“Oh my God, did I hurt you?” Her voice was soft and laced with concern. She brushed Teddi’s hair off her face and noticed the wet on her cheeks. “Oh, Teddi. I’m really sorry. I must have gotten carried away—”
Teddi place her fingers over Leah’s lips and shook her head. “No. You didn’t get carried away. You didn’t hurt me. I just got a little lost in my feels.” She chuckled, hoping to lighten things up, not wanting to delve into what it meant, not ready to analyze it. Leah seemed to get it, if the way she beamed down at Teddi was any indication. She wrapped her arms around Leah, pulled her down for a sizzling kiss, then flipped them so their positions were reversed. A moment to enjoy the surge of arousal on Leah’s face, and Teddi got busy exploring the gorgeous body beneath her. Nothing changed. She felt exactly the same way the entire time she made love to Leah.
Things were different now.
Chapter Twenty
After one last blast of winter—snowstorms in March were, sadly, not uncommon in upstate New York—spring was finally making an effort. While Leah hated the brown mud-slush combination that was part of the uniform of the end of winter, she loved the impending spring. It was early April and things were changing. Winter was fading. New growth began to appear—the color green was returning, buds were forming on trees, and daffodils and crocuses peeked up from the earth slowly, as if checking to see if the coast was clear.
Leah inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of new life. “God, I love spring,” she said quietly to no one as she pulled open the door to Hopeless Romantic and stepped inside.
“Hey, Preston,” she said.
He looked up from the counter, recently grown goatee so perfectly shaped it was as though it had been drawn on his face with a template. “Hi, Leah. How’s life?”
“Life is fantastic. She back there?” She indicated the door behind the counter.
“She is.”
Teddi was at her desk, her squinting focus on the computer monitor.
Was there ever going to be a time when Leah looked at Teddi and did not have the breath stolen right out of her lungs? Because there hadn’t been one yet. There had never been anyone in Leah’s life who had affected her the same way. Whenever she laid eyes on Teddi after being away from her for a while, a list of things happened. Her heart rate kicked up. She felt a fluttering low in her belly. Her entire being seemed to relax. It was as if she got a shot of some sort of downer, something gentle, something that said It’s okay, all is right in the world now. Just chill.
“If I need to call the eye doctor myself and make you an appointment, I will.” Leah said it quietly so as not to startle Teddi, but then wrapped her arms around her from behind. They’d had this discussion every time Teddi squinted at her computer. Or book. Or phone. “Besides, you’d look super sexy in glasses.”
A big sigh brought Teddi’s shoulders down slightly in Leah’s embrace. “I hate to admit it, but I think you’re probably right.” She tilted her head back and Leah pecked her lips with a gentle kiss. “Hi. To what do I owe this lovely surprise?”
“Hello there, you gorgeous creature.” Leah stood and began to massage Teddi’s shoulders. “I just finished up a lunch meeting around the corner and thought I’d pop in to see my girlfriend for a few minutes to get me through the rest of my day.”
“What would happen if you couldn’t see me?” Teddi poked a couple keys and squinted at the screen again.
“I mean, I would probably wither up and blow away like a dried-up leaf. Wouldn’t that be awful?”
“I’d certainly miss you. Your massages, mostly.” Leah squeezed extra hard, causing Teddi to cringe with a laugh and lean away. “Ow. Ow. I’m kidding.”
Leah grinned and leaned close to Teddi’s ear. “You’d miss a lot more than my massages,” she whispered, then punctuated the statement with a gentle suck on Teddi’s earlobe. She felt the aroused shiver run through Teddi’s body under her hands and secretly cheered. The physical effect she had on Teddi was apparent, and it bolstered Leah, gave her a shot of confidence that she loved. It also helped that Teddi had the same effect on her. It was kind of crazy. Just being in close proximity to Teddi would flip Leah’s switch. She felt like a teenage boy.
“Hey, I’m trying to work here.” But Teddi’s words were soft.
“What time should I pick you up tonight?”
