by Lisa Moreau
“You might want to take that gargantuan thing off first before you poke your eye out.” Sydney pointed at Emily’s engagement ring.
Deciding Sydney was probably right, Emily slipped it off. She flexed her finger, enjoying the freedom of movement. In fact, her entire hand felt lighter. She hadn’t realized how much the ring had been weighing her down. Emily glanced around, looking for a safe place to store it. She opened a drawer and placed it on top of some shirts, making a mental note not to forget it.
After they stretched, Sydney plugged her cell phone into speakers and fiddled with it until sexy, stripper-sounding music started. Was that supposed to get Emily in the mood? It did nothing but make her feel even more intimidated.
“We’re going to start with a few simple moves,” Sydney said and grabbed the pole above her head. “First, I’ll teach you how to walk.”
At least she was starting with something easy. Emily already knew how to do that. She watched as Sydney pranced around several times. Looked easy enough, but no way would Emily be nearly that graceful and fluid.
“Now, your turn. Hold the pole above your head.”
Emily did as instructed. “Like this?”
“Perfect. Lean to the side so there’s about an inch between you and the bar and keep your feet close to the base.”
Emily walked around once and looked at Sydney.
“Good, but relax,” Sydney said. “Don’t be so stiff. Shake your body out.” Emily shimmed her shoulders. “Your entire body.”
Emily let go of the bar and gave it all she had, rattling every muscle and bone. Surprisingly, she did feel more relaxed and even had a little attitude in her strut this time.
“Excellent. Let’s try a balance trick.”
Sydney did a fancy move that ended in her whirling around the pole. Surely she wasn’t suggesting Emily try that.
“That’s a beginner move?” Emily asked, taking a step back.
“It’s not as hard as it looks. I’ll talk you through it.”
Skeptical, Emily stepped up to the pole and held it with her right hand. “What’d you do with your leg?”
“Wrap the back of it around the pole and grab the bar with both hands.”
Emily did so, feeling like she was about to tip over.
“Now push off with the leg that’s on the floor and lift it up as you spin around the bar.”
“So both legs are off the ground? You’re kidding me, right?” Emily glared at Sydney.
“All I’m asking is that you try. It doesn’t have to be perfect.”
“Trust me. It won’t be.” Emily attempted to whirl around but ended up in a tangled heap on the floor.
“Good try,” Sydney said and helped Emily to her feet.
“Now you’re humoring me. That sucked.”
Sydney rubbed her forehead. “You’re so hard on yourself. When I was first learning, I ended up on the floor more often than not. You can’t expect to be an expert the first time. Try again.”
Emily attempted another turn and landed in an ungraceful thud. The next five tries weren’t much better. She stood and rubbed a sore spot on her thigh. She’d have bruises tomorrow for sure.
“You’re doing great,” Sydney said. “But don’t stop mid-turn. You’re holding yourself back.”
“I’m afraid of falling.”
Sydney grinned. “You’re already doing that, so why not let go and trust yourself this time?”
Emily took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
Let go and trust.
With a renewed determination, she got into position, pushed off, and did a perfect turn around the bar. It took them both several seconds to realize what had just happened.
“You did it!” Sydney clapped her hands and hugged Emily fiercely.
Emily was so happy she couldn’t stop giggling. She’d never felt so proud of herself. So many times she’d wanted to give up and storm out of the bedroom, but she’d stuck with it and had done something she’d never thought possible.
Sydney held Emily at arm’s length and looked into her eyes. “You’re amazing. It took me twice as long to learn that move.”
“It’s all thanks to you,” Emily said, smiling widely. “What you said about letting go really hit home.”
