CHAPTER 30
“Hey, babe,” Emma greeted into her phone at five the following morning.
“I’m sorry to be calling so early,” Keira replied. “I’m freaking out. I needed someone to talk to or maybe freak out to or at. Is it to or at?”
Emma let out a guttural laugh from both sleep and her girlfriend.
“What’s wrong?” Emma asked, leaning herself up in her bed and wiping her eyes as she moved.
“The wedding is tomorrow. I still don’t have the full staff I need,” Keira let out. She clearly had either woken up long ago or had never gone to sleep, because she sounded wide awake. “I got Katie to cater last minute. And by last minute, I mean last night. But she doesn’t have servers for this Sunday since they’re all on another job. She’s not even going to be there. She’s sending the food with one of her sous-chefs. I still need people to serve and help clean up. Nothing is open yet, and it’s the day before the freaking wedding, Em.”
“Babe, it’s okay,” Emma cooed. “It’s going to be fine. The family will understand. You took this job at the last minute.”
“I took it and promised the mother that I could handle it and make it the day her daughter deserves. Even though the bride is a pain in the ass, every woman still deserves her ideal wedding day. I don’t want to mess this up for her.”
“Key, what can I do?” Emma chanced using the nickname Keira had reserved solely for Kevin and Michelle.
She’d almost used it a couple of times before, especially after Keira had called her Em. It just rolled off her tongue, but she’d always followed it with the rest of her name. This morning though, she’d decided to take the risk.
“Nothing, Em.” Keira sighed. “I’ll just have to do the best I can with what I have.”
“There’s got to be something. Use me,” Emma suggested.
“What?”
“Use me. I’ll be your staff for the day,” Emma repeated. “I don’t know what to do, but you can show me. An extra set of hands never hurt, right?”
“I can’t ask you to do that,” Keira replied.
“Yes, you can,” Emma insisted. “Keira, I’m your girlfriend.” Emma felt herself grow frustrated. She tried her best to keep it down most of the time, but this pride problem Keira seemed to have when Emma only wanted to help was starting to get on her nerves. “I love you. Do you understand that?” Her voice was elevated.
“Yes,” Keira’s voice grew soft.
“Do you, though?”
“Emma, of course, I do,” Keira insisted.
“Then, will you trust me?” Emma asked and changed her tone to match Keira’s softer one.
“What are you talking about? I do trust you.”
“How many people do you need?”
“What?”
“Keira, how many people for tomorrow?”
“Why?”
“Please, Key. Just tell me.”
“Probably seven or eight, but I could do it with five or six if I had to. I’d just have to run a little.”
“Give me a few hours.”
“Honey, what are you talking about?”
“Keira, have you slept at all?” Emma asked.
“Not really. I tried and got about an hour before I woke up and got back to work.”
“Go back to bed,” Emma ordered. “Get some sleep for me, please. I’ll come over in a few hours and make you breakfast.”
“Emma, I can’t keep relying on you–”
“That’s the point, Key. You can,” she said.
◆◆◆
Keira did what Emma asked and made her way back to her bedroom. She slid under the warmth of her comforter and rolled onto her side where she noticed the paperwork she’d been reviewing earlier about her banking options. She couldn’t stare at them anymore and pushed until she heard them falling to the floor. She closed her weary, burning eyes in an attempt to sleep, but she knew it wouldn’t come. She heard a sound at the door, and her eyes shot open.
“Key, Emma’s here,” Kevin yelled.
Keira jolted up out of bed and glanced at the clock.
“Damn,” she muttered to herself.
“Hey, babe.” Emma walked through the door of her bedroom.
“I actually slept,” Keira acknowledged. “I think I actually slept for four whole hours.”
“I’m glad.” Emma sat on the side of the bed, reached for Keira’s neck and pulled her toward her to place a kiss on her forehead. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too. I’m so sorry for–”
“Stop.” Emma cut her off. “Come out to the living room.” She kissed her temple and stood. “Maybe put on some clothes first.” Emma pointed at the underwear and tank top Keira was wearing. “Save that look for me.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Wait. You don’t walk around the apartment like that when Kevin is here, do you?”
Keira laughed. It felt good.
“I save this look for when I’m alone.” She glanced at the beauty that was her girlfriend. “And you.”
“Good. Put on some pants and come out to the living room.” Emma smiled and walked out of the room, leaving Keira confused.
Keira slid on a pair of sweatpants and a hooded sweatshirt. Putting on a bra was asking too much. She pulled open the door Emma had mostly closed behind her and headed out to the living room where she saw Greene, Hillary, Kevin, Tracy, Mason, a woman she didn’t recognize, Indy, and Emma all in her living room. They were chatting softly and leaning over the coffee table. Keira watched them pull donuts out of a pink box and pour coffee out of one of those giant cardboard containers into small white to-go cups.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” Hillary greeted when she noticed Keira standing there. “This is your party. Shouldn’t you maybe make an appearance before your guests arrive?”
“Well, I didn’t exactly expect guests, did I? What’s going on?” She looked to Emma who moved to stand in front of her, holding out a cup of coffee and a plate with a single glazed donut on it.