“Reservations are at what? Seven?” At Leah’s nod, Teddi said, “Why don’t you come by around six and we’ll have a glass of wine and then go?”
“Perfect. Nervous?” They were double-dating with Tilly and Jen tonight. It would only be the second time Teddi had met Tilly, and while she hadn’t come right out and said it, Leah was getting better at reading her, and she could tell there was some trepidation around tonight.
Teddi’s nibble of her bottom lip corroborated Leah’s assumption. “A little?” Teddi looked up at her, face open, reluctantly vulnerable.
“Is it weird if I love…that?” Whew! That was a close one. Leah swallowed, held Teddi’s gaze, hoped she hadn’t noticed the slip, as neither of them had said the L-word yet, and for reasons unknown to her—or maybe just well hidden—Leah didn’t want to be the first. But it was there. She knew it. She felt it. Head over heels crazy in love, that’s what she was. But they were still in Taking It Slow mode, and the last thing Leah wanted was to scare Teddi away by emoting all over the place like a hot mess.
“Well, since you’re weird in general, no.”
Leah gave Teddi’s hair a playful tug. “Funny. Okay. I gotta run. Just wanted to pop by and give you this.” Still holding a chunk of Teddi’s hair, she pulled her head back with it and kissed her. Not a peck. Nothing chaste about it. She ravished Teddi’s mouth, practically claimed ownership. When she pulled back, Teddi’s dark eyes had gone impossibly darker, her breathing ragged, her cheeks flushed. It was a sight Leah would never get tired of. “See you at six.”
Teddi nodded, and Leah took great pride in knowing that was all Teddi could do in the moment.
She waved to Preston, who was sitting at the table with two women, and pushed out the front door of the shop with a grin plastered on her face so wide she could feel it. Oh yes, it was a gorgeous spring day.
* * *
Plated was a trendy, super-popular new restaurant in town, and Teddi knew reservations could be hard to come by. Apparently, though, Leah’s friend Tilly knew somebody and got them a coveted seven p.m. reservation for four at a corner table. Out of the way enough to be able to converse easily, but with a view of the restaurant so you could still see the comings and goings.
Her nerves had settled, and that was due in no small part to having Leah by her side, warm hand on the small of her back as they walked through the dining room to their table and sat. Tilly and her date had not arrived yet, and Teddi was okay with that, taking the chance to look around. Lighting was dim, as in any fancy restaurant. Ambiance. Teddi loved it until it came time to actually see her food. The thought brought a smile to her face as she scanned the space. White tablecloths draped over round tables, small votives flickering in the center of each one. Waitstaff in black pants and white shirts, black aprons tied around their waists. A bar ran along her right, super sleek and modern, a gray granite bar top with black leather stools lined up. The shelves of bottles behind it were lit as if from within, a soft blue glow that was almost ethereal.
“What do you think?” Leah asked, her voice quiet as if she thought she’d disturb something or someone. She looked gorgeous in a little black dress that accented her curves and allowed her light hair and green eyes to stand out. When can I take that off her? was the first thing that ran through Teddi’s mind when she’d opened her front door. She’d almost said it out loud, almost deepened their hello kiss, but she knew if she did, they’d be late for dinner. Very late. If they made it at all. So she’d smiled, told Leah she looked amazing, and stepped out onto the front stoop as quickly as she could.
“It’s really nice. I like how sleek the bar is.” Behind it, the
bartender was shaking a martini. “I think I want one of those.”
“A bartender?”
“I was thinking a martini, but now that you mention it, my own personal bartender wouldn’t be a bad thing.”
“Agreed.” Their waiter came by and asked if they’d like to order drinks while they waited for the rest of their party. “As a matter of fact, we would,” Leah said. “Two dirty martinis, please.”
“Extra dirty for me,” Teddi said, then enjoyed the way Leah turned slowly to look at her. The waiter left to get their drinks.
“You like things extra dirty, do you?” Leah waggled her eyebrows in what was likely an attempt to be sexy but only made Teddi laugh.
