by Dena Blake
“That certainly turned my day around.” Candice smiled and glanced up into Dex’s eyes. “Can I get your number?”
She was sweet and beautiful, but Dex found it hard to make eye contact with her. “I don’t think that would be a good idea. I mean…” She swallowed hard. “This and earlier inside was really fun. There’s just someone else I’m not quite finished with yet.” What an asshole I am. Dex expected Candice to be upset. She couldn’t believe what she’d just done. But Candice only smiled and seemed to understand, and she didn’t press.
“Okay, then.” Candice took out a piece of paper and pen, wrote her number down, and handed it to Dex. “In case you ever get over her…Or just need a distraction.”
Dex smiled and nodded. But that wasn’t going to happen. She’d just imagined making Grace come while she was actually touching Candice. She’d never be able to do that again with Candice without seeing Grace’s face.
Candice kissed her on the cheek, climbed into her Explorer, and drove off. Dex went back inside the bar and called her sister. She was in no shape to drive.
* * *
Dex picked up the pizza box from the seat as she slid into the car. “Sausage and mushroom?”
Juni nodded. “I thought you might need a little food chaser with that alcohol. Tough day?”
She nodded. “I just couldn’t stand to listen to Grace go on about how wonderful her honeymoon was. Plus she showed me hundreds of pictures of her absolute bliss.”
“So, you thought you’d go tie one on again?”
“No. I thought I’d have a drink. Maybe meet someone new.”
“Did you?”
“Actually, I did.”
“Then why am I picking you up?”
“She was really nice and all. I just wasn’t in the mood to put on my sparkling personality.” She didn’t want to tell Juni the whole story. She wouldn’t be judgmental, but she would be disappointed in her for having random sex in a parking lot. Dex was doing a good enough job of being disappointed in herself on her own. Thinking about Grace while she was fucking other women wouldn’t get Grace out of her head any faster. It would just cement her further into it.
“Seriously? She probably could’ve helped you purge Grace from your heart. If not that, at least your mind for a night.”
Definitely didn’t help. “What if I’m not ready to do that?”
“Dex.” Juni let out a heavy sigh, the kind she always gave Dex when she was about to tell her what she should be doing instead of what she was actually doing. “When are you going to stop pining after her? That ship has clearly sailed out of the harbor and into the deep, blue sea of Brent.”
Fuck Brent. “I need you to be supportive, Juni. This is really hard for me.”
“I’ll support you in anything you want except your obsession with Grace.” Juni pulled into the driveway and threw the car into park. “I’m not even sure what the hell you see in her. I get that she’s pretty, but come on, Dex. She’s way too self-absorbed.” She shifted sideways in her seat. “She’s back for just one day, and look at what she’s done to you already.”
She was a fucking mess, for sure. “She brought me a gift,” she said softly as she stared at the pizza box in her lap. “A sculpture. She actually went to a gallery and bought it. She hates art, but she went there for me.”
“Dex.” Another sigh. Juni shook her head slowly. “Please don’t make anything out of that.” She took her hand. “She told you who she wants.”
“Don’t you think I fucking know that?” She yanked on the door handle and got out of the car. “I’ve relived it in my head a thousand times since that happened. I can’t just cut her out of my life, Juni. She’s always been a big part of it.” She slammed the door and took off toward the house.
When she was a child, Dex had endured endless teasing about her name, thanks to her unconventional parents. She’d been branded by her cruel classmates after a show about a forensic pathologist turned good-natured serial killer. Then Grace had moved to town. Grace was cool, sweet, and beautiful. She remembered the spring day vividly, just as though it had happened only yesterday. Grace wore a pink-flowered dress covered by a white cardigan sweater. Dex had been instantly captivated by her, as were so many of the other kids at school. They listened when Grace talked. Grace had told them Dex was an awesome name, and no one, not even the popular kids, challenged her. From that day on, Dex and Grace had been best friends for life, even after Dex had discovered she loved Grace, and Grace had discovered she loved boys.
Juni killed the engine, jumped out of the car, and followed her. “You’re not kids anymore, Dex. She’s moved on, and you need to as well.” Juni blocked the doorway to get her attention. “You need to start doing what you want instead of whatever the hell Grace thinks is important at the moment. You can’t keep putting yourself on the back burner for her or anyone else. You need to be happy.” They stood for a few minutes in silence until Juni reached over and squeezed Dex’s arm. “Come on. Let’s go inside and eat. I’m sure there’s something on Netflix we can binge-watch.”
