Going on Red

by Lyn Gardner

  “I came into town Wednesday on business, and I wasn’t about to turn around and head back to Texas without visiting a few clubs.”

  Brodie loosened her grip and holding the woman at arm’s length, her eyes casually traveled over the woman’s body. “You look great. You haven’t changed a bit.”

  “Thanks,” she said before looking at Kate. “Who’s your friend?”

  “Oh, Christ, where are my manners?” Brodie said, glancing between the two women. “Kate Monroe, meet Harper Adams, an old friend of mine.”

  “I’ll forget you said old,” Harper said with a chuckle as she held out her hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Kate.”

  Kate extended her hand, forcing a smile as she eyed the woman. Slightly shorter than Brodie and appearing to be in her late forties, Harper’s age hadn’t affected her beauty. Her skin was porcelain, and the few wrinkles that did exist seemed to add depth to her good looks. Her short, vibrant red hair was cut in a wispy bob and wearing a knit dress that clung to every curve, even though Harper was older than most in the room, there was no doubt in Kate’s mind that the woman could pull with the best of them…and Harper Adams knew it.

  No sooner had the handshake ended when Kate saw Harper lean into Brodie. She whispered something in Brodie’s ear, her face brightening as she played with the gray hair at Brodie’s temples, and suddenly Kate felt like a third wheel. Out of place and out of her element in a lesbian club, Kate was quickly growing annoyed at the situation, the interruption, and the fact that it was crystal clear that Harper Adams had once pulled Brodie Shaw.

  Kate pushed her frustration aside and decided to get the most obvious question out of the way. “So, how do you two know each other?”

  “Brodie and I go way back,” Harper said, nudging Brodie. “Don’t we, stud?”

  It was all Kate could do not to curl her lip. Knowing Brodie was a player was one thing, but having it made blatantly clear by a stacked redhead in a skin-tight dress was quite another. This wasn’t how she had planned to spend her Friday night, and Kate’s head began to pound.

  Brodie was enjoying the unexpected reunion, and it showed on her face, but as she glanced back and forth between the two women, her expression began to waver. Kate’s jaw was clenched, and whenever she looked in Harper’s direction, the look wasn’t a look—it was a cold, hard stare. Harper, on the other hand, was displaying her biggest Texas smile, content in dancing her fingers down Brodie’s arm or lightly touching her hand, and the signals were unmistakable. Brodie had seen them before. Harper was laying claim to her…whether Kate liked it or not.

  A decade before, while working her way up the ladder in the advertising business, Harper Adams had been transferred to her company’s office in London. Housed in the same building where Brodie worked, it wasn’t long before the two women met and fell into a very comfortable, lustful relationship. Since neither wanted anything long-term, their relationship was based on parties, drinking, and sex, and they spent several years simply enjoying each other’s company. But truth be known, it was in the bedroom where their relationship thrived. Healthy, adventurous, and ten years older than Brodie, Harper had several more notches in her belt than her younger counterpart, and she was more than willing to share her knowledge. And share it, she did.

  Before meeting Harper, Brodie wasn’t into sex toys or shags in the loo. She wasn’t into loud parties, dancing until midnight, and clubs like The Loft, but the tall Texan had changed all that. Harper was the teacher, and Brodie was the student, and before long, shagging in a bathroom, or wearing a harness to please her lover, became commonplace. Although they adored each other, love had never entered the equation. During the five years she worked and lived in London, Harper dated several women, as did Brodie, but every few weeks, one would call the other, and they’d spend a few days honing their skills. It was a perfect partnership on the most basic of levels.

  Harper had arrived in London in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, and after completing her work in record time, she went out and purchased the skimpiest, sexiest black dress she could find. After spraying on what she knew was Brodie’s favorite perfume, Harper began making the rounds. Friday nights had always been Brodie’s club night, giving her two days to recover from whatever or whomever she got into, so Harper wasted no time in traveling to all their usual haunts in search of an old lover with skills second to none.