“I called in the reinforcements.” She shrugged. “This isn’t your coffee, but it will have to do.” She passed Keira the coffee and the plate. “Keira Worthy, meet your newest employees.” She turned to reveal the group of friends stilled by Emma’s introduction. “You know everyone, I think, except for Joanna, who graciously agreed to give up her weekend to help.”
“Hi, nice to meet you.” Joanna waved to Keira and sat down next to Greene.
“Kellan would have come, but she already left for Tahoe,” Hillary offered with a knowing glance in Keira’s direction.
“What’s going on?” Keira asked.
“I enlisted their help for tomorrow,” Emma explained. “Well, today and tomorrow. I figured you’d need to tell us what to do. I’ve borrowed everyone for the next hour or so.”
Keira glanced around the room at faces – some new and some old, and smiled.
“You guys dropped what you were doing to help me?”
“Of course, Key,” Kevin answered for the group. “If you would have asked, we would have been here sooner.”
Keira was speechless. She wanted to say thank you. She wanted to hug all of them; even Joanna and Mason whom she didn’t really know. She’d been working so hard, she’d forgotten one of the most important things.
“We love you, Keira. We’re here for you whenever you need us,” Hillary added.
“We’re ready for instruction.” Greene took a sip of her coffee. “I have a lesson to do in a couple of hours. Just an FYI.”
“I have the early shift tonight, but I’m free the rest of the day for whatever,” Indy stated.
“And I have no plans because I am a lonely, single woman who lives for her job,” Joanna joined in. “So, I’m here for whatever you need.” She took a look at Emma and then Keira. “Interesting.”
“Not a word to Ivy.” Emma pointed at Joanna and then Mason. “I don’t want her to know about Keira and me yet, okay?”
“Not a problem, boss,” Mason stated and gave a mock
salute.
“She’s your boss today.” Emma pointed at Keira. “And thank you both.”
“Thank you all. Are you sure you want to spend your day serving a bridezilla and her entire family?” Keira asked.
“I think that actually sounds like fun,” Greene shared.
“You would.” Hillary turned in her standing position to glare at Greene. “You probably want to hit on the bridesmaids.”
“No hitting on the bridesmaids, Greene,” Keira warned. “This is work.”
“Hitting on bridesmaids?” Joanna turned to Greene.
“I wouldn’t,” Greene told her. “Not tomorrow anyway,” she added after a moment and winked at Keira.
“Better not,” Keira insisted.
They spent the next hour outlining how the next day would go. Indy would be the bartender in charge of the two temps Keira had managed to hire. Hillary was the most organized of the group. She would act as Keira’s right hand. Greene would, of course, play her violin and would even steal a few members of the orchestra to fill out a quartet to play the ceremony. There was a DJ for the reception. Kevin and Tracy would help with service along with Mason. Emma would be in charge of the other vendor relations; working with Katie and the bakery who would be delivering both the wedding cake and the groom’s cake to the reception while the ceremony was going on. She’d make sure the reception was on track while Keira was at the church with Hillary, focusing on the actual nuptials. Joanna, it turned out, was a photographer on the side and had wedding experience.
When everyone save Kevin, Tracy, and Emma had departed to go about the rest of their Saturday, Keira felt remarkably lighter. She hugged every single person as they left the apartment in thanks and promised them she’d find a way to really thank them one day. She’d turned to Kevin and Tracy and hugged them both a long time before they headed into Kevin’s room to get ready for their lunch with Tracy’s parents who were in town. Then, she turned to watch Emma head into her kitchen with dirty plates and empty coffee cups. Keira softened at just the sight of Emma’s face and moved to the table where she took the lid off a small box she and Kevin kept there. She followed Emma into the kitchen and placed a small metallic object on the counter.
“Hey, Em?”
“Yeah?”
“Em, can you stop for a second?” Keira asked.
Emma looked up at her. Keira slid the object across the counter in Emma’s direction.
“What is that?” she asked and straightened.
“That is a key to this apartment,” Keira revealed. “And it belongs to you for however long this place belongs to me.”
“You’re giving me a key? I thought we– ”
“I know you love me, okay?” Keira interrupted. “It’s just that I don’t know that I’ve ever been loved like that by someone else; how you love me.”
“Keira–”
“I’m way too old to be saying that, but I think it’s the truth,” she confessed as Emma’s hand took her own. “You’re still here. I’m pretty sure every single girlfriend I’ve ever had would have bailed by now.”
“Their loss,” Emma shared with a shy smile.
“Really?” Keira doubted.
“Yes, Keira.” Emma moved into her and placed both hands on her waist. “Really.”
“I have a hard time asking for help,” Keira acknowledged.
“And I have a hard time not helping,” Emma confessed.
“I can’t believe you did all this,” Keira replied. “I never thought to ask them for their help.”
“Why not? They love you, Key.”
“I like when you call me that,” she revealed.
“I’m happy to hear that, because I was worried I might be overstepping.”
“No, you’re not overstepping.” Keira’s arms went to Emma’s neck. “I’m yours to call whatever you want,” she added as she rested her forehead against Emma’s.
“Girlfriend,” Emma said. “I really like calling you that.”