* * *
In light of the late hour Dex and Juni had gone to bed last night, and with the science-fiction borderline horror show they’d been binge-watching, Dex had thought she might have nightmares. To the contrary, the dream she was wrapped up in this morning sent warm feelings through her, and it had nothing to do with Grace. It revolved around a beautiful woman with dark hair, beautiful silvery-blue eyes, and a deep, throaty voice. It seemed the girl she’d met at the wedding was playing a vivid role in her unconscious thoughts. She still couldn’t make out her face clearly, but her eyes sparkled as she laughed and smiled at her like Dex was the most entertaining girl in the universe. For a short time during the dream, Dex had actually felt like she was that girl. She lay in bed with her eyes closed, trying to remember more about the mystery woman. Then Candice from the night before at the bar popped into her head, and she felt miserable again. The evening had all been good until the last part, when Dex had let her imagination get the best of her.
“Good morning, princess.” Dex opened her eyes to see Juni coming into the room grinning. “How are you feeling today?” She flopped onto the edge of the bed.
“Like I’ve been thrown in front of a bullet train and then dragged a thousand feet under it.” That was putting it lightly.
“Well, I guess the pizza wasn’t enough to absorb all that alcohol.” Juni chuckled and handed Dex the cup of coffee in her hand. “I made scrambled eggs and toast.” She popped up and headed to the doorway. “Come on, before they get cold.”
Dex pulled on her jeans and sweater, then went to the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror and threaded her fingers through her hair. This is a shitty look for you, Dex. No more alcohol. She splashed some water on her face before she went to the kitchen and slid into the chair adjacent to Juni.
“Thanks for this.” She picked up her fork and dug into the eggs.
Juni slid a piece of paper in front of her.
She flipped it around. “What’s this?”
“It’s a pros and cons list.”
“About Grace?”
Juni nodded. “I thought it might be helpful.”
It was a pretty extensive list. She read the first couple of lines and noticed the disparity in lengths between the two columns. “Well, if I didn’t already, I certainly know how you feel about her now.”
“Yep.” Juni gathered her backpack and headed toward the door. “I’m not going to lie. She’s not good for you, Dex.” She opened the front door before she said, “You want to have coffee later this week? You can meet Josh.”
“Sure.” There was nothing she’d love more than watching her sister’s blooming romance when Dex knew she’d never have the one she wanted.
“We can go over your additions to the list then.”
“That’s assuming there are any.”
Juni pulled her eyebrows together. “I’m sure I missed at least one or two.”
/> “Okay. That means you’re buying.”
“Whatever. I’ll call you.” Juni walked out the door.
Dex glanced at the list.
Cons
Self-centered
Shallow
Controlling
Manipulative
Pros
Protective
“Just one pro? Seriously?”
She couldn’t argue with most of the cons, but she had some things to add to the pro column that Juni probably wouldn’t agree with. She took a pen from the jar on the counter and started writing. Juni would find that out soon enough.
Chapter Five
Brent carried in what was left of the groceries from the car as Grace began putting everything away. She’d picked up only a few things to get them by yesterday and needed to get more in order to start being domestic during the week. She didn’t really mind doing that, but she just had no idea where to begin cooking on a daily basis. Her skills in the kitchen were severely limited. She’d become really good at one or two dishes because Brent liked them. Other than that, she’d never prepared much beyond grilled cheese and tomato soup. Maybe a baked chicken breast to put on salad here and there. But that was it. She’d definitely have to call Dex for reinforcement.
“When did food start costing so much?” Brent said as he emptied the bags.
“It always has. You’ve just never gone to the store with me before.”
He held up the small bottle of truffle oil and studied it. “What the hell is this stuff? Gold?”
“I use it to make that mushroom pasta you like.” It was one of her favorites, too, and one of the dishes she knew how to make.
“Jesus. I thought pasta was cheap.” His voice rose. He obviously thought the truffle oil was a waste of money.
“Not that kind of pasta.”
“We need to start watching what we buy since we’ll be surviving on our salaries.” He turned to Grace and nonchalantly said, “Maybe you should find a different job.”
“Why would I do that?” Grace still did the books at the gym as well as manning the counter a few times a week, and Brent was on the fast track at a prominent advertising firm in Chicago. They’d never discussed her changing jobs before.
“You’ve already found the man of your dreams.” He spread his arms out in front of himself.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not leaving the gym. I get to work out for free, and so do you now. Besides, you know I have plenty of money in savings.”
“That’s money your parents gave you, not ours. It needs to stay in savings.”
“What difference does it make where it came from?”
“It makes a difference to me.” He was tossing groceries into the pantry now.
“You’re just being ridiculous.” She grabbed the package of spaghetti from his hand. “And stop throwing the food around unless you want to use a spoon to eat your pasta.”
“Just being practical. We need to live on what we make. That money is only for an emergency.”
What the fuck? “So you’re telling me I can’t buy truffle oil anymore?” That kind of thing was not going to fly with her. No one told her what she could and couldn’t do. Not even Brent.
He immediately stopped putting groceries away and took her in his arms. “Of course you can, baby. We just need to keep better track of our money, especially if we’re going to renovate this place.”
