by Aurora Rey
Emerson set down her phone. “I’m sorry, Will. I didn’t mean to—”
“Stop. I’m kidding. I’m embracing my celibacy for a little while. It’s good for me. Like a cleanse.”
“Still. I didn’t mean to rub salt in it.”
“You didn’t. Promise. I’m enjoying the distraction of giving you a hard time.”
“It’s always been one of your favorite pastimes.”
“So, what’s up?”
“Darcy asked if I wanted to get together this weekend.” She’d dropped off Liam’s painting a couple of days before, but they hadn’t discussed getting together again, with or without Liam.
“Kid time or grownup time?”
“Grownup time, I think.” Emerson picked up her phone and typed a response.
What did you have in mind?
Will pretended to peek at her screen. “Are you finally going to get laid?”
“God, you have a one-track mind.”
Will shrugged. “Maybe, but at least it’s on my mind. Have you even kissed?”
Emerson glowered. “Yes, we’ve kissed.” A mind-blowing, earth-quaking, still on her mind kiss. “She has a kid. That complicates things.”
“I’m not judging. I just thought maybe you’d decided to stick with play dates instead of,” she looked at Emerson suggestively, “play dates.”
Emerson’s screen flashed and she glanced down at it.
Drinks, dinner, walk on the beach, dessert…
She might be giving Will a hard time, but there was some truth in her words. Her last three interactions with Darcy had been dominated by Liam. Not that she minded. But she didn’t want the prospect of dating Darcy to get lost in the shuffle. “I think we might be planning the latter.”
“Totally kid free?”
Emerson nodded. “One thing I learned quickly is that Darcy doesn’t mix her romantic life and her son. So, if she’s asking me on a date, it’s a date date.”
“Fascinating. Does it feel like you’re spending time with two completely different people?”
Did it? No. “It’s more like what I imagine inter-office dating to be like. When you’re at work, no funny business. Not even flirting.”
“Huh.”
“And she’s much more laid back when Liam’s not there. That’s not surprising, I guess, but it’s maybe more extreme than I thought.”
“How so?”
“She’s not just laid back. She’s flirtatious, brazen. I think I find it weird that she turns it on and off.”
Will tipped her head to the side and looked at the ceiling. “I wonder if that’s a parent thing.”
“I don’t remember Mom and Dad being like that. Do you?”
“No, but they were married. It was expected that they’d be affectionate with one another. But I have no memories of them getting frisky in front of us. Not even a PG version.”
“I guess you’re right.” Emerson didn’t make a habit about thinking about her parents as a romantic, sexual couple. Not that she thought parents shouldn’t have that, she’d just never thought about it. And since she’d never dated a parent before, she’d not thought about it on that level either.
“Well, I’m glad one of us is getting lucky.”
Emerson studied her. “Are you getting restless already?”
Will lifted a shoulder. “Not really. I have moments of missing a warm body next to me, but I know that’s not what I need right now.”
“Good.” Emerson nodded. She didn’t want to tell Will what to do, but she’d been thinking the same thing. It was a relief to know Will was on the same page.
“Are you really going to have sex?”
“I’m trying not to think about it or plan it too much.”
“But…”
“But I hope so. Jeez, do we have to talk about this?”
Will lifted both her hands. “Nope.”
“Okay, good.”
Will rested her hands in her lap and started to twiddle her thumbs.
“What?”
“This is me not talking about whether or not you’re going to have sex this weekend.”
“Cut it out.” Emerson leaned over and shoved her.
“You just let me know if you need me to clear out for the night.”
Emerson couldn’t help but snicker. They’d never lived together after moving out of the room they shared for most of their childhood. The thought of negotiating this aspect of being roommates was beyond weird. “I won’t do that, but thanks for offering.”
Will shrugged. “Just saying. I support you getting some.”
“And now we’re officially done talking about this. I’m going to read before bed.” Emerson stood and pointed to her bed on the other side of the room. “I’ll be over there.”
“Hey, Em?”
Emerson turned back. “Yeah?”
“When you go on your date, might I suggest not smiling at your crotch? It tends to freak girls out.”
Emerson responded by throwing a pillow at Will’s head. But then she laughed and walked back across the room to retrieve it, since it was her favorite pillow. “Good night, Will.”
“Good night, Casanova.”
Emerson climbed into her bed and opened her book. She read a page, then realized she had no idea what she’d just read. Whether it was the text exchange with Darcy or the conversation with Will, her mind was now fully consumed. She didn’t want to assume or think too much about the prospect of having sex. It felt like those awkward pseudo relationships in college when she had no idea what she was doing, but thought about sex far too much of the time. She laughed at herself, then flipped the page back to start over. Her date with Darcy was still four days away. If she spent that entire time anticipating what might or might not happen, she’d drive herself absolutely nuts.
*****
Darcy slid the pan of macaroni and cheese into the oven. She set the timer and wiped her hands on a towel just as Alex popped her head into the kitchen. “You have a visitor.”
She disappeared without giving Darcy the chance to ask her who it was. Not that she needed to. Emerson was the only person who came to see her at work. Darcy stripped off her gloves and washed her hands, pausing in front of the oven to check her reflection. It might not be her best look, but at least she could make sure her hair was tucked up neatly and she didn’t have flour smeared across her face.
