn’t sure what to wear. I would have tucked my shirt in, but I look thinner with it out.” Emily tugged on the bottom of her T-shirt.

  Sydney grimaced. She hated the taunting a young Emily had endured, which must have been ten times worse with a fitness-freak mother.

  “Come here.” Sydney held out her hand, which Emily immediately accepted, and led her to a full-length mirror. She stood behind Emily and peered into her eyes in the reflection. “Now look at yourself and tell me you’re not perfect in every way.”

  Emily gazed up and down her body. After a few moments, she appeared near tears, which wasn’t Sydney’s goal. Frantically, she racked her brain trying to think of something that would lighten the mood. Emily tucked in her shirt and smiled through watery eyes. She turned and planted a light kiss on Sydney’s cheek, causing her stomach to flutter.

  Emily leaned close and whispered, “Thank you.”

  Chills ran up and down Sydney’s spine, and her skin tingled where Emily’s lips had been. She displayed what was probably a goofy grin and placed her fingertips on her cheek. What was wrong with her? It was a G-rated kiss. She’d never been this affected by a woman before. Their little bed encounter earlier had left her breathless, and now she was acting like a doofus. She needed to get a grip.

  “You’re welcome,” Sydney said and cleared her throat. “We better get going.” She grabbed her keys and headed out the door, hoping the cool night air would slap some sense into her.

  By the time they parked and were walking to the event it was almost eleven. Sydney covered her mouth in an attempt to hide a yawn. She’d been up since early that morning waiting for the test results.

  “I saw that! You’re tired. We should go back.” Emily tugged on Sydney’s arm.

  “Nice try,” Sydney said and stopped in her tracks. “Do you hear that?”

  “You mean the loud, obnoxious noise coming from where we’re heading? How could I miss it?”

  “That’s ‘Dancing Queen.’ I love disco music!”

  “You weren’t even born in the ’70s.”

  “I know, but they played it at the…”

  Emily raised an eyebrow. “At the what?”

  “At a…uh…club I used to frequent.”

  Sydney had almost blown it. If she could help it, Emily would never find out she had worked at Leave It to Beaver.

  “Come on,” Sydney said. “This’ll be fun.”

  When they walked through the entrance, Sydney felt like she was stepping into the past. She’d obviously been born in the wrong decade since she loved the strobe lights, silver hanging balls, and a multicolored, checkered dance floor. She couldn’t help but sway her hips to KC and the Sunshine Band’s “Shake Your Booty.”

  “Do you wanna dance?” Sydney yelled.

  “What?” Emily leaned closer.

  “Dance!”

  Emily looked panic-stricken. Obviously, she needed to loosen up first. Sydney took Emily’s hand and led her to the bar, which was a tad quieter. Emily sat on a barstool with Sydney beside her.

  “What do you want to drink?” Sydney asked.

  Emily paused for several beats and stared into space. Finally she said, “I’ll take bottled water.”

  For that she had to think?

  Sydney displayed her best you-must-be-kidding look.

  “All right,” Emily said, obviously getting the message. “Order me something fruity.”

  “Two Sex on the Beach,” Sydney told the bartender.

  “Sex on the beach?” Emily asked.

  “Trust me. You’ll like it. I’m getting one, too, because sex is always better in twos.”

  Emily grinned and turned a pretty shade of scarlet. Sydney glanced down the bar, seeing someone who looked very familiar.

  “You know her?” Emily asked, following Sydney’s line of vision.

  “That’s Sue. She owns PowerBar.”

  “You should go schmooze with your future employer.”

  “You don’t mind?”

  “Of course not. I’ll stay here and have sex alone.” Emily took a sip of her drink, which the bartender had placed in front of her, and smacked her lips. “Ooh, that’s good stuff.”

  Sydney smiled. She seemed to do that a lot around Emily. “I’ll be right back.” She walked around the bar and tapped Sue’s shoulder. “Hi. It’s nice to see you again.”

  Sue turned and cocked her head. “Do I know you?”

  What the hell? Sydney had been in her studio begging for a job every week for the past several years. Maybe she was drunk, although she didn’t appear to be tipsy.

  “Um…it’s Sydney. I’m auditioning on Sunday.”

  Sue threw her head back. “Oh, right. I’m sorry. I’ve seen so many women this week already.”

  Relief washed over Sydney. “That’s okay. I understand.”

  “I do hate to be rude, but I was in the middle of a conversation.” Sue motioned to a blonde sitting next to her wearing a perturbed expression.

  “Oh. Right. I didn’t mean to intrude. I’ll just get out of your way.”

  Sue whisked around, putting her back to Sydney, and resumed her discussion. Feeling like a third wheel, Sydney slinked away with a weird sensation in the pit of her stomach. When she reached her seat, Emily was slurping down the last drops of her drink.

  “Whoa. Slo
w down there, slugger. Something tells me you’re a lightweight.”

  “That was sooo good. Like orgasmic good.” Emily licked her lips, closed her eyes, and threw her head back in one hell of a sexy move, which would have been arousing if Sydney hadn’t been so concerned about Sue’s icy demeanor.

  “Are you okay?” Emily asked.

  “Fine.” Sydney responded without taking her eyes off Sue.

  “Hey.” Emily held Sydney’s chin and turned her head until they were eye to eye. “You don’t look fine. Did something happen?”

  “It’s probably nothing. Sue just didn’t seem very welcoming.”

  “What’d she say?” Emily sat upright and glanced down the bar, like maybe she was getting ready for a fistfight.

  “Nothing really. I’m sure I’m just overreacting.”

  “It’s awfully loud in here. She probably couldn’t hear you very well.”

  Sydney nodded, still not quite convinced.

  Emily jumped off the stool and grabbed Sydney’s hand. “Let’s dance.”

  Sydney’s eyes widened. “You wanna dance?”

  “This sounds like a fun song.” Emily flashed the cutest expression ever.

  Sydney laughed and followed Emily to the dance floor, where they moved to the rhythm of “Disco Duck.” It felt good to jump around and work up a sweat. More than anything, though, it was great to see how happy Emily looked, laughing and cutting loose—something she probably didn’t do nearly enough. After a few minutes, the tempo changed, and the Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love” began. They both froze, feet firmly planted on the neon-flashing floor. Sydney was sure the apprehension in Emily’s eyes mirrored her own. They glanced around at nearby couples, each in a tight embrace. Jiggling around to a crazy, fast song was one thing, but this was entirely different.

  After a few uncomfortable moments, Emily cocked her head and looked at Sydney as though to ask “you wanna?” Sydney couldn’t very well say no, so she nodded and stepped into Emily’s arms. A sigh caught in her throat when Emily slipped a hand around her waist and tugged her closer. Ahh. That felt nice. Too nice. It’d been far too long since Sydney had slow-danced with a woman. In fact, had she ever? The women she’d gone out with weren’t much for love songs. Sydney melted into a puddle of goo when Emily rested her head on her shoulder and lightly caressed the back of her neck. Imagine what it would feel like for those fingers to stroke other parts of her. With that thought, Sydney’s legs almost gave way.