by Jae
“I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
Regan sighed. She still didn’t like it, but at least now she understood why. “It’s okay.”
“And I’m sorry for spoiling this evening. I’m a terrible date.” Ky chuckled, but it sounded forced. “Good thing we weren’t planning on a second date anyway.”
Regan put her other hand around Ky’s too, now cradling it in both of hers. “Listen to me, Kylie Rose Wells.”
The use of her full name made Ky shudder, and they both had to grin, which lightened the mood.
“You are not a terrible date, and you are good enough.” Regan emphasized every word, as if she were teaching her students the name of a complex chemical, and firmly squeezed her hand. She held Ky’s gaze, willing her to read the truth in her eyes. “You’re good enough to be an assistant cafeteria manager, a restaurant manager, or a chef. But if you don’t want to be any of these things, you’ll still be good enough.”
The fingers beneath hers tightened around the glass they still held. Ky searched her face with almost desperate urgency. “Good enough…” Her voice came out in a husky rasp, so she cleared her throat before she continued. “For what?”
“Anything you want,” Regan said without hesitation.
“What if I still don’t know what that is?” Ky rubbed at her eyebrow scar with her free hand. “Damn. I’m thirty. I’m supposed to have things figured out, but here I am…”
“Here you are,” Regan repeated but in a much more positive tone, “in the best restaurant in town.” She flicked a glance at the counter, where her father was watching them with a concerned expression. “In the world. Having the best pizza in the world, with the best friend in the world.”
“In the universe.” Ky’s lips curled up into a smile, but her eyes were serious.
“Well, I was trying to be modest, but if you insist…”
They grinned at each other.
“Seriously, Ky, who says you’ve got to have it all figured out just because you’re a certain age?”
“Growing up, we thought we would long before reaching thirty.”
Regan snorted. “We also thought it was a good idea to drink an entire bottle of cough syrup to see if we would get drunk.”
“You thought it was a good idea.”
“Yeah, yeah. I never claimed to have anything figured out. It’s not a requirement. As long as you stay true to yourself and make the most of every moment, that’s all that counts.”
Ky joined her left hand to the tangle of their fingers around the glass. “Thank you. I know you’re right. It’s just… Sometimes…” She growled as if the right words to explain escaped her.
But Regan didn’t need them. “I get it.”
“Yeah. You really do.”
Regan looked into Ky’s grayish-green eyes that seemed to glow with gratefulness and affection, even though it was probably at least in part due to the flickering candlelight. When the intimacy of their eye contact became too much, she pulled the glass from Ky’s grasp and signaled the waiter. “You need new water. We warmed this up to bath temperature.”
“And the pizza has gone cold. I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry. That’s the great thing about pizza: it tastes just as good cold as it does hot.” Regan took a hearty bite and let out a hum.
A slow smile spread over Ky’s face. “So you still think this isn’t a terrible date?”
Regan made a show of thinking about it while she chewed. “Well, we haven’t made it to the glorious culmination of the date yet, so I’m reserving judgment.”
Ky froze with a slice of pizza halfway to her mouth. “Glorious culmination? You don’t expect me to kiss you good night, do you?”
Laughter bubbled up from deep in Regan’s belly. “You think a kiss from you would be glorious? And people tell me I lack modesty! I’m talking about Dad’s cannoli.”
“Oh. Of course. I mean, it’s not like I’d kiss you, with your garlic breath and all. Um…or even without it.”
Regan lifted another slice of pizza to her mouth to hide her grin. A stammering Ky was the cutest thing ever. But, of course, she was right. Garlic breath or not, the night wouldn’t end with a kiss. The only thing that would touch her lips tonight was her dad’s yummy Italian food.
* * *
An hour later, Regan ducked into the back room, where her mother was working on the computer. “Hey, Mom. We’re heading out now. Are you sure you’re not going to let us pay?”
“You know the answer to that.” Her mother peered past Regan. “Where’s Kylie?”
