by Aurora Rey
“I think we pulled it off,” he said as she approached.
“I believe you’re right.”
“And we get two days off in a row. I might suggest we do weddings every weekend.”
Darcy rolled her eyes. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?”
“Fair enough. Can I pour you a drink?”
It was almost the end of the night. What the hell? “I’d love a drink. How about a glass of red?”
“You got it, gorgeous.”
Darcy skirted around the edge of the temporary bar and leaned against it. She sipped her wine and watched as the DJ announced the last dance. Alex and Lia once again took the floor. She glanced at Jeff. “They’re perfect together, aren’t they?”
In her people watching, Darcy missed Emerson come up right next to her. “They are.”
Darcy smiled at her. “Hello, again.”
“Hi. You weren’t talking to me, but I couldn’t resist. It’s fun to photograph people who are ridiculously in love. Even when they aren’t trying, they look great.”
Darcy was about to agree when Jeff spoke up. “Hey, Em. Are you in any of the pictures? You should be.”
Emerson looked at Jeff and shook her head. “Why do you think I stay on this side of the camera?”
Jeff laughed, but put out his hand. “You have to be in at least one. Give me.”
Emerson handed over her camera. “I know better than to challenge the guy who makes my coffee.”
“Wise woman.” He waved his hand between Emerson and Darcy. “You two get together. Act like you’re having fun.”
Emerson lifted a brow at Darcy. She responded with a playful shrug and a smile. Emerson moved in closer to her. She slid her arm behind Darcy, resting it lightly around her waist. The touch, although casual, sent a charge of electricity through Darcy and she shivered.
“You okay?” Emerson asked.
“Just a chill,” Darcy lied and turned her attention to Jeff.
Jeff took a few pictures before handing the camera back to Emerson. Emerson, in turn, had Darcy and Jeff pose together. “I’m going to caption this one ‘Intrepid Flour Pot staff pull off wedding of the year.’”
“I approve this message,” Jeff said.
“Me, too. But for it to count, I’ve got to pull off the cleanup, too, so if you’ll excuse me…” Darcy headed back to the kitchen, happy to discover how much progress had been made in her absence. When the final guests had gone, Alex and Lia poked their heads in to say thank you and insist that she go home. Darcy acquiesced, then hugged them both and offered her congratulations. She drove home, happy that Liam was with his grandparents for the night. She rarely felt the desire to sleep in, but she had a feeling tomorrow would be one of those times.
She showered off the kitchen smells and crawled into bed, running through the highlights of the day in her mind. And while seeing two of her favorite people start their married lives together was at the top of the list, Darcy couldn’t keep her thoughts away from the sexy photographer who kept catching her eye. Not to mention the spark when Emerson’s hand touched her. Such a simple thing, but it left her feeling attractive and feminine. Like getting a pedicure, only better. And free. She’d just have to make a point of flirting more often.
Chapter Three
When Emerson walked into The Flour Pot a few days after the wedding, she half expected to see Darcy. She didn’t, of course, just as she’d never seen her in five or six dozen other times she’d come in. The logic of that did little to quell the disappointment.
Lia, sitting at a table by the window, caught her eye and offered a wave. Emerson shook off the feeling and returned the greeting. Lia was who she was there to meet anyway. “I’m just going to grab a coffee.”
Lia returned her attention to her computer and Emerson walked over to the register. Jeff stopped stacking cups next to the espresso machine and flashed her a grin. “Good morning, sunshine.”
“Morning, Jeff.”
“Flat white?”
“You know it, but for here, please. I’m meeting with Lia.”
“You got it. Anything else?”
Emerson eyed the case. She didn’t usually eat breakfast, but more because she had no food around than anything else. “A scone, I think. Maple pecan.”
Jeff handed her a saucer, then finished her coffee. Emerson paid, then went over to join Lia. Alex emerged from the kitchen and looked their way. “Hey, Em. I thought I heard you.”
Lia beamed at Alex in that way newlyweds do. “Emerson has the pictures from the wedding for us.”
“Oh, nice. I’ll be over in a minute.”
Emerson pulled a flash drive from her bag and handed it to Lia. “I only deleted the blurry ones and closed eyes and weird faces and such. That left close to a thousand.”
Lia chuckled. “Quite all right. I want them all.”
“A wedding photographer would give you a finished set, with complete retouching. I adjusted lighting but not much else. If you want to pick a few dozen favorites, I can give them the full treatment.”
“I’ll let you know.” Lia stuck the flash drive into her open laptop, but didn’t immediately start clicking through them. Emerson admired her restraint. “If you got a few good ones of the ceremony and us with our families, I’m happy.”
“The ones outside the church came out really well. I think you’ll be pleased.”
“I’m sure they’re great. I’m beyond excited. Thank you again for taking them.”
“My pleasure.” Emerson smiled. It had been a pleasure.
“And you’re sure you won’t let us pay you?”
“I’m sure. I did it as a friend. And as a gift.”
Lia shook her head. “I was afraid you were going to say that, so I took the liberty of setting up a tab for you. You won’t be paying for your coffee for the next year.”