Emily leaned forward and kissed Sydney’s cheek, which seemed to surprise them both. As they gazed into each other’s eyes, the space between them sizzled like bacon in hot grease. Emily wasn’t sure who made the first move, but before she knew it they were kissing. And not a peck on the cheek either. An all-out, full-on, lips-to-lips smooch, one that made Emily’s stomach drop and her skin tingle. Who’d have thought Sydney’s lips would be so soft and taste like banana cream pie? It was probably her ChapStick, but that didn’t deter Emily from wanting to devour her delicious mouth. And devour she did as she melted into silky, moist lips. Somewhere in the middle of it all, Emily felt weightless, like she could levitate off the ground. Sydney was the perfect kisser, just the right amount of everything. Sydney wrapped an arm around Emily’s waist and pulled her closer, their bare skin pressed together.
Wait. Emily was feeling Sydney’s toned stomach? That wasn’t supposed to happen. Suddenly, she was aware that they were nearly naked and stuck together like Siamese twins. Reluctantly, Emily pried her lips away. She shook her fuzzy head and stared into eyes filled with longing. Sydney wanted her. Who knew she’d be just as turned on as Emily had been? They were so close Emily could feel the warmth of Sydney’s jagged breath caress her cheek. She took a giant step backward, afraid she’d be tempted to go in for seconds.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry.” Sydney looked like she was about to reach out but then hid her hands behind her back.
“No. It was my fault.” Emily cringed at the sound of her voice, hoarse with desire. “I started it with that cheek…thing.” Emily couldn’t bring herself to utter the word kiss, as though saying it out loud would make it too real.
They held each other’s gaze until Emily looked at the rug, the curtains, anywhere but Sydney’s mouth. She needed to get out of there…and fast, considering every cell in her body wanted to lay Sydney down on the bed and do a lot more than just kiss.
“It’s late.” Emily snatched her sweats and held them in front of her bare legs. “You can take the bed tonight. I’ll sleep on the sofa.” She darted toward the door.
“Emily.”
Emily stopped but didn’t turn around, her back to Sydney.
After a long pause, Sydney whispered, “Good night.”
Emily rushed down the hall and into the bathroom. What the hell was she doing kissing Sydney? And even worse than that, how could she enjoy it so much? It was wrong on so many levels, yet it had felt so freaking incredible and so right. Emily lightly traced her lips with her fingertips, still feeling the sensation of Sydney’s mouth sliding against hers. She’d never been so affected by a kiss before, not even with Gretchen. Oh, God. Gretchen. Emily covered her face. She’d be devastated if she found out about this. She didn’t even know Sydney was staying in the same cabin with her. Emily was a sorry excuse for a fiancée.
Emily peeled off the incredibly short shorts and unhooked her bra. Before putting her sweats on, she caught her reflection in the mirror. She rarely looked at herself nude, mostly because she didn’t think it was an attractive sight. Her breasts were too small, hips too wide, and her thighs were the size of Sequoia tree trunks. For the first time in forever she observed herself objectively, with her heart and not her mind. What Sydney had said was true. Emily had an “overweight mentality.” In reality, she looked quite beautiful. She ran a fingertip over her breast, down her stomach, and in between her legs, feeling moistness.
How could one single, probably thirty-second kiss make her so wet? Normally, she’d have to partake in a heavy make-out session for that to happen. Not wanting to ruminate about what had happened any longer, Emily jerked on her sweats and headed downstairs, hoping a good night’s sleep would fix everything.
* * *
Sweat trickled down Sydney’s forehead and stung the corners of her eyes. She’d been running in the streets of Ojai in the dark for almost an hour. She’d had to get away from the cabin, the bedroom, Emily. What was it about that woman that made her do such stupid things, like kiss an engaged woman?
God. That kiss.
It’d made Sydney’s heart beat faster than it was right now, and she’d barely been able to stand upright, sure that her weak knees would give way at any moment. She’d kissed her fair share of women but never felt anything even close to what she had with Emily. It’d been the perfect mixture of tenderness and passion. When Emily had pulled away, Sydney had resisted the urge to kiss her again, afraid that if she did, she wouldn’t be able to stop.