Regan laughed. “In the kitchen with Dad, getting loaded down with enough food to last us a week.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yeah.” Regan stepped farther into the room and lowered her voice. “It’s just… Everything she’s been through over the years left its mark. But she’ll be fine.”
“Of course. She’s got you after all.” Her mother smiled, but the worry lines on her forehead didn’t completely smooth out. “Let us know if she needs anything.”
For the millionth time in her life, Regan thanked her good fortune for her family. “Will do.”
“Oh, before you leave, what do you think? Kinkie, Lover Bunny, or Majestic Romance?” Her mother gestured at her computer screen.
Regan stared at her. Kinkie? Lover Bunny? What the hell? She was almost afraid to peek at the computer.
Her mother laughed. “What? You think I’ve got time to shop for sex toys a month before the restaurant in Vancouver opens?”
Regan covered her ears with her hands. “Lalalala, I can’t hear you.”
Chuckling, her mother walked over and pulled Regan’s hands down. “I’m talking about the font for the headings on our menu. Would it look better in Kinkie, Lover Bunny, or Majestic Romance?”
“Majestic Romance,” Regan answered without even looking at the different fonts because thanks to her mother’s comment, the two others now evoked images of sex toys.
“Good choice. Speaking of romance…” Her mother pointed at the restaurant’s main room. “Are you sure you’re only going out with Kylie to prove that there’s nothing there—or because, deep down, you know there is?”
Anger boiled up inside Regan like a volcano ready to erupt. “Would everyone please stop that and let Ky and me decide what our relationship is and what it isn’t? It’s getting really old, you know?”
Her mother sank onto her desk chair. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I just want you to have someone who’s always there for you, the way your dad and I have each other.”
The fiery lava in Regan’s belly instantly cooled. She perched on the edge of the desk, the way she’d done as a child. “I do have someone.” They both glanced toward the kitchen. “We don’t need to be a couple to be each other’s support system.”
“I know. I just want you to have everything—friendship, romance, love, sex. You and Kylie are so good for each other, but sometimes, I’m afraid you’re keeping each other from having it all.”
The lava bubbled up again.
“Hear me out,” her mother said before Regan could interrupt. “You and Kylie spend pretty much all of your spare time together.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. Except…how is a partner going to compete with that and with all the history you two share? Would they even have a place in your life? Even the spot next to your toothbrush is already taken up by Kylie’s. How do you explain that to your dates when you decide to take someone home with you?”
“Why do I have to explain anything?” Regan paced away from the desk. “Besides, for the most part, I don’t take anyone home.”
“That’s my point, sweetie.”
Just when Regan felt she’d reached her boiling point, a short knock announced Ky’s arrival. She looked from Regan to her mother and instantly seemed to sense the tension because she lingered in the doorway instead of coming in. “Uh-oh. Am I interrupting something?”
Her presence was like a valve that released some of the steam that had built up inside Regan. “No. Mom was—”
“Making an ass out of myself.” Her mother sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel like I’m criticizing the way you live your life. I got enough of that from your grandpa when I married your dad, and I swore I’d never do that to any of my kids.”
“You don’t…usually,” Regan added. Now that the pit of lava in her belly had cooled off, she managed a teasing grin.
Ky gave her a questioning look but remained where she was.
“Come here,” Regan’s mom said. “Both of you.”
When they did, she pulled them into a tight embrace, ignoring the bags of food in Ky’s hands. “I’m sorry,” she whispered into Regan’s ear.
“It’s fine,” Regan answered. “I get it.” And if she was honest, her mother wasn’t completely wrong…at least not about everything. Ky’s toothbrush in the cup holder next to hers had led to a misunderstanding or two in the past.
Her mom gave her an extra squeeze before letting go.
“What was that all about?” Ky asked as they walked to the car.
“Your toothbrush.”
“Um, what?” Ky switched a bag of food to her other hand so she could breathe on her palm and then sniffed it as if she was afraid she might have bad breath.