When she stepped out to the register area, she saw Emerson and Will chatting with Lia. She skirted around the counter and walked over to join them. “I’m glad you’re here so I can tell you in person. Liam’s painting got picked for display at the library.”
Emerson beamed. “That’s awesome. Tell him I said congrats.”
“He’s over the moon, and gives you all the credit.”
Emerson stuck her hands in her pockets. “He did the work. I just coached him.”
“He wants me to invite you to the opening night. You don’t have to say yes, but I promised I’d invite you.”
“That’s adorable,” Will said.
Lia nodded. “Completely adorable.”
“I’ll be there,” Emerson said.
Darcy had expected Emerson to say nice things, but the level of her enthusiasm surprised her. “They’re doing a little reception. It should be cute.”
“Wouldn’t miss it. Let me know the details.”
“I’ll text you. He’ll be so excited.”
Alex, who’d been at the register, walked over to join them. “What are we talking about?”
Lia slid her arm around Alex’s waist. “Liam’s painting. It’s going to be displayed at the library.”
“That’s so cool,” Alex said.
“What are you two up to today?” Lia asked.
“Delivering a painting to Hyannis,” Emerson said.
“And I’m going along for the ride.”
Darcy smiled. “Sounds like fun.”
“We just wanted to stop in and say hi.”
“And get coffee.” Will took a
sip from her cup. “It’s really good coffee.”
“Agreed.”
“Thanks,” Alex said. “We do our best.”
Emerson turned to Darcy. “I’ll see you Friday night, right?”
Since there were three extra pairs of eyes on her, Darcy swallowed the suggestive reply on the tip of her tongue. “Yep.”
Coffees and pastries in hand, Emerson and Will left. There was a brief lull in the flow of customers in and out of the café, so Darcy and Alex lingered at the table with Lia. Darcy thought of Emerson’s worry about her sister. Will looked to be doing okay, which was good.
“So, are you two a thing?” Lia asked.
Darcy pulled her attention back to the moment. “A thing? I’m not sure we’re at that level yet.”
“Do you want to be?”
“I guess it depends on your definition of thing.”
Alex folded her arms. “What’s yours?”
For all that she’d thought about it, Darcy didn’t have a clear answer to that question. “I like her a lot. And she’s really good with Liam.”
Lia lifted a brow. “But?”
Darcy sighed. “But those two things are very separate for me.”
“What does that mean for you?” Lia asked.
“I don’t want the lines to blur. Dating Emerson is one thing. Emerson being friends with Liam is another.”
Alex nodded slowly. “Right. Are those things in conflict?”
Darcy shook her head. “No, but if you add them together, it looks a lot like playing family.”
“Oh.” Lia and Alex said in unison.
“It’s not bad, but I’m not sure if I’m doing a good job with the boundaries. Liam doesn’t know that Emerson and I are seeing each other.”
“Oh.” Again, Lia and Alex answered together. This time, the “oh” elongated. Not helpful, but at least they got it.
“Exactly. I’m not sure if I should tell Liam. He’s not still scarred about Shelly or anything, but I don’t want to go down that road if I don’t have to.”
“That makes sense.” Alex glanced at the door as a customer walked in. “Sorry, I need to take care of that.”
She moved away and Darcy knew she needed to get back to the kitchen. Before she did, she leaned down slightly and whispered to Lia, “We haven’t even slept together yet.”
Lia smiled. “Do you want to?”
“Oh, yeah.” That was one thing she was absolutely sure of.
“Are you going to?”
She hadn’t told Emerson about arranging for Liam to spend the night at his grandparents, but she had no uncertainty about her motivation. “That’s my plan.”
Lia grinned. “Excellent. You deserve it. And even if you aren’t looking to play family, Emerson is great. And hot.”
That pretty much summed it up. “You’re right. And thanks.”
“Don’t forget you have a pair of babysitters who don’t mind sleepovers.”
“Thanks for that, too. Are you…” Darcy paused, searching for the right word. “Practicing?”
Lia blushed. “Not officially.”
“But…”
“But we’re talking about it.”
“‘Might be nice one day’ talking about it or ‘where are we going to get the sperm’ talking about it?”
“Somewhere in the middle, I think.”
Darcy nodded. “Nice. Well, I’m here for you—friendly ear, advice, doctor’s appointments, whatever.”
“Thanks.”
Lia seemed alarmed by the mention of doctor’s appointments, so Darcy took that as her cue to leave. “I’m going to get back to work.”
“Okay. Good luck.”
Darcy smiled at her. “You, too.”
Chapter Thirteen
It might be cliché to enjoy walks on the beach, but Emerson didn’t mind. She believed firmly in the magical and romantic powers of the ocean. With a brilliant orange and purple sunset and virtually no one else around, she figured few things could rival it. “Do we have a curfew tonight?”
Darcy offered her a slow smile. “Nope.”
Emerson raised a brow. “None at all?”
“Liam is spending the night with his grandparents.”