Keira leaned in and pressed her lips gently to Emma’s. It took a moment for Emma’s lips to respond, but once they did, Keira’s hand went to press into the edge of the counter because Emma’s lips were persistent. Keira trembled as they made their way to her neck while Emma’s hand slid up the side of her shirt. One of Keira’s hands clutched at the counter for balance while the other played with the back of Emma’s neck, enjoying the sensation of Emma’s hair between her fingers.
“My room,” Keira stated. “Kevin and Tracy.”
She wanted to provide Emma with a complete sentence about how Kevin and Tracy were in his room and could come out and catch them at any moment, but she’d only been able to get out their names as Emma’s hand palmed her right breast.
“Let’s go,” Emma replied and pushed gently with her other hand on Keira’s hip to direct Keira back to her bedroom.
“Your key,” Keira said after a few steps.
“Is it going anywhere?” Emma asked with a smirk.
“No.”
“I’ll get it later. And then, I’ll get you mine.”
“You don’t–”
“Shut up, Key.” Emma laughed and kissed her neck while pushing Keira into her bedroom.
Emma took her time with Keira. They were side by side for over an hour as they shared soft, gentle kisses that gave way to deeper, more passionate ones. Keira had shed her sweatshirt but still had everything else on while Emma was still completely dressed. It had taken all the control in the world for Emma not to take things further faster. They hadn’t had sex in several days thanks to Keira’s hectic work schedule and exhaustion. Emma missed the woman’s touch. She missed her skin and how it felt, how it smelled and tasted beneath her mouth and fingers. She craved that contact again, but she also missed these moments too. When Emma finally heard the signs of two people leaving the apartment and locking the door behind them though, she lost her resolve. Emma kissed down to Keira’s collarbone and placed her hand on Keira’s hip, pushing her back lightly. Keira took the hint. Emma climbed on top of her.
“I know you’re exhausted, but–”
“But you better start taking my clothes off now, Em,” Keira interjected and tugged at the zipper of Emma’s jeans. “I’ve missed you like crazy.”
“God, me too. But I didn’t want to pressure you when–”
“Emma! Just fuck me!”
Emma resisted the intense urge to smirk. She couldn’t make that confident expression when the words from Keira’s mouth had caused the muscles in her lower body to clench while the wetness between her thighs threatened to soak through her jeans. Emma couldn’t wait to get Keira naked. She regretted not getting her naked slowly over the past hour. She lifted Keira’s tank top up over her breasts and stared down at the fullness of them as she took an erect nipple between her lips and sucked it into her mouth. The gasp Keira elicited told Emma she hadn’t been prepared for that. Emma was hopeful she wouldn’t be prepared for what she was about to do. She moved one hand from the side of Keira’s head where it had been helping to hold her above Keira and slid it immediately inside Keira’s pants and underwear.
“God! You’re so wet,” Emma whispered.
“You’ve been teasing me forever.” Keira pressed her hands into the small of Emma’s back under her shirt, pushing Emma down into her. “Take it off, Em,” Keira demanded.
She tugged on Emma’s shirt. Emma hated that she had to stop touching Keira for a moment to do what her girlfriend wanted, but if by getting naked, it meant that Keira would come for her, then she’d pause happily and hastily remove her clothing.
Once naked, Emma took a second to pull and toss Keira’s pants and underwear, while Keira herself lifted her shirt the rest of the way over her head. It disappeared into the pile of discarded clothing. Emma settled back into her. Her hand went right back to the warmth of Keira’s center. Her fingers slid up and down, coating Emma’s fingers until they were wet enough to slide inside. Before she got the chance though, she watched Keira turn on her
side under her, and Emma lifted up slightly to allow her to roll over on her stomach completely.
“Like this?” Emma asked and kissed Keira’s back between her shoulder blades.
“Yes,” Keira managed against the pillow and raised her hips off the bed, signaling that Emma should put her hand back where it was and continue.
Emma slid her hand between Keira’s legs as Keira’s hips lifted even more to accept her fingers. Emma leaned back enough to watch as her fingers pulled out and pushed back in. She watched Keira’s hips rise and fall with the action. She placed her free hand on Keira’s hip, encouraging her back and forth slowly. Keira moved to support herself on her elbows. Emma held on as her hips moved faster back against Emma’s eager fingers. It didn’t take long for Emma to begin hearing the familiar sounds of Keira’s building orgasm. She pulled her two fingers out just as Keira’s hips moved back against her. Keira seemed to sigh in disappointment until Emma slid three fingers back inside, forcing Keira forward. Emma took advantage of the position and leaned over Keira’s back, nibbling at the flesh she found there while moving the hand that had been on Keira’s hip to her center and stroking Keira’s hard clit in time with the thrust of her fingers.
“Like this?” Emma repeated her question from earlier.
“Yes,” Keira yelled out. “Yes,” she repeated and pushed herself back onto Emma’s fingers and then forward into Emma’s hand.
Emma applied more pressure to Keira’s clit by squeezing it between two fingers just as she pushed her other fingers deep inside Keira’s body.
San Francisco Series- Complete Edition Page 30