Regan couldn’t help laughing. “Just Mom being her overprotective self, worried that we’ll miss out on love.”
Ky shrugged. “Love is overrated.”
“Exactly.” Regan took one of the bags from her and slid her arm through Ky’s. “Who needs love if they can have cannoli?”
Chapter 5
Dark clouds hung low over the green trusses of the Hawthorne Bridge, but for once, it wasn’t raining, so Ky had bundled up in her windbreaker and met Regan, Denny, and Eliza for a Sunday afternoon walk at the waterfront.
A colorful dragon boat glided past them on its way upriver, and the April breeze ruffled Regan’s curly hair, making it appear even messier than usual.
Ky stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets to keep from reaching over to swipe an errant strand from her face. At least with Regan’s jacket zipped up to her neck, Ky’s thoughts weren’t veering into dangerous territory, as they had last night.
“So?” Eliza tugged Denny closer to Ky and Regan by their joined hands. “Don’t make us wait for the big news.”
Regan flashed her innocent grin—the one that had always convinced people Ky was the troublemaker and she had only been along for the ride. “Big news? Oh, wait, I know! La Casa Nostra now offers the option to add a light drizzle of honey to your white pizza.”
“Aaaand?” Eliza drew out the word.
“And it’s surprisingly yummy.”
Ky bit down on the inside of her cheek to hold back a chuckle.
“I meant your date, you goof! How was it?” Eliza looked from Regan to Ky. “Any sparks?”
“No, of course not,” Ky said quickly. So what if she’d been overly aware of how wonderful Regan had looked in that clingy button-down dress? That hadn’t been a spark. More of a fluke, because she hadn’t been with anyone since the Stone Age. And that intimate moment, with Regan cradling her hand and the candle throwing flickering shadows across her face, had probably just felt so emotional because she was PMSing or something.
Thankfully, Regan had been clueless. She had never once thought of Ky in a romantic way, and Ky would never risk the most important friendship in her life by trying to turn it into something more.
Now, with the date experiment safely behind them, they could go back to hanging out in sweatpants, and soon, she would forget that damn dress.
Eliza squinted at them. “What aren’t you telling us?”
Ky stared ahead to the Hawthorne Bridge and watched as the lift span was slowly being raised, allowing the Portland Spirit, its deck full of tourists, to pass underneath.
“Nothing,” Regan said. “We had a wonderful evening, but—”
“Wait!” Denny stopped walking, drawing them all to a halt. “Did you say La Casa Nostra earlier? Isn’t that the restaurant your folks own?”
“It is. I wouldn’t subject my lovely date to anything but the very best.” Regan beamed proudly and wrapped one arm around Ky.
Even through her windbreaker, Ky was very aware of where Regan’s fingers rested on her hip. Maybe she wasn’t quite over that damn dress yet.
“You didn’t!” Eliza shook her head at them. “Regan, that’s not a date; that’s a family reunion.”
“Nonsense. It’s not like my parents sat at the table with us…um, at least not most of the time.”
“If it had been anyone but Kylie, you wouldn’t have taken them to meet your parents on the very first date, would you?”
Regan laughed. “Hell, no!”
“Then why take Kylie there for your date?” Eliza shook her head at Regan.
Ky’s protective hackles rose. “There’s nothing wrong with taking me to La Casa Nostra. We had a very nice—”
“But we don’t want nice. We want sparks,” Eliza said. “Or at least a fair chance of seeing if there could be any between the two of you, and that’s not going to happen with Regan’s parents right there, watching your every move. You’ll have to conduct part two of your little chemistry experiment under more realistic conditions.”
“Part two?” Ky and Regan echoed.
“I insist on a second date.” Eliza paused. “Actually, make it two more dates.”
“Two?”
Oh. My. God. Ky wanted to sink to her knees on the dirt path. She would not survive that.
