“You should go for quadruplets,” Emma suggested as she pulled Hailey in. “You’ve always been an overachiever.” She laughed at her own joke.
“God, could you imagine Charlie trying to wrangle me and four kids?” She laughed.
“You are a handful,” Emma joked back.
Hailey took a look in Keira’s direction. She was hugging Charlie goodbye. Hailey leaned into Emma.
“She’s great, Em. You two are great together,” she whispered for only Emma to hear.
“I know,” she replied and watched Keira’s eyes flit over to them. “She’s the one, Hails.”
“I knew you’d find her one day,” Hailey said.
“I was starting to doubt it, if I’m being honest,” Emma replied.
“You had to go a little further than you planned.”
“Yeah, not everyone falls in love with their best friend, huh?”
“We did,” Hailey reminded. Emma had to nod in agreement. “But, yeah, not everyone finds their love–”
“Sitting across the damn table?” Emma teased Hailey for sitting at the same coffee shop with Charlie every week for years and not realizing they were supposed to be together.
“I’m pretty sure you sat across from Keira at a damn table in the beginning there, Em. But sometimes we have to go further to find that table.” Hailey’s words rang true as she kissed Emma’s cheek. “Let’s go, babe.” She reached back for Charlie’s hand. Charlie took it without even looking, wrapped up laughing along with Keira, and then turned to nod at Emma with a smile. “Bye, guys.”
“Get home safe, okay?” Emma shot back as they made their way to the stairs.
“We will,” Hailey returned.
Once Hailey and Charlie disappeared down the stairs, it was just the two of them. Keira stood in her spot for a moment and looked around the room. She couldn’t take any of the credit; she knew that. Everyone had helped her get here. She had these amazing people in her life that helped her make her dream in this business come true.
“What?” she asked with a light laugh as she turned to find Emma leaning back against a desk, staring at her.
“This is real now, Key. You did it,” she replied softly.
“We all did it,” Keira acknowledged. “I never would have been able to do this without you, though.” She walked toward her girlfriend. “You’ve been so great through all this.”
Keira met dark eyes as she stood in front of Emma and reached for both her hands, tangling them with her own. They’d been through so much as a couple. They’d been together for only about six months, but Keira sensed more now what had always been there; the thing she’d been so afraid of for some reason. Emma was the woman she’d been waiting for. Emma – the woman she nearly ran over the first time they met, then nearly scared away that night at speed dating, and then almost lost by not just letting her all the way in.
“You ready to get out of here? I’m exhausted. I still have papers to grade before tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I’m ready. But can I just ask you something?” Keira asked.
“Ask me something? Sure,” Emma replied, surprised.
“I want to live with you.” Keira bit her lower lip.
Emma laughed and replied, “Babe, you do live with me.”
“No, I’m staying with you,” Keira corrected.
“Same–” Emma stopped herself and stared into Keira’s eyes. “Oh.”
“I want to live with you, Em. The lease extension you got on the apartment will be up soon. I’ve saved some money. I’ll make a salary now. I want us to find a place together,” she finished.
“Together as in permanently?” Emma dropped Keira’s hands, placing her own around Keira’s neck.
“That’s the idea.”
Keira watched Emma’s grin spread across her face. She’d never tire of watching that woman smile. After the initial adjustment, they sank into what it was really like to live with a person, and Keira found that she loved it. There were these moments where she’d wake up before Emma and make the coffee. She’d pour the first cup while Emma slept and just watched her. She’d smile and think about how she almost missed out on that. She’d almost missed out on the love of her life.
“I’d like that,” Emma replied.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She smiled and leaned in to capture Keira’s lips in a slow kiss. “Want to talk details over dinner?”
“I have to pick up the car from the shop. The brakes are done. Want to come with me and then we can pick something up on the way home?” Keira asked.
“That car has been in the shop six times in the past two months. You should just sell the damn thing, Keira. Take the money and run.” Emma laughed as she pulled back.
“For starters, I only just now started making money; a few shifts a week at the bar thanks to Indy. I could only now afford to make the repairs, which is why they’re all at once.” She pressed her hands to Emma’s hips, holding her in place. “Besides, I don’t think I can ever sell this car.”
“Why not?” Emma laughed.
“Because I saw you for the first time in this car.”
Emma smiled at her and replied, “You nearly killed me in this car.”
“Exaggeration.” She pulled Emma into her.
“Yeah, right,” Emma argued.
“I’m a hoarder when it comes to all-things-Emma. I’ll save this car just like I saved that takeout menu from when you brought me Antonio’s, and that shirt from the health fair, and–”
“Two speed dating forms with certain boxes checked?” Emma completed.
“Yeah.” Keira pressed her forehead to Emma’s. “I think we’ll need a two-bedroom apartment.”
“What?” Emma pulled back a little.
“I plan on hoarding a lot more Emma-related stuff for a very long time. I’ll need a place to store it all.”
Emma stared at her in that way that Keira loved so much; in that way she saw other people in love stare at one another.
