by Fiona Riley
A warm hand rested at her hip, and she smiled, setting her drink on the bar. She had felt Samantha approaching, her senses in tune with Samantha’s arrival. She pulled the hand from her hip to her front, lacing her fingers with Samantha’s over her abdomen.
“Hey, there.” Samantha’s voice was velvety soft behind her as she gently hugged Lucinda from behind.
Lucinda let her free hand gently knead the flesh of Samantha’s hip in response. Her heart rate picked up when she noticed the absence of panty lines. “Hi.” She squeezed the fingers interlaced with her own before she turned fully and settled her gaze on the woman in front of her. Samantha looked amazing. Perfect hair and makeup, just stunning. “I’m happy to see you.”
Samantha smiled, her cheek pressed to Lucinda’s. “Me too.”
Lucinda placed a delicate, lingering kiss below Samantha’s ear, murmuring, “You look great.”
Samantha shuddered and danced her fingers up and down Lucinda’s back before stepping away. “Thanks for coming.”
Lucinda flashed a bright smile and glanced over Samantha’s shoulder at Andrew who was standing idly by, watching quietly with a smug look on his face. “Hey, Andrew, how are you?”
“Oh, me? I’m good, just giving you ladies a little time to catch up.”
Samantha rolled her eyes. “Where’s our table? I’m starved.”
“Mm-hmm.” Andrew quipped, “Maybe they have a fish special tonight…”
Lucinda choked out a laugh behind her martini and paid the bartender, closing her tab. “Oh, Andrew, I do adore your commentary. Thanks for inviting me tonight.”
“Of course! We have so much to catch up about.”
Samantha snorted. Lucinda laughed by her side and looped their arms together on the way to the dining room. She leaned in and whispered, “Relax, this is gonna be fun.” Samantha nodded before taking a swig of Lucinda’s martini.
Their table was against the window, Andrew and Lucinda opposite each other with Samantha at the head, facing the view. Andrew ordered a bottle of champagne and a few appetizers as they caught up on the day’s activities. Lucinda smiled easily in their company. Andrew was hilarious—she wished she could have been a fly on the wall of the photo shoot today; she could only imagine the type of diva he was in wardrobe. They made short work of the first round of food, wiping out a bottle of champagne in the meantime. At some point during the meal, Samantha’s right hand made its way to Lucinda’s thigh.
Lucinda liked how physically affectionate Samantha was with her. When they first met, she had initiated all contact, tentative and slow. She couldn’t help but smile when Samantha did it now; it felt very natural while still giving her a warm buzzing feeling. She dropped her hand below the table to press against the fingers idly playing with the hem of her dress. Andrew waved toward the waiter, giving Lucinda the chance to lock eyes with Samantha, who winked before licking her lips, squeezing Lucinda’s thigh and pulling her hand up to the table. Samantha folded the napkin that was on her lap and excused herself, leaving Lucinda a little breathless.
She watched Samantha cross the room, her eyes lingering on the curves accentuated by the form-flattering fabric of her dress. Samantha stopped to talk to the maître d’, and brushed her hair over her shoulder before settling her gaze on Lucinda. She flashed a bright smile as she ended her conversation and walked toward the restroom. Lucinda didn’t bother to hide her appreciative leering; Samantha was positively gorgeous in everything and nothing. A small smile settled on her lips as she leaned back a bit into her chair.
“She likes you, you know.” Andrew interrupted her trance.
“Mm. The feeling is very mutual.” Lucinda laughed and glanced at him as he sipped his drink. “She’s stunning, isn’t she?”
He nodded and replied quietly, “She is. Be good to her—she deserves the best.”
“Of course.” Lucinda watched his face closely. She wasn’t looking for anything in particular, just looking. She liked that he was so protective of Samantha. “You’ll tell me if I fuck anything up, right?”
He placed his drink on the table before shooting her a fake menacing glance. “I have you on speed dial.”