Instead of buying a new place to live, Brent had moved into Grace’s house just before the wedding. It was comfortable and also located in Wicker Park, a booming neighborhood known for its live music, restaurants that had become prevalent in the James Beard award-winning dining scene, and countless art galleries. The way real estate was skyrocketing in the area, they both thought it was a good idea to keep the house and refinance to put it in both their names.
“And go back to Greece, or Spain, or Italy.” The excitement in his eyes was clear, and Grace found it hard to stay irritated.
Every day was new and interesting with Brent. He made her want to do things she’d never dreamed of before. She never had to worry that everything they did would go perfectly, just as he said they would. Brent was definitely a planner, and Grace loved that about him.
He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and went back to the groceries. “So, I was thinking about what you said about Dex yesterday.”
“What’d I say about Dex?” She had no idea what he was talking about.
“That she might be lonely.”
“That wasn’t me. I think you said that.”
“Either way. I think Dex needs someone,” Brent said as he put the cereal in the pantry.
“You mean someone other than me?”
“Unless you’re sleeping with her. Yes.” He leaned up against the counter. “Do you think she’s on Tinder or Plenty of Fish?”
“Hell, no. Dex would never sign up for something like that. At least not without telling me.” She couldn’t remember Dex mentioning anything about dating anyone in particular over the past year or so. Dex seemed to have had the sporadic hookup here and there, but nothing serious. She’d always had to pry those tidbits of information out of her. It all made sense after their heart-to-heart the week before the wedding.
She wasn’t surprised, but she hurt realizing how deeply Dex felt and knowing she couldn’t return those feelings. Since Grace had first realized, when they were younger, how much Dex cared for her, she’d done her best not to encourage any thoughts that they could be together in any other manner than as friends. She’d grown up with Dex, and they’d had so many awesome adventures together, experiences that were happy, sad, and sometimes strangely fun. She truly loved Dex, but not with the same sexual intimacy she needed from Brent.
“We should help her find someone.” He glanced over his shoulder as he slid the milk into the refrigerator.
“Dex can find her own dates.”
“You want her to be happy, don’t you?” He raised his eyebrows and stared at her.
She hung the reusable grocery bags on the peg by the door in the garage. “Of course I do.” But it had to be with someone just as special as Dex. Was there anyone else out there like that? “I guess I could probably round up one or two women to set her up with.” She had no idea who to call. Dex was pretty much her only gay friend.
He turned and swept Grace into his arms again. “You don’t sound so sure about that.”
“Oh, no. I’ve got this.” She said it like it would be the easiest thing in the world to achieve.
“Great. I can’t wait to meet her.”
She closed her eyes and melted into him. Brent wasn’t the guy who simply nodded and agreed with everything Grace said. She liked the fact that he pushed her like no other person ever had, but he had no idea how huge the task was that he’d just put on her to-do list.
* * *
Grace flipped through her phone as she sat behind the front desk at the gym. She’d spotted one of the part-timers who’d had to go on break. She waved at one or two regulars as they came through the door, but it was early in the afternoon, and the gym wasn’t super busy yet. The fake profile she’d set up for Dex on Tinder had been hot and sweet. She’d been surprised at the number of responses she’d received. Single tall, dark, and beautiful women must be rare on the site because Dex was in big demand.
She swiped to the left multiple times. “Too cute. Too sexy. Too hot.” She halted the automatic motion taking over her thumb when she came upon the first candidate. “Okay, Ms. Elena Edwards.” She stared at a picture of the woman with blond hair highlighted with magenta and read through the profile. Twenty-five, hates sports, loves reality TV, and doesn’t eat anything but red meat. “Bingo.” She swiped the profile right, and the message page popped up. She quickly typed.
Hey, would love to meet you for drinks this week if you’re up for it.
A message immediately returned with, Def, where and when?
Byron’s, 8pm Tonight.
See you then, gorgeous.
All the women seemed to be conveniently available on short notice, which might have been telling. But availability was the reason they were on the dating app in the first place. After scheduling the last one, she slipped her phone back into her bag, completely satisfied with her choices. If these didn’t work out, she’d introduce her to her friend Ruby as a last resort.
The part-timer came back from break, and Grace headed back to the office to wrap up a few last-minute things before heading home to change for her dates. She hadn’t told any of the women what she was doing. If they had a problem with it, they’d definitely be out of the running.
* * *
Grace slid into a barstool at the end of the bar she and Brent frequented often, said hello to the bartender, and ordered a club soda with lime. She wanted to be perfectly coherent while talking to these women tonight. Dex was her best friend, and she didn’t want anyone to hurt her. She planned to be extra careful to make sure that didn’t happen.
She’d set up three meetings, total, over the span of four hours. She’d given herself time to have a conversation with each of the women to see how they would fit with Dex as well as to weed out any catfish crazies or possible serial killers. None of them would be a perfect fit. In fact, she was sure Dex would absolutely hate them all, since she wasn’t a fan of blind dates. But she’d told Brent she’d try, and that’s exactly what she was doing.