“It all goes in here, Keira.” She pressed her hand to Keira’s heart. “You store all of it in here the same way I will. We’ll remind each other of our stories. We’ll keep them here always.”
“Always,” Keira agreed in a whisper and kissed her.
MACON’S HEART
San Francisco Series Book #2
Macon Greene is a reluctant, world-renowned violinist. She’d never had a problem playing for a crowd as long as she wasn’t giving a solo. Her friends never seemed to notice her reluctance. In fact, her friends seemed to only really notice one thing about Macon – she always had a different woman around her. Sometimes, she’d flirt. Sometimes, they would. Rarely would it go anywhere. Unfortunately for Macon, she had a bit of a reputation.
Joanna Mason had a new profession and a new group of friends. Things were looking up in her life, with the exception of love. She’d never been able to find the right guy for her. Of course, she was spending a lot of time with a group of lesbians these days through her friendship with Emma Colton. That might have something to do with it. While Emma had found her soulmate in Keira Worthy, Joanna was starting to wonder if she’d ever find the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
As Joanna and Macon’s friendship becomes the most important relationship for both women, Macon wonders if she’ll ever have the courage to tell Joanna how she feels or if she’ll just have to find a way to get over it. Joanna hadn’t ever thought of being with a woman until she started spending all her free time with the beautiful and remarkably talented Macon. Suddenly, both women have a lot to think about.
To contact the author or for any additional information visit: https://nicolepyland.com
Copyright © 2019 Nicole Pyland
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 978-1-949308-14-3
CHAPTER 1
“She’s straight, Macon.” Joanna passed Macon an apple martini. “And yet, she still insisted I bring this over to you.” She sat down next to Macon at the table. “
How do you do that?”
“I didn’t do anything,” Macon insisted. “And why do you call me Macon?” she tossed back.
“That’s your name: Macon Greene.” Joanna took a sip of her own rum and Coke and waved over the two women she recognized as they walked into the bar.
“And everyone calls me Greene because Macon is my great-grandfather’s name and my parents clearly wished for a boy,” Greene retorted to her friend.
Greene was about 5’8” and had electric green eyes. Joanna knew many people just assumed Greene was her nickname due to that fact. She had near jet-black hair that went straight just down to her shoulders and golden skin that perfectly demonstrated the blend of her parents’ Italian and Irish heritage.
“Well, I like to call you Macon,” Joanna replied and turned to greet their friends. “Hey, guys.”
“Ladies.” Keira Worthy sat next to her girlfriend of the past year, Emma Colton, and across from them at their four-top table. “Who bought Greene the drink?” Keira pointed at the apple martini.
“Why do you assume someone bought it for me?” Greene asked one of her best friends.
“Because I don’t think I’ve ever been in a lesbian bar with you where someone else didn’t buy your drinks,” Keira retorted with a playful glance in her direction.
“Speaking of drinks, what do you want?” Emma asked Keira and stood.
“Whatever you’re having is fine,” Keira told her.
“I’ll be back.” She squeezed Keira’s shoulder and walked toward the bar.
“Please don’t tell me you two are that couple now, where you just drink alike and eat off each other’s plates. Are you going to start wearing matching outfits now that you’ve been together for over a year?” Macon sipped the sweet martini and grimaced. “I hate apple martinis.”
“Why are you drinking it then?” Joanna laughed at her.
“Free booze,” Greene sipped again.
“So, how was the anniversary dinner?” Joanna asked Keira.
“Amazing,” she replied with a smile. “Emma got us reservations at Laughlin’s, downtown, and they did this pre-set menu for us.” She glanced over at her girlfriend who was leaning over the bar, ordering from Indy, one of their friends who bartended here some nights.
Joanna had now met Indy several times and had also been hit on by her several times. She’d explained to Indy that she was straight and not interested. Indy had continued to try, but always did so playfully and never made Joanna feel uncomfortable. It was kind of amazing to Joanna how much her life had changed over the past year or so. She’d directed a team for the Health Department in San Francisco alongside Emma for about six months before she made a major career change.
She’d made a lot of changes in her life recently. In her opinion, they were all for the better. Joanna was thirty-three, and she had been working in the Health Department since she graduated from college with a degree in Photography and a minor in Philosophy; possibly the two worst degrees one could earn and actually find a job later. Her parents had said as much when she went off to school in New York. She returned to California at age twenty-three, after having tried to make ends meet with freelance work and waiting tables. After getting the Health Department gig, she’d followed her mother’s advice and went to graduate school to earn her degree in Business. She’d hated nearly every moment of it.
Emma had been a big help to her after she moved to San Francisco. The two shared many projects together along with their assistant, Mason. They’d formed a friendship. Joanna had taken to spending more time with Emma and Keira as a result. Keira had friends like Macon Greene and Hillary that she’d also come to know. She saw Macon nearly every other day as they seemed to enjoy hanging out together. Joanna had come to realize – through this new group of friends – that she hated her job. When she’d helped Keira’s event planning business by taking pictures for a wedding, she’d remembered how much she’d loved photography and decided to take her savings and quit her job, returning to freelance photography work.