*
When Samantha returned to the table, she took a moment to appreciate the way Lucinda and Andrew were interacting. Lucinda was laughing so hard she was wiping away tears and Andrew was waving his arms around, describing something that looked vaguely vulgar. She liked that they got along so well. It was something her past relationships lacked, particularly with Eric. He and Andrew never seemed to mesh well; it was always like oil and water between them. Lucinda held up her hand to stop Andrew as she gasped for air and sipped some water.
“What in the name of Versace are you flailing around about?” Samantha asked as she took her seat.
“How dare you take his name in vain,” Andrew scolded, as he too wiped away tears.
“Andrew was telling me about his distaste of tucking up,” Lucinda choked out between giggles and sips of her water.
Samantha scrunched her brow in confusion. “What? What the hell is tucking up?”
Andrew rolled his eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh. “Samantha, I expect better from you. We have discussed this before, it drives me crazy. It makes me feel so deceived!” He clucked in annoyance and sipped his drink.
“In all honesty, sometimes I check out when you ramble.” Samantha looked back to Lucinda for help.
“It’s common in male dancers and some gay men,” Lucinda answered, resting a hand on Samantha’s. “They wear underpants that are a bit tighter than necessary and tuck their penis up into the band so it doesn’t hang down their leg and show through their pants.”
“It’s fraud! Do you know how many guys tuck up to hide how small they are?” Andrew scoffed. “That’s like stuffing your pants with socks and me getting a handful of lint when we’re fooling around. Equally unacceptable.”
Lucinda almost spit out her drink. The tables around them shot them irritated looks as the three of them continued to laugh like hyenas.
“All I’m saying is, I appreciate clean lines as much as the next fashionable gay male, but let’s not appear like we have a man-gina because your junk is up in your waistband.” Andrew flashed an appalled look as he swirled the contents of his champagne glass before finishing it off. “I mean, how is that even comfortable?”
Lucinda clutched her chest again before asking, “Well, have you tried it? How do you know it’s uncomfortable?”
Andrew pondered the question for a moment before replying in a hushed tone, “Of course I tried it. I needed to test the theory, make sure I wasn’t missing out on anything.”
“How did you even get into this conversation?” Samantha asked.
“Well,” Lucinda answered, “Andrew was telling me about this new Underwear of the Month Club he joined.”
“You joined a what?” Samantha interlaced her fingers with Lucinda’s on the tabletop.
“Underwear of the Month Club. They send you designer underwear once a month in the fit that you like. It’s fun.” Andrew winked.
“You think they have a thong of the month club?” Samantha ran her thumb along Lucinda’s knuckles.
Andrew quirked an eyebrow at her and laughed. “Why? You gonna join, Sam? I happen to have on good authority that you’re not even wearing underwear right now.”
Samantha tried to suppress her own smile. “You two are ridiculous.”
Andrew’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he dug it out, staring at the screen before glancing back up at his dinner companions.
“I have to take this,” he apologized. “Be right back.”
Samantha was looking out at the view, in her own little world. Lucinda pulled their interlocked hands from the table and onto her lap. “I want to show you something. Come with me?”
“Of course, I’d go anywhere with you.” That last part came out without any thought. She internally cringed and looked up at Lucinda to see if it had creeped her out.
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“Good to know,” Lucinda stood, seemingly unfazed, and pulled Samantha with her. She released their hands as she walked through the dining room, pausing her stride when Samantha repositioning her hand on the inside of Lucinda’s elbow, stepping close.
Samantha knew why Lucinda had dropped her hand. Just like she knew why she was greeted with a hidden kiss along her jaw during the hug. It was refreshing to be in charge of her own destiny, empowered to reach out and touch her new friend in a more than friendly way when she wanted to. It felt very natural to be close to Lucinda, touching her arm, holding her hand, brushing back her hair. It was still so new and fresh. She didn’t want to rush anything or jump to conclusions. Samantha felt a little insecure all of a sudden and her face must have reflected her self-doubt.
“Hey,” Lucinda asked, “are you all right?”