“You look like somebody’s creepy uncle when you do that. And I like my martinis extra dirty, yes.”
Leah’s response was interrupted by the arrival of their double-dates. Tilly was somebody who stood out in a crowd, Teddi noticed right away. Tall, lean, androgynous with a shock of white-blond hair that swooped in a way Teddi thought only cartoon hair could do. It was fascinating. Her large blue eyes seemed not to miss a thing. Her skin was smooth, her lips glossy, and she wore a black pantsuit that accentuated her androgyny. Teddi was drawn to her and also found her slightly intimidating. Jen, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Petite to the point of being almost tiny, cute burgundy dress, brown hair in a ponytail, expressive brown eyes, and the friendliest smile Teddi had ever seen. She wanted to be BFFs with her immediately.
Introductions were made, handshakes occurred. Tilly ordered drinks for her and Jen when the martinis were delivered, and the double-date dinner began.
Conversation was easy, and Teddi was pleasantly surprised. Tilly was witty. Jen was charming. And Leah was as happy as could be. The bond between her and Tilly was strong and apparent, and it made Teddi grin.
“You guys met at law school, yes?” she asked when their dinners had arrived.
“Yup,” Leah said. “Me, Tilly, and JoJo ended up in a suite together. We didn’t know each other at all.”
“And the rest is history. We’ve been friends ever since.” Tilly winked at Leah and picked up her wine. “JoJo would’ve been here tonight, but her son has a…something.” She raised her eyebrows at Leah.
“I think his play is tonight.” Turning to Teddi, she said, “He’s playing a tree, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Wow. That’s a tough role.” Teddi grinned over the rim of her water glass. Turning to Tilly, she asked, “You’re a lawyer, too?”
“I am. But not a divorce lawyer. I’m in contract law. I honestly don’t know how Leah does it, dealing with angry, heartbroken people all day.”
Leah glanced at Teddi, likely searching to see if she took offense at the remark, but Teddi was surprisingly okay with it. After all, it was simply fact, right? She imagined the majority of the people Leah dealt with were one of those two things: angry or heartbroken. Teddi herself had certainly been both.
“It can be hard,” Leah said. “The worst is when they use their children for leverage. That makes my stomach hurt.”
“That is awful, isn’t it?” Jen said. The three of them went around, two lawyers and a social worker, touching on all the tragedy they’d seen in their jobs over the years. Then Jen turned to Teddi and grinned. “You are the only one at this table whose job must be, like, full of happy people. Right?”
“The majority of the time, yes.” Teddi dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. “Once in a while, I’ll get somebody who is determined to be miserable with every choice she makes or any suggestion I make.”
“Like a bridezilla?”
“I’ve had a few.”
Jen looked bewildered. “But they’re planning their wedding. What’s to be miserable about?”
“I’ve been doing this for a while, and what I’ve figured out is this: Generally, if somebody is miserable or freaked out over wedding plans, it’s simply the way their nerves are manifesting.”
“So they’re just nervous.” Tilly tilted her head to one side.
“Exactly. Different people react different ways to that kind of pressure. And trust me, planning a wedding is a lot of pressure.”
“Which is why they have you,” Leah said, the pride on her face unmistakable. It made Teddi feel warm inside.
“I do my best to take as much of that pressure off as I can.”
“But then you end up taking it on,” Jen said, observant.
With a nod, Teddi agreed. “Wedding planning isn’t for everybody. You have to be super organized—”
“She is,” Leah piped in.
“Good under pressure—”
“She is.”
Teddi squeezed Leah’s knee affectionately under the table. “And you’ve got to be assertive. You deal with several different vendors at once, and you can’t let them bully you or get lazy. You’ve got to stay on top of them.”
“And do you have certain vendors that you work with all the time?” Jen leaned her elbow on the table and propped her chin in her hand, apparently riveted.