Eliza nodded firmly. “Repeatable results. That’s what you science geeks are after, right?”
Regan nibbled her lip. “Right.” She sounded less than enthusiastic.
“Look at it this way: You two could really use a refresher when it comes to dating, so at the very least, this will be good practice. Do we have a deal?”
Regan and Ky looked at each other.
“Deal,” Regan finally said. “As long as you agree that after two more dates, you’ll shut up about it forever.”
Ky barely heard her words over the buzzing in her ears. She was too busy praying that no other sexy dresses lurked in the back of Regan’s closet.
Chapter 6
Regan was having a déjà vu moment. When she went to pick up Ky, her roommate Lilia opened the door again and studied Regan with the exact same smirk as last Saturday. “So, second date, huh?”
“Well, kinda…not really.”
“Not really?” Lilia wrinkled her nose as if smelling a heap of shit. “You seriously want me to believe this is your Netflix night outfit?” She waved her hand at the long-sleeved black bodysuit and the hip-hugging pair of jeans Regan wore.
Regan tugged on her sweetheart neckline. “What? It’s comfortable.”
“Yeah. Right. Comfort. That’s why my roomie is taking a suspiciously long time to get ready—because she can’t find a comfortable thing to wear in her closet.”
Regan peeked toward the closed bathroom door. At least she wasn’t the only one, but that didn’t mean what Lilia thought it meant. “We’re just putting in extra effort because our friends didn’t think the setting of our first date was romantic enough.”
“Why? Where did you take her?”
“My parents’ restaurant,” Regan said.
Lilia laughed. “If your family is anything like mine, that would definitely kill the mood.”
“For crying out loud, there was no mood to begin with! At least not a romantic one.”
“No, of course, none at all,” Lilia replied with a fake straight face. “So where are you going tonight?”
For once in her life, Regan had gone with the safe bet: they had decided on the classic date activity so their friends couldn’t possibly find anything wrong with date number two. “Dinner and a movie.”
The bathroom door swung open. “Hey, Lil, is this too tight?” Ky stepped into
the living room in a navy-blue sweater that molded to her every curve, accentuating the elegant lines of her torso and her marvelous shoulders. It was tucked into a pair of light blue jeans, with a broad leather belt.
“No.” Lilia chuckled. “Judging by the look on Regan’s face, it’s just fine.”
Regan glared at her. She did not have a look on her face, other than friendly approval of Ky’s wardrobe choices. Just because she was her best friend didn’t mean Regan couldn’t notice when Ky looked especially good.
“Oh. Hi. You’re here already.” Ky stopped running her hands over the front of her sweater and shoved them into her jeans pockets. “I seem to have, um…”
“Completely lost track of time while you were busy throwing on something comfortable,” Lilia finished the sentence with a smirk.
Regan chose to ignore her. “Ready to go?”
“Ready.” Ky slid her wallet into her back pocket.
When they walked to the door together, Regan caught a whiff of Ky’s perfume—fresh but not overpowering. She deeply inhaled the clean, compelling scent. She had always loved it because it reminded her of hiding out in their tree house, surrounded by pines and firs, but today, there seemed to be a new note to it…something almost sultry. “That’s not new, is it?”
“Hmm?” Ky paused and held open the door for her.
“The perfume.”
“No. Same as always.”
Regan took another whiff as she stepped past her. Strange. Why did it suddenly seem so different?
Oh, come on. You know why, Ms. Chemistry Teacher. Of course there was a scientific explanation for it. Over time, exposure to heat or light would break down the bonds between molecules in the fragrance, changing its chemical composition and therefore its scent. She unlocked her car with a satisfied grin. There. Chemistry could explain everything.
When Ky got in next to her and reached for the seat belt, her sweater tightened across her breasts and shoulders.
Regan quickly looked away and started the car. “What on earth is wrong with you?” she said to herself. She shouldn’t notice things like that, no matter how perfectly that sweater molded to Ky’s torso.