  By the time she reached Outskirts, Harper had thought her night would end in the arms of a stranger until she saw Brodie sitting at a high-top. Her blood heated and her body pulsed, and for a good reason. With what Harper had in mind, they would both need the weekend to recover.

  The rakish glint Brodie saw in Harper’s eyes was undeniable. It was a silent suggestion to visit the loo or find an empty corner, car, or hotel. Demanding, possessive, and hungry, it was filled with promises of a night without sleep, and the thought gave Brodie pause. It had been a long time since she’d spent an entire evening with a woman, preferring quick wham-bam-thank-you-ma’ams, over nights that turned into mornings, and to make matters worse, even those had come to an end since she’d met Kate. Brodie knew she only had to return Harper’s attention with some of her own, and the drought would come to an end, but when she looked at Kate, and their eyes met, the thought of spending the night with Harper lost its appeal.

  Harper’s posture sagged just a smidge, watching as the two women appeared to be mesmerized by the other. If she had targeted another that night, some random woman she didn’t know or care about, Harper would have turned up the charm and gone back to her hotel with her conquest, except Brodie wasn’t a trophy. She was a friend and one who owned more of Harper’s heart then she cared to admit. Even though before she had reached the table, Harper knew Brodie wasn’t alone, she believed the battle had already been won. Attractive as Kate was, Harper had come up against stronger competition in the looks department, and she had walked away the victor, but this wasn’t about looks or even history. This was about chemistry, and in that department, it was quite apparent that Kate Monroe owned Brodie’s periodic table.

  Harper knew her plans for the evening had now changed, but she wasn’t yet willing to bid farewell to her old friend. Noticing the wide-bowled stemware on the high-top, she said, “Since when do you drink wine, stud?”

  Brodie moved her focus from Kate back to Harper. “People change, Harper.”

  “Yes, I can see that,” Harper said, giving Kate a cursory look. “But before I go on the prowl, how about buying us a round…for old times?”

  “That I can do,” Brodie said, picking up the empty glasses. “Be right back.”

  Kate hadn’t missed the lack of ear-splitting music until Brodie walked away, leaving her alone with the exquisite Harper Adams in a deafening bubble of silence. After several excruciatingly awkward seconds passed without a word between them, Kate blurted, “So…you in town for long?”

  Harper smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m leaving Sunday morning.”

  “Worry?”

  “Meaning, I’m not going to try to steal Brodie away from you.”

  Kate sat straighter in her seat. “Oh…um…Brodie isn’t my girlfriend. We’re just friends.”

  Harper’s eyes crinkled at the corners, but before she could speak, Brodie returned with their drinks.

  “Here you go,” she said, placing a small tray holding six shot glasses on the table. “I’m assuming you still drink tequila—yes?”

  “For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, stud,” Harper said, and taking a glass, she downed it in one gulp.

  It was a nickname Harper had given her over one incredibly voracious weekend, and hearing it again, a slight blush crept across Brodie’s cheeks, thinking back to those two days. A split-second later, Brodie remembered something else. Alcohol loosened Harper’s lips, and if the Texan decided to reminisce, tonight would be the last night Brodie would ever see Kate. Brodie wracked her brain, trying to come up with a plausible reason to get Harper alone when Harper came to her rescue.
<
br />   “How about a dance for old times?” Harper said, tugging on Brodie’s sleeve. “What do you say?”

  Kate smiled weakly when Brodie looked in her direction. “Go ahead. I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, of course,” Kate said, eyeing the tray of tequila. “It sounds like you haven’t seen each other in years so, go ahead. Enjoy yourself.”

  Brodie took Harper’s hand. “Okay, thanks. We won’t be long. I promise.”

  Kate watched as they disappeared into the crowd, and a few seconds passed before she spotted them on the dance floor, moving together as if they were Siamese twins joined at the pelvis. Kate downed the contents of one of the shot glasses, and hissing at the burn, she slammed the glass on the table.