“Lia, you didn’t have to—”
“I wanted to. We wanted to.”
“Well I’m not crazy enough to turn down free coffee.”
“Good. It’s settled.”
Emerson sipped her flat white. It would be easy to turn her couple-times-a-week habit into a daily routine. And that might have more benefits than one. “So, how well do you know Darcy?”
Lia looked at her quizzically. “Alex’s cook?”
“Yeah.”
“Um, fairly well. She helped me plan the menu for the reception. We’ve hung out a few times. I’ve watched her son when her sitter fell through.”
Lia’s mention of a son stopped Emerson in her tracks. It never occurred to her that Darcy might have a child. Or be married. Or straight. “She has a kid?”
Lia smiled. “Liam. He’s eight.”
“Is she married?”
“No. I think she had him in college, or right after college. Alex would know. Why?”
Emerson sat back in her chair. “Well, I was thinking of asking her out, but it sounds like I might be barking up the wrong tree.”
Lia shook her head. “Oh, no, she’s definitely a lesbian.”
“Who’s a lesbian?” Alex pulled up a chair and joined them.
“Emerson was asking about Darcy.”
“One hundred, well, ninety-nine percent lesbian,” Alex said.
She’d not heard that phrase before. “Ninety-nine percent?”
“Lesbian who slept with her gay best friend once in college. That’s how she ended up with Liam.”
“Ah.” She’d heard of such things happening, but didn’t know anyone personally who’d had a child that way.
“Why do you ask?” Alex gave Emerson a look that implied she knew exactly why.
“She wanted to ask her out,” Lia said.
Alex pondered for a moment. “You should. I don’t know if she’d say yes, but you should.”
“Not exactly a vote of confidence,” Emerson said.
“Not like that. I mean she dates, just not a ton. And Liam’s a hoot. If the kid thing doesn’t bother you, then I say go for it.”
She wasn’t expecting it, but the kid thing didn’t bother Emerson. Or, at least she didn’t think it did. It really depended on whether Darcy was in search of a co-parent. That would not be up her alley. But hanging out with a kid could be fun. “It doesn’t bother me.”
“And assuming you aren’t going to be weird about the fact that she’s a single mother,” Lia said.
Emerson scowled. “I wouldn’t be weird.”
Alex nodded. “Good. Darcy is great—as a mom and as a person. I don’t think she gets enough adult time.”
“Does she have full custody?” It occurred to Emerson that was a rather personal question, but she figured the more information she could gather ahead of time, the better.
“Liam’s dad lives in Boston. I think Liam is with him one weekend a month and for a couple of weeks in the summer,” Alex said.
“Huh.” That might make dating difficult.
“Her parents are local, though.” Lia tapped a finger on the table. “I know he spends time with them, too.”
“Okay.” Difficult, but not impossible. And she still had to find out if Darcy wanted to go out with her in the first place.
“You have to be cool, though,” Alex said.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I think she means that Darcy is a good person. Neither of us want to see her get hurt.”
Emerson understood what they were saying. She understood why, too. Still, she didn’t like the implication that she would act like an ass. “I have no intention of hurting her.”
Lia reached over and squeezed Emerson’s hand. “Of course not.”
“Yeah.” Alex raised her hands. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
Emerson sighed. “I know. And I appreciate the context. Not like I was looking for a hookup, but knowing her situation will inform how I go about things. Thanks for telling me.”
“So, you’re going to do it?” Lia asked.
“I am.”
Alex shook her head. “Not today.”
“Alex.” Lia’s tone carried a hint of scolding.
“No, I mean you can’t today. She’s off.”
“Oh.” Lia and Emerson answered in unison.
“She’ll be back tomorrow. And the rest of the week except for Sunday.”
“Well, between that and the free coffee, I guess I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Lia smiled. “Thank you again for the photos. I can’t wait to look at them.”
“It was a lot of fun. Thanks for trusting me with such an important job.” Emerson leaned in and kissed Lia on the cheek, then hugged Alex. “And congratulations again. You two might be my favorite married couple.”
“We’ll see you tomorrow.” Alex raised an eyebrow suggestively.
“I’ll be here.”
Emerson walked out of the café. Although the weather for the wedding had been perfect, a cold front had moved through. Between the chill in the air and the overcast sky, it hardly felt like spring. That wasn’t all bad, since she felt less tempted to meander through town or go to the beach. She made her way back to her loft and prepared for an afternoon of work.
*****
Darcy used her day off to catch up on bills, email, and cleaning her apartment. And she was waiting for Liam when he got off the bus. “I thought we could go to the library, since we didn’t get to this weekend.”
“Awesome!”
The delight on his face put her in an even better mood. “Do you want a snack before we go?”
“Nah, I’m good.”
“Bathroom.”
“I can wait until we get there.”
She might have pressed the matter, but the library was only a few minutes away. “Then I guess we’re ready to go.”
When they arrived, she let him wander on his own. The library was one of the places where she felt safe not keeping a constant eye on him. While he looked for books about turtles and planets and other topics of boyhood interest, she meandered to the fiction section. Since she started coming to the library with Liam a few years ago, she’d discovered a nice collection of lesbian fiction—romances and intrigue and even some fantasy. She’d gotten hooked on it, taking out a couple of books at a time for reading in bed.