The kiss was bad enough, but Sydney was also getting much too attached to the bird-watcher, considering she looked forward to seeing Emily’s beautiful face every morning. In fact, she’d become the brightest spot in Sydney’s days, like a sparkling star in the night sky. She felt closer to Emily than anyone, especially after sharing intimate details about her life. And since when did Sydney give a rat’s ass about lovebirds? She wanted to find those little creatures almost as much as Emily did. Friends were one thing, but this was getting out of hand. Maybe she should leave. She could sleep in her car until the audition in a couple of days. But the thought of leaving Emily made her heart ache. That was the last thing she wanted to do. Instead, she needed to keep her guard up, protect her heart, and for God’s sake not kiss her again.
It was close to midnight when Sydney got back to the cabin. Slowly, she opened the door and peeked inside. It was almost completely dark. She tiptoed across the hardwood floor, trying not to wake Emily. They needed to clear the air, but not tonight—not when Sydney’s head was still filled with the taste of Emily’s lips.
Ouch! Sydney put a hand over her mouth when she banged a knee against the corner of a table. She must have stood still for at least a minute until the sharp pain subsided into a throbbing ache.
“You okay?” Emily sat up in the couch. Or at least that’s what it looked like in the semidarkness.
“Fuck. That hurt.” Sydney groaned, happy to finally be able to make a sound.
“Do you need ice?”
“No. It’s fine. Sorry I woke you.”
“You didn’t. Where were you?”
“Running. Had to release some energy.”
Sydney squinted, desperately wishing she could see Emily’s face. Maybe that would reveal what she was thinking and, more importantly, feeling.
It looked like Emily ran fingers through her hair or maybe rubbed her face. “About the, you know, kiss. It never should have happened. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’ve never cheated on Gretchen before. I’m not the type to do that sort of thing. Really.”
“It wasn’t all your fault. I don’t know if you noticed, but I was doing my fair share of responding.”
“I noticed,” Emily whispered. “I don’t want you to think badly of me, and I don’t want things to be weird between us. I really value our friendship.”
Sydney’s heart sank. Friends. Of course. What else would they be?
“You’re important to me, too,” Sydney said.
“So we’re okay?” Emily’s voice quivered.
“Sure. We’re fine.” Sydney wanted to say so much more, like how much she loved kissing Emily and how much she wanted to do it again. Instead, she went upstairs.
After taking a shower, Sydney went into the bedroom, ready to collapse into bed. She opened the nightstand drawer, her eye catching sight of Emily’s engagement ring. She must have forgotten to put it back on after the pole / make-out session.
With two fingers, Sydney picked it up and examined it closely. She couldn’t even imagine how much something like that would cost. Sydney could never afford anything more than a plastic ring out of a bubblegum machine. Emily deserved a lot more than that. She deserved a ring like this and a fiancée who didn’t live on the wrong side of the tracks.
Chapter Seventeen
Love in the Afternoon
“You sure you have time to help me?” Emily asked as she and Sydney zigzagged around fig trees.
“Absolutely. I couldn’t be any more ready for my audition. Besides, I want to find the lovebirds as much as you do.”
Emily grinned. She had a feeling Sydney wasn’t joking. It was heartwarming how supportive she was.
“Do you think they’re even still here?” Sydney asked, gazing up into the trees as she walked.
“My instincts tell me they are. They won’t be easy to find, though. They’re the smallest birds of the species, frighten easily, and nest in tree holes. But they’re strong fliers and have large wings. They’ll be easy to spot when they’re flying around.”
Sydney stopped and wiped sweat from her forehead. “It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack.”
“Do you want to take a break?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
They both sat under a tree and leaned against the tree trunk. Emily pulled out two waters and handed one to Sydney.
“What happens if you don’t find the lovebirds?” Sydney asked and took a swig.
“I’ll find them. No matter what happens, though, I’m not giving up my magazine. It’s the one thing in my life that makes me happy.”
Well, that and you.
Emily guzzled down an entire bottle of water without stopping, not sure if she was trying to quench a thirst or drown her feelings. She’d been attracted to Sydney before the kiss, but now even more so. In fact, she couldn’t even look at her without wanting to do it again…and again.