It had been slow-going at first, but things picked up once she started partnering with Keira as her photographer of choice. Joanna often worked from home when she wasn’t on site taking pictures, but Keira had given her a desk at the office downtown. She was also free to use the conference room for meetings with clients or potential clients even if they were her freelance clients and not clients of Worthy Bash, Keira’s company.
Joanna had never had a consistent group of friends in San Francisco. In college, she’d hung with the photography majors, and they’d often modeled for one another to help fill out their portfolios. Joanna had been a favorite model thanks – in most part – to her long blonde hair and bright blue eyes along with her classic features. Her nose was small but went perfectly with her relatively thin lips and her upturned eyes that took the form of a classic almond shape, with a natural lift at the outer corners.
She’d enjoyed the career change as well as her move into a larger apartment down the street from the Worthy Bash offices. Her career was going well; she had friends she loved spending time with and had a nice, new apartment she could’ve never afforded on a government salary. The only thing that was missing was a man in her life.
“What are we talking about?” Emma asked as she sat back down next to Keira, placing a white wine in front of her and then one in front of herself.
“Your super romantic dinner last night,” Macon explained and finished the martini. “I need something stronger.” She stood up. “And look at me: I’m going to the bar to buy my own drink.” She moved toward the bar.
“She’s going to flirt,” Joanna said. “That girl – over there – is straight and here with her lesbian best friend. She was giving Greene the eyes earlier. I went to verify her status, and she told me she’s entirely straight and here to support her friend who was just dumped. She then bought Macon an apple martini and asked me to bring it over.”
“Greene has that effect on women,” Keira said. “Straight or not.”
“Think she’s going to take her home?” Emma asked.
“Maybe.” Keira shrugged and took a drink of her wine.
“Maybe?” Joanna asked. “Doesn’t she always?”
“Not always,” Keira replied. “She’s not as bad as Indy.” She nodded to their bartender friend who was hitting on yet another patron. “I asked her once how many women she’d slept with, and she told me she’d lost count.”
“And does Greene remember her number?” Emma placed her arm over the back of Keira’s chair.
“She said she did. She won’t tell me what it is, but she says she knows how many women she’s been with because she could never forget sharing something like that with someone.”
“Romantic?” Emma asked.
“I guess.” Keira laughed and placed her head on Emma’s shoulder. “Jo, why do you keep coming to places like this with her? Make her go to a straight bar if you guys are going to hang out. You’re not going to find your soulmate here.” She motioned with her finger at the semi-crowded bar, filled only with females. “Hang out with a non-lesbian if she’s unwilling. Or Emma and I can be your wing-women.”
“I’m okay.” Joanna laughed. “I’ve been focusing on work a lot. I haven’t been paying a lot of attention to the whole dating thing.”
“They say you find love when you least expect it,” Emma said.
“But sitting in lesbian bars night after night isn’t exactly going to help even if she’s not expecting it.”
“Honestly, I like it here,” Joanna replied to Keira. “I don’t have guys hitting on me all the time; and because I’m here with Macon or you guys, I don’t get hit on by women unless I’m alone at the bar grabbing a drink.”
“Did someone hit on you earlier?” Keira glanced toward the bar.
“The friend of the straight girl Macon is currently talking to. Just dumped and looking for a rebound, she told me. I politely declined.”
“Well, I hate to tell you this, Jo, but
you are hot, and you’re pretty femme. You’re going to get hit on a lot in places like this,” Emma explained.
“It’s not like I come here alone. I usually come in with Macon, just for a drink, and people leave us alone.” She paused. “They mostly leave me alone. They still sometimes flirt with her. Should I take offense to that?”
“No. Greene just has that intense lesbian vibe to her that some gay women have even if they don’t fit the stereotypes. You don’t fit the stereotypes, but you don’t have that ‘come save me; I just need the right women to love me’ look about you either,” Keira offered.
“And Macon does?” Joanna asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Emma confirmed. “And I think a lot of women have tried to be that right woman and failed.”
“She’s a player, but not really a player; she never misleads a woman or anything. And she’s nice to them while they’re dating,” Keira added.
“They just don’t date very long,” Emma said.
“I assume you’re talking about me.” Macon sat back down next to Joanna with a beer.
“It says a lot about you that you know that,” Keira replied.
“Did you strike out?” Joanna asked and took a longer drink this time.
“I didn’t even get into the batter’s box,” Macon replied. “I told you, I went to get a drink.”
“And you two were talking,” Joanna said.
“Yeah, her name is Heath. She’s twenty-three. She’s seen me in here before and just wanted to say hi.”
“By buying you a martini and giving you flirty eyes?” Joanna asked.
“I guess so.”
“But you’re not going to do anything about it?” Keira checked.
“No. Did you miss the part where she’s twenty-three and straight?” Macon took a drink of her beer.
“When has that ever stopped you?” Keira laughed.
“I’m thirty-four years old, Keira. I’m not interested in a twenty-three-year-old college student who doesn’t know what she wants and would obviously just be using me as her one girl-on-girl experiment. I’m not into that.”
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