After picking out a couple of titles she hadn’t read yet, she tracked down Liam, who was holding at least ten books in his arms. “You know you can only check out six, right?”
He sighed dramatically. “I know. I have to prioritize.”
Normally, she held fast to the rule. It was important he learned about rules and sharing and not getting everything he wanted. She was feeling sentimental, though, and maybe a little indulgent. “I’m only getting two. How about I get four of yours with my card?”
“Mom, you never let me do that!”
“I know. But if I do it this once, you have to promise not to beg every time we come.”
Liam nodded. “Promise.”
They took their respective piles to the circulation desk. She watched him hand over his library card, say thank you without being prompted. She never doubted he was a good kid, but there were moments when the fact of it overwhelmed her. Darcy swiped a tear from her eye and laughed at herself for being such a mush.
Books in hand, they made their way back to the car. “How about we pick up dinner on our way home?”
Liam’s face lit up. “Pizza?”
“We had pizza two nights ago.” Not that Darcy would have minded. She loved pizza, too. But she had guilt about indulging that love too often. Even in her sentimental state of mind, twice in three days pushed the envelope.
His shoulders slumped for only a moment before he perked up again. “Sushi?”
Darcy laughed, still amused that her eight-year-old loved raw fish, had loved it since he’d stolen a piece from her plate when he was four. “Excellent idea.”
She called in an order to their usual place. When they got there, they went inside so Liam could look at the fish in the large aquarium just inside the door. They didn’t have to wait long and were home, food in hand, less than half an hour later. Darcy divided everything up, making sure Liam got more of the California roll and she got all the spicy tuna. He devoured his share, along with more than half of the seaweed salad, before asking to try hers.
“It’s spicy,” she warned him.
“I know. I still want to taste it.”
“If you insist.” She picked up a piece with her chopsticks and moved it to his plate.
He picked it up and popped it in his mouth. “It’s not that hot.”
“It’s because you didn’t put any wasabi on it.”
“I want one with wasabi.”
“Yeah? Okay.” She handed him another piece, one with a smear of green paste on top. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
It went in as quickly as the first and he chewed. In a matter of seconds, his mouth gaped open and tears welled up in his eyes. He blinked a few times and turned his head from side to side, but he didn’t spit it out. He chewed some more, swallowed, then wiped his nose on the back of his hand. “Oh, my God.”
“I told you.” She handed him a napkin. “Blow your nose and have some water. The good news is it will go away in a second.”
He did, then looked at her. “That was so good.”
“You liked it?”
“It burned, but it was kind of cool.”
“My boy likes wasabi.”
Liam nodded with enthusiasm. “I love wasabi.”
Darcy laughed. “I’ll remember that for next time.”
“Can there be a next time soon?”
“Sure. But in the meantime, go wash your hands so we can do homework.”
Liam bounded out of his chair and went to the kitchen. Darcy cleaned up while he got started on his work. There wasn’t much, so they had time for some TV before bed. She convinced him to save the snake documentary for when she wasn’t watching and they settled on one about beavers. Despite only a casual interest in nature, she found it rather fascin
ating.
When it was over, Liam went about his bedtime routine without a single complaint or need for prodding. After kissing him good night, Darcy took her new books to bed. She huddled under the covers and lost herself in a world of lesbians who fought crime, made the world a safer place, and lived happily ever after.
Chapter Four
Emerson woke with a pain in her neck and no recollection of going to bed. She blinked a few times and looked around. Sunlight streamed through the window, confirming that it was morning. She rolled over and realized the pain in her neck had nothing on the one radiating down her arm.
The night before flashed into her mind and she bolted upright, looking over to where she left the painting, as though it might have disappeared during the night. It sat on the easel. Emerson dragged herself out of bed and walked over to it. Not only was it still there, it was stunning.
Emerson didn’t consider herself a braggart, but she also had no use for false modesty. She’d been born with a degree of innate talent. She didn’t pretend otherwise and she didn’t take it for granted. She’d also spent years working on her craft. So, when she finished a painting, she didn’t hesitate to be pleased with it. When doing so came in a massive burst of energy that kept her up half the night, the satisfaction was even more keen.
Emerson raked a hand through her hair as she moved back and forth, studying the painting from different angles. The woman, inspired by a snapshot she took of someone on the beach, lounged in the sand. Although the woman in her photo had been wearing a barely there bikini, Emerson had given the one in her painting a more vintage suit. The two pieces revealed only a fraction of her midriff; red and white polka dots made the look more playful than sexy.
But still. Something in the woman’s posture, her face, radiated a kind of sensual confidence. Emerson picked up the photo she’d used as a guide. The woman in her photo was beautiful, but didn’t have the essence Emerson had managed to convey. She glanced back at the painting. The image of Darcy popped into her mind and a slow smile spread across her face. That’s where it had come from. The painting bore no physical resemblance to Darcy, but the mood reminded her of the way Darcy posed and flirted with her in the kitchen at the wedding.