They both looked upward when leaves rustled. Emily attempted to dodge several figs that rained down and smacked her on the head.
“Ouch,” Emily said and rubbed her crown.
Sydney giggled. “You okay?”
“After this I never want to see another fig for as long as I live.”
They both ducked when something soared overhead.
“Whoa,” Sydney said. “What was that?”
“It was moving so fast. Maybe a hummingbird.”
Sydney flinched when something flew straight toward her and landed on her shoulder. Emily froze and her jaw dropped, shocked at what she was seeing.
“Don’t move,” Emily whispered. “And don’t make a sound.”
Emily saw Sydney try to peer out of the corner of her eye at whatever was perched on her shoulder. Emily should reach for her camera, but all she could do was stare at the most perfect, beautiful Madagascar lovebird she’d ever seen. The bird cocked his head and looked at Emily as though to ask, what’s your name?
“I’m Emily. And I can’t believe I’m looking at you right now.”
The lovebird chirped twice and flew into the tree.
“Was that what I think it was?” Sydney asked, goggle-eyed.
Emily broke out into a smile so wide her cheeks ached. “Oh. My. God. They really did survive! He even had scars on his throat and head.”
“Scars?”
Emily spoke fast in one long, run-on sentence. “The man I spoke with at the San Diego aviary said the lovebirds had cuts from an animal attack. That’s why they were healing there at the time of the fire. They’re really here. And we found them.”
Emily jumped up and placed a hand on the tree trunk to steady herself.
Sydney rose and stood beside her. “Do you think they’re in this tree?”
“Only one way to find out.” Emily dropped her smile when she looked upward. Leave it to Fran to have the world’s tallest fig trees.
“You’re not thinking about climbing up there, are you?” Sydney arched an eyebrow.
“It’ll be dark soon. We don’t have time to walk back to Fran’s to ask her for a ladder and then back here again.”
“I’ll do it.” Sydney grabbed a branch.
“No way.” Emily held Sydney’s forearm. “I don’t want you breaking a leg.”
&n
bsp; “But it’s okay if you do?”
“I don’t have an important audition.”
“Oh. Right. I still don’t think you should do this without a ladder. We can come back tomorrow.”
Emily looked at Sydney like she belonged in a straightjacket. “Are you insane? I’m not leaving.” Emily hung a camera around her neck.
“What’s that?”
“An Audubon Bird Cam. It’s a motion-activated, digital wildlife video and photo recorder with an infrared sensor that detects motion.”
“Looks fancy.”
“It’s top-of-the line when it comes to birding.” Emily flipped open the lid and flashed a silver nameplate.
“You had your camera engraved?” Sydney smirked.
“This baby cost me three months’ salary. If I ever lose it, I want my name and address on it. Now give me a boost.”
“All right. But be careful.”
Sydney laced her fingers together and bent down. Emily placed one foot into the makeshift stepstool and catapulted upward, her right hand just missing a branch. After a few more attempts, she managed to attach herself to the tree. Now all she had to do was climb up, which was easier said than done. She’d conveniently forgotten the fact that she was terribly clumsy. She’d spent most of her childhood on crutches due to falls. Even as a bird-watcher she rarely had to actually climb a tree. The majority of fowl could be seen from the ground with the high-powered Bird Cam, but these were no ordinary creatures. She needed to get up close and personal.
Emily placed a shaky foot on a limb, pressed down to test its strength, and reached above her head to pull herself up. She glanced down at Sydney and considered trading places with her. It looked awfully safe on the ground. No. She could do this. She had to do this. After several strategic moves and using every muscle in her body, she was halfway up the tree.
“Don’t look down,” Sydney yelled, which, of course, caused Emily to look at the ground. Ugh. Her stomach rolled. From this perspective it appeared like she was twenty stories up. One wrong move and she’d tumble down.
“Why’d you stop?” Sydney yelled.