Emerson didn’t want to assume that meant what she wanted it to mean, but she couldn’t stop her mind from going there. She cleared her throat. “I see.”
“He does sleepovers once a month or so. My parents would have him once a week if I’d agree to it.”
“He seems to have that effect on people.”
Darcy smiled. “That’s a sweet thing to say.”
“It’s entirely true. I’m sure he has bad days, but he’s a riot.”
“That’s one way of putting it. So, yes, I’m officially free for the next twelve hours.”
Something in Darcy’s inflection made it clear that what Emerson had hoped a moment ago was, in fact, the case. Her mind instantly produced an image of Darcy naked in her bed, her creamy skin against the dark sheets. Remembering that Will was and would be at her apartment hit Emerson like a bucket of cold water. And even though Will had offered—either as a joke or in earnest—to clear out, Emerson would never ask her to. “Nice. There’s only one slight problem.”
“What’s that?”
“My sister is staying with me.”
“Ah. Well,” Darcy shrugged, “if you don’t mind a short drive, we can go to my place.”
Emerson had the feeling Darcy didn’t readily invite the women she dated into her home. If she was putting that out there, Emerson wasn’t about to pass it up. “That sounds perfect.”
They headed to Emerson’s car, pausing so Darcy could slip her shoes back on. Emerson opened the passenger door and Darcy slid in. Emerson watched her sit and pull one high heeled foot, then the other, into the car. The practiced grace of the move, the femininity of it, turned Emerson on. She walked around to her side, stretching her neck and trying to work out some of the nervous energy suddenly coursing through her.
On the drive, Darcy asked Emerson what she was working on. Emerson talked about her upcoming show, the paintings she planned to include. “How do you decide what to paint?” Darcy asked.
“I take a lot of photos. Whatever I find striking. It’s not about doing exact replicas. I’m mostly looking for a feeling, the composition of things.”
Darcy nodded. “I forget that’s how we initially met. You were taking pictures of Alex and Lia’s wedding.”
Emerson smiled at the memory. “Right. I kept trying to get you to talk to me.”
“I talked to you.”
Emerson glanced over at her. It felt like more than a few weeks had passed since that night. “You were all business. And I was clearly in your way.”
Darcy laughed. “That’s not how it happened.”
“No?”
“I mean, sure, you swaggered into my kitchen with your camera like a hot dyke on a mission. But I was very accommodating.”
Emerson stole another glance at Darcy, who was looking at her with a nonchalant smile. “Dyke on a mission. I can’t tell if that’s an insult or a compliment.”
“Compliment. Definitely a compliment. You’ll notice I said hot dyke.”
“Oh, well as long as that’s the case.”
“And would you say I wasn’t accommodating?” Darcy used an innocent tone that had Emerson thinking all sorts of not innocent things.
“You most definitely were. Even if you resisted flirting back with me.”
“I flirted back. I made you work for it.”
“Ah. I see.” Emerson pulled into the parking lot of Darcy’s apartment building. She followed Darcy up the stairs, resisted touching her as she opened the door.
Inside, Darcy set down her keys and purse. “Can I get you something to drink?”
The question pulled Emerson back to the moment. “Sure. Whatever you’re having.”
Darcy walked into her kitchen and returned a moment later with two glasses of wine. “It’s a Pinot Noir.”
“Perfect.” It was only a week ago that Emerson had been there, playing chess with Liam and discovering kale chips. The space seemed quiet without him there. She wondered if Darcy felt the same, or thought about how different tonight was from that night. Then she wondered if Darcy brought women home often.
“What are you thinking about?” Darcy took a seat on the sofa.
Emerson hesitated for a moment. “The last time I was here.”
She smiled. “Yeah. It’s a little weird.”
Emerson was at once relieved and bothered by how readily Darcy admitted it. “Sorry if I’m making it so.”
Darcy shook her head. “No, it’s not you. I know I’ve said as much, but I really don’t mix the two.”
Emerson sat down next to her. “I’m glad you made an exception for me. Well, sort of an exception.”
“I’m glad you understand why I want to keep things separate.”
Emerson smiled. “It sounds like we’re toasting compromise.”
Darcy lifted her glass. “To compromise.”
Emerson tapped her glass against Darcy’s. They sat for a while, sipping wine and talking about movies and books and college misadventures. “You still haven’t told me about medical school,” Darcy said.
“What do you want to know?”
“Was it something you always wanted?”
Emerson appreciated that the first question wasn’t why she quit. She’d told the story probably a thousand times. It felt like a fable at this point, handed down to her from some sage of self-discovery. “I thought I did. I think when you’re good at math and science, it just becomes part of the narrative.”
Darcy laughed. “I wouldn’t know. I sucked at both math and science.”
“I loved them, especially biology and chemistry. My parents were thrilled with the idea. I was thrilled with the idea of pleasing them. I minored in art instead of majoring in it. I got the grades, the MCAT score.”
“What happened?”
“A week into my first semester, I knew it wasn’t what I wanted. But I didn’t see any way of escaping. Walking away wasn’t an option.”
“But you did.”
“I went back for my second year, completely dreading it. Less than a month later, my parents died.”