  Kate had come to the club to see Brodie, to talk to her, and to enjoy another Friday night in her company. She hadn’t planned for the evening to be interrupted by an old flame, and as she watched the two women move as one, all Kate wanted to do was go over and interrupt their reunion. She didn’t like the casual touches. She hated the way they moved in perfect unison. She loathed the fact they had once shared a bed together, and if Harper called Brodie ‘stud’ one more time, Kate would not be held accountable for her actions. Eyeballing the drinks in front of her, Kate picked up the next.

  “I like your friend. She’s cute,” Harper said, glancing over at Kate.

  “Yes, she is.”

  “Do you think she’d be interested in a little get-together later on?”

  Brodie scowled. “She’s straight, Harper.”

  “So was that one in Madrid,” Harper said, snickering. “But that didn’t stop us, now did it?”

  “Kate’s not like that.”

  “How do you know? Threesomes can be fun, or have you forgotten?”

  Brodie’s expression darkened even further. “No, I haven’t forgotten, but like I told you, Kate’s straight so rein in your bloody hormones, Harper.”

  “Relax,” Harper said with a laugh. “I’m just playing with you. I’ll be leaving after this dance.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because I know when I’m not wanted.”

  It was Brodie’s turn to laugh. “Harper, it’s not like that. Kate and I are just friends.”

  “From where I come from, we call that bullshit.”

  “Well, it doesn’t matter what you think it’s called, because I’m telling you, she and I are just friends.”

  Harper studied Brodie, waiting while the song faded and another began. The tempo of the next was slow, and the thunder of the electronic hip-hop was replaced by the synthesized strings of a modern-day love song. Pulling Brodie into her arms, as they continued to move to the music, Harper whispered in Brodie’s ear, “Honey, you and Kate may only be friends, but don’t think for one minute I believe you don’t want more. So, stop trying to convince me. It’s boring, and you have never been boring.”

  Brodie’s lack of response signaled she was done with the conversation, so Harper took the time to scan the room for her next victim. More than once, her eyes traveled to Kate, and each time, Harper found the woman staring back at her.

  Smiling, Harper whispered in Brodie’s ear again. “If she’s so straight, why can’t she take her eyes off of us?”

  Brodie went to turn in Kate’s direction only to have Harper pull her back around. “Don’t look, you idiot.”

  “Is she really watching us?”

  Harper burst into giggles, the charismatic Brodie Shaw sounding more like a love-struck teenager than a woman who could pull anyone in the room. “Oh, my God,” she said. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”

  Brodie's jaw tightened. “I swear to God if you’re winding me up…”

  “I’m not.”

  “Well, is she looking at us, or isn’t she?”

  “No, she’s looking at you and has been ever since we stepped foot out here,” Harper said, and placing her hands on Brodie’s ass, Harper pulled her even closer.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Brodie said, trying to back away.

  “Relax, stud. I’m just proving a point.”

  “And what point would that be?”

  Harper quickly glanced over at Kate before looking Brodie in the eye. “First, I want you to kiss me.”

  “No.”

  “Why not? If Kate thinks of you only as a friend, why would it matter?”

  “It matters to me, Harper. That’s all you need to know.”

  Harper’s eyes misted over, and letting out a long breath, she ran her finger down Brodie’s cheek. “Honey, you and I have been through a lot together. We’ve had great laughs and unbelievable sex, but seeing the way you look at Kate, and the way she looks at you, well, that tells me that while you and I will always, always remain friends, we will never again be lovers. So, do your old friend a favor and kiss me like you mean it…for old time’s sake.”

  Brodie stared Harper squarely in the eye, expecting to see a snippet of naughtiness stirring in the pale green gazing back at her. Instead, all she saw was sincerity and truth. Harper wasn’t playing games. She was merely saying goodbye, and denying her request was impossible. Leaning in, Brodie pressed her lips against Harper’s. The kiss was warm, and it was wet, a silent, tender farewell between two women who had taught each other so much.

  When they came up for air, Harper’s eyes twinkled, and it had nothing to do with the lights shining down on them. “And now, you’d best skedaddle back to Kate because I think she’s going to need your help.”