“Yeah, yeah. I was just thinking too much, it’s nothing,” Samantha mumbled shyly and put her head against Lucinda’s shoulder.
“This is my favorite view from inside the restaurant at night.” She pointed toward the horizon and identified landmarks for Samantha. “That’s the Museum of Fine Arts, and those dimmer lights line the Fens over there.”
Samantha leaned into Lucinda, listening attentively and watching the excitement as she shared her secrets.
“Over there, see that bright blue light?”
Samantha nodded and looked intently into the distance at the tiny blue orb.
“To the left of that light is a big white clock tower, and just a few streets away is my house, tucked back on top of a large hill overlooking the city. I love this view because I feel like even though I’m a little out of the city, I’m still a part of it.” Lucinda kept her eyes on the blue light as she spoke, her voice soft and reverent. “And I can find my way home whenever I may feel lost.”
Samantha’s eyes left the view and scanned Lucinda’s face. They were so close she could feel Lucinda’s breath on her cheek. She was so beautiful, beautiful in feature and in heart. Lucinda Moss was beautiful.
“Will you take me there sometime? To see your place?”
“Of course, whenever you’d like.”
Before she could second-guess herself, Samantha was rocking forward and placing a slow, chaste kiss to her lips. “Take me there, tonight.”
Lucinda sealed her affirmation with a kiss. “Let’s find Andrew and slip out of here.” She cupped Samantha’s cheek and rubbed her thumb slowly along her cheekbone before smiling and stepping back.
Samantha tucked her head, suddenly bashful after her bold request. She smiled when Lucinda laced their fingers together and nodded toward their table.
Andrew glanced up from busily scrolling through his phone and smiled. “Welcome back, ladies.”
Lucinda pushed in Samantha’s chair as she sat, her fingers grazing over a bare shoulder before she sat down and sipped her water. Samantha turned to Andrew. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, nothing I can’t handle.” He shrugged before flashing a devious grin. “I’m going to assume that you’ll be having your dessert elsewhere and I should get the check now, yes?”
Lucinda laughed into her water while Samantha gaped, neither confirming nor denying his insinuation.
Andrew raised his glass in a toast. “To new friends and new adventures. Lucinda, thank you for the delicious champagne on our girls’ day and for making my best friend smile for the first time in a long time. Cheers!”
As Lucinda clinked glasses with her two new friends, she slipped her hand under the table and rested her palm on Samantha’s thigh. “Call me Lucy.”
They rode down the elevator laughing and joking about their night and promising to make this a more regular occurrence. Andrew hugged them both and hopped in a cab, telling Samantha he would talk to her later and winking at Lucinda.
Lucinda nodded toward the valet approaching with her classic car. “C’mon baby,” she teased.
Samantha blushed and settled into her seat, still chuckling over the night’s events.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The ride to Lucinda’s was quick; she lived just on the outskirts of the city, fifteen minutes from Boston proper. The area was mostly populated by young professionals with an eclectic mix of food and local harvest grocers. There were restaurants, old-time barber shops, and old Irish bars with meticulous storefronts and lots of trees.
“I bought this place for its proximity to all the open space of the Arboretum,” Lucinda explained to Samantha. “I take sunset hikes and early morning runs. You wouldn’t believe the sunsets, and the sunrises.”
“That must be wonderful.” Samantha sighed.
“It is. I love to be outdoors, even in the heart of the city,” Lucinda said. Lucinda lived in a medium-sized single-family home set off the street on a hill. It was two-stories high with a double porch and perfectly groomed garden. Light blue with dark blue shutters and white accents, the house was gorgeous. Lucinda pulled into the driveway and glanced over to Samantha a little timidly. “Home sweet home.”
“Luce, it’s beautiful.” Samantha flashed a broad grin, her expression sincere.