“I do, now that I’ve been in this business for a decade. But problems can arise when the bride-to-be has her own vendors she wants to use. Most of the time, it’s fine. It’s her wedding, after all. I don’t get to choose for her. But if she’s got her heart set on a florist or a caterer or a videographer that I know for a fact is going to be a problem, I try to find a diplomatic way to steer her in a different direction.” Teddi sipped her water. “Doesn’t always work.”
“This is fascinating,” Jen said, her enthusiasm sounding genuine.
Teddi laughed as the waiter arrived and they all ordered coffee.
“I need to hit the little girls’ room,” Leah said, rubbing a hand over Teddi’s thigh.
Tilly stood. “I’ll join you.”
“Oh, good, we can talk about them now,” Jen said loudly as the two walked away. Then she laughed and turned back to Teddi. “I love your job! It’s sounds like so much fun. Would you plan your own wedding?”
“I’m actually divorced, but no, we got married at the courthouse.”
Jen’s eyes went comically wide. “Oh my God, that seems like such a…” She shook her head like she couldn’t find the right words. “A travesty. A wedding planner getting married at a courthouse?”
“Right?” Don’t think about it. Teddi nodded and smiled.
“What about the next time?”
“What next time?”
“The next time you get married. You’re young and gorgeous. You and Leah seem very into each other. I realize I’m overstepping a bit, and maybe you guys haven’t even touched on that at all, but would you plan your next wedding?”
“Oh no. No, I’m not doing that again. Once was enough. Why do you think I’m dating a divorce attorney?” Jen laughed at the joke and Teddi joined her.
“Well. That’s too bad. I think it would be fun to have insider knowledge on the best plan.”
Tilly and Leah returned at the same time the coffee arrived, and the conversation shifted to movies. Teddi was inexplicably relieved.
“Jen, are you a horror movie buff like Tilly?” Leah asked. “Do you enjoy stupid teenagers being dismembered one by one by a crazy killer in a mask?”
“No,” Jen said comically, drawing the word way out and then grimacing. “I hate them. They terrify me.”
“But if you’re scared, you cling to me.” Tilly shrugged and sipped her coffee.
“Aha,” Teddi said, pointing at Tilly. “There’s a method to the madness.”
“Always,” Tilly said. A charming wink.
“What kinds of movies do you like, Jen?” Teddi asked.
“Rom-coms.”
Tilly groaned and rolled her eyes at the same time Leah did a little fist pump.
“Favorites,” Leah said. “Go.”
“Let’s see…Notting Hill. You’ve Got Mail, definitely. Crazy Rich Asians.”
“I loved that one,” Leah said.
Teddi watched the back-and-fort
h. The way Leah leaned on the table toward Jen, eyes wide, face open. How she knew every film Jen named, and they talked a little bit about each. The subject animated her and it was so much fun to watch. Teddi knew she was smiling endlessly, but she couldn’t help it.
“You like rom-coms, Ted?” It was Tilly pulling her attention.
“I’m working on it,” Leah said before Teddi could answer.
“You mean you’re forcing her to watch them with you?” Tilly teased.
“So she gets all mushy and lovey-dovey and clings to me?” Leah made air quotes around the words Tilly had used just a few minutes ago. “Yes, I am.” She bumped Teddi with a shoulder, letting her know this was play.
“She’s slowly converting me.” Teddi grinned at Leah.
And then they were off, talking about the rom-coms that Teddi had seen, discussing plot points and actresses. Tilly made a show of sighing and rolling her eyes, but Teddi noticed that she watched Jen as she animatedly used her hands when she spoke, and the love in Tilly’s eyes was so crystal clear to Teddi that it almost made her tear up. Did she look at Leah that way? Did Leah look at her that way?
“Okay, then, I say our next double-date is movie night.” Jen sat up straighter, as if her idea had bolstered her posture. “We have to watch a rom-com together, and we have to watch a horror movie together. But,” she said, holding up a finger and cutting off Tilly before she could say anything, her mouth open but no sound coming out, “Tilly is not allowed to choose the horror movie, and Leah is not allowed to choose the rom-com.”
Hopeless Romantic Page 19