  “What are you talking about?” Brodie said as she tried to look in Kate’s direction. Blocked by the dancers, she turned back to Harper. “Is someone bothering her?”

  “No, but how many shots did you bring to the table?”

  “Six. Why?”

  “And I drank one—right?”

  “Yeah. So?”

  “Because since we’ve been out here, your friend emptied the other five, and the bartender just brought over another tray.”

  Chapter Seven

  Kate relished the warmth and weight of the heavy duvet over her. She also knew it didn’t belong to her. It smelled of vanilla, a scent Kate liked but didn’t have in her collection, and the pillowcase against her cheek was softer than any she owned. She licked her lips, trying to replace the moisture sucked away by too much alcohol, and then the taste of tequila invaded her mouth. It was all Kate could do not to hurl.

  One minute passed and then another before Kate dared to open her eyes. Between the foulness of the tequila and the pounding in her head, if rays of sunlight were streaming into the room, she would hit the trifecta and lose what little she had in her stomach. Kate cautiously opened her eyes, and she let out the breath she’d been holding. The drapes were closed, and while there was some subdued lighting coming from the other side of the room, its wattage didn’t cause Kate’s skull to split.

  Kate saw a glass of water within reach on the nightstand and picking it up, she took a few sips. When her stomach didn’t protest, she drank a little more before gingerly sitting up. The sound of running water made its way through the fog of Kate’s hangover, and she looked in the direction of the muted lighting across the room. Kate squinted through the dimness, blinking more than once until her eyes finally focused, and when they did, they opened wide. The light was coming from a wall, or rather through a wall made entirely of glass block. The rippled surface made it impossible to see what was on the other side, but it didn’t take a detective to figure it out. When Kate heard the water stop, she adjusted a few pillows behind her back and resting against them, she took an occasional sip of water while she kept her eyes locked on the doorway cut into the glass.

  A few minutes later, dressed in track pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt, Brodie emerged from the bathroom and smiled when she saw Kate staring back at her. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”

  “Confused, embarrassed, and hungover if you must know the truth.”

  “I can understand the hungover pa
rt. I see you found the water.”

  “Yes, thank you,” Kate said through a weak grin. “Where am I?”

  “My place.”

  “Can I ask why you didn’t take me back to mine?”

  “Because you were too drunk to be left alone,” Brodie said, approaching the bed. “But don’t worry. I didn’t play dress-up or anything. I took off your shoes and your jacket and put you to bed.”

  “And Harper?”

  “I poured her into a taxi and sent her back to her hotel. I doubt she’ll see the light of day until her flight on Sunday.”

  “So, you’re not going to see her again?” Kate said, placing the glass back on the nightstand.

  “No, I don’t think so,” Brodie said. “Can you handle a bit more light?”

  “I think so.”

  Brodie ran her fingers down the wooden post of the headboard, and when they traveled over the contacts bored into it, the lamps on both nightstands sprang to life. “That’s a little better.”

  “It’s also very cool.”

  “They’re touch-controlled,” Brodie said, walking to the door. “And now that you can see your way around, I’m going to fix us something to eat. That is if you think you can handle some food.”

  Kate glanced at the water, placing her hand on her belly as she thought about the question. “Actually, I think I can.”

  “Good,” Brodie said, heading out of the room. “Oh, and I put some things for you in the bathroom in case you want to get cleaned up. Okay?”

  “Yeah. Thanks.”

  “No problem.”

  Kate took a minute to drink what remained in the glass before tossing aside the duvet and dangling her legs over the side of the bed. She smiled to herself when her feet didn’t touch the floor, and sliding off the mattress, Kate stood up. The room began to spin, and Kate, holding onto the bedcovers, waited until the carousel came to a complete and full stop before shuffling to the bathroom.

  The feeling of being at a carnival returned as soon as Kate stepped through the opening in the glass black. The walls of the passageway were curved, and slowly following the short but winding path, she found herself standing in a spacious and brightly lit bathroom. Kate squeezed her eyes closed, allowing a few seconds to pass before she dared to open them again, and when she did, so did her mouth.