Lucinda stepped out of the car and moved to the passenger side to help Samantha and her skintight dress out of the leather bucket seat. She placed a soft hand on Samantha’s lower back and guided her up the stone steps onto the porch. The large antique oak door with blue paneled stained glass and intricate carvings displayed an attention to detail not found in modern architecture. Lucinda unlocked the door and stepped inside, turning on the light in the front foyer and watching Samantha’s gaze trace over the wide-board wood floors and ornate door casings, before she danced her fingers lightly on the original wainscoting that ran the length of the entryway. Lucinda was proud of her home. She loved the history of the wood and the luster of the banister to the second floor. This place was beautiful and she had worked hard to preserve its charm.
She deposited her keys and purse on the table in the foyer before nodding toward the kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink? Some wine? Water? Coffee? Tea?”
Samantha smiled. “Wine, please.”
Lucinda walked through the living room to a massive open kitchen and pulled out a bottle each of red and white wine. She felt Samantha’s eyes on her as she reached into the cabinet and pulled down two glasses, flicking on a few lights along the way. Samantha nodded toward the red and smiled as Lucinda procured an opener from one of the dozens of drawers that lined the marble countertop.
“Your kitchen is stunning, Luce. Do you cook?” Samantha seated herself at the island on a stool.
Lucinda uncorked the bottle and poured the wine with care, appreciating the settling of the sediment before handing the glass to her. Samantha swirled the glass lightly to aerate the wine and appreciate the aroma before toasting Lucinda with a smile.
“I do cook, actually. This kitchen was one of the major selling points of the house. Well, this and the master bedroom.” She winked and sipped her wine, leaning against the counter.
Samantha laughed into her wine, putting it down on the kitchen island and standing before purring, “When do I get the formal tour?”
Lucinda raised an eyebrow and uncrossed her ankles. She placed her glass down and walked slowly toward Samantha. She reached out and ran her palm up Samantha’s side before leaning in to kiss her.
Samantha reciprocated immediately, opening her mouth and teasing her tongue along Lucinda’s lip. Lucinda responded with a low moan and kissed Samantha deeply before trailing her lips along her jaw, settling below her ear.
“Let’s go upstairs,” she murmured before sucking the skin into her mouth and releasing it. She pulled back and laced her fingers with Samantha’s, leading her toward the staircase. Samantha Monteiro would be the first woman Lucinda had in her bedroom in years. She let that thought marinate a bit and realized she was glad she made the bed this morning.
As they ascended the final steps, Lucinda started to second-guess herself. There was a reason she never brought
women back here. But before she could process that thought any further, Samantha’s free hand roamed up her hip from behind and pulled her close at the top step. Lucinda’s concerns melted when Samantha pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder, sweet and affectionate. Lucinda turned on the spot and cupped Samantha’s face, kissing her lips tenderly before pulling back to look at her face.
She watched Samantha closely, seeing the gentle blush on her cheeks, and the way her collarbone rose and fell. Lucinda kissed her softly once more before walking them into the master bedroom to the right of the stairs.
Lucinda left Samantha to survey the new environment as she clicked on the bedside lamps and drew the blinds. The room was large; a four-poster bed against the far wall was adorned with sheer curtains and fluffy pillows—she liked it because it looked like a welcoming cloud. The fabrics were lighter than Samantha’s, hues of white and cream, light blues and teals, a contrast to Samantha’s dark comforter and sheets. Her bed was flanked by two bedside tables in matching cherry oak that complemented a large dresser at the end of the bed. The dresser’s center held a grand mirror with accents of gold in the framed wood. Tucked into the corners of the frame were a few pictures, familiar smiling faces, Lucinda in full dance regalia.
Lucinda moved about, plumping pillows, arranging things just so, busying herself as she let Samantha explore. She watched Samantha slowly caress the wood carvings along the dresser as she looked at the images Lucinda had stubbornly refused to put in frames: pictures of Connie as a child, pictures of her teaching a dance class, a snapshot of a picnic with Massimo and his dog Duke, a faded image of her stuffed bear from when she was tossed from foster home to foster home, a heart shape made out of trees naturally formed in the area behind her house…little memories that kept her grounded. She felt naked with Samantha studying them so closely.
