by Elle Spencer
Quinn took Lacey’s hand and lowered herself into the hot tub. “Oh my god, that feels good.”
Lacey helped Quinn sit against one of the jets. “You good?” She didn’t let go of Quinn’s hand until she was sure she was stable.
“Yeah. So good.” Quinn closed her eyes. “Oh my god, this is heaven.” She scooted down a little bit so her neck was fully submerged.
Lacey sat on the opposite side, her arms out of the water, resting on the edge. She watched carefully, ready to pounce if Quinn sank too low in the water. “See? You should listen to me once in a while.”
“I listen to your annoying voice all day long. Do this. Eat that. Take your meds. Wipe your own ass, Quinn.”
“It’s for your own good, especially the ass wiping. As for the meds, you can’t let that shit wear off, or have you forgotten how bad the pain can get?”
“Almost.” Quinn smiled, keeping her eyes shut. “Thanks to you.”
“You’re welcome.” Lacey leaned back and closed her eyes too. She was grateful that they’d managed to find a good rhythm. Quinn was healing, and she felt comfortable and safe with Lacey in her home. She’d earned Quinn’s trust, and that made Lacey happy.
***
After soaking for ten minutes, Lacey had Quinn sit on the end of one of the lounge chairs so she could rub her back. She straddled the chair behind her and poured some lotion into her hand.
“Why are you being so nice to me today?” Quinn suppressed a moan when Lacey’s warm hand ran up her back and over her shoulders.
“Oh, please. I’ve been nice to you this whole time and besides, I need you up and moving so we can get to work. The good kind of work, with a script and a camera.”
“That’s assuming the producers are ok with adding you.” Quinn leaned forward as much as she could without hurting her arm so Lacey could reach her lower back.
“Yeah, or all of this kindness was for nothing.”
Quinn stiffened at the comment and tried to stand up, but Lacey held her down. “I’m kidding.” She rested her chin on Quinn’s shoulder. “Tell me you know I’m kidding.”
Quinn nodded. She wasn’t sure why the comment bothered her so much. That’s what she’d hired Lacey for, wasn’t it? She needed a FAKE girlfriend, not a real one. She needed emotional detachment. This stupid accident didn’t have to change that, did it? As if all of a sudden, she’s so vulnerable and needy that her hired girlfriend needs to show genuine concern?
Bullshit.
Lacey was doing her job, including the rubbing of Quinn’s good arm. God, it felt nice. Magical. Quinn accidentally moaned out loud.
Lacey dug in a little deeper on her back muscles eliciting another moan. She worked the muscles as best she could and then ran her hands up and down Quinn’s entire back a few more times. Her hands landed on Quinn’s waist and froze there for a moment. “Feel a little better?” she asked, a gentleness in her voice that wasn’t usually there.
“Yeah, thanks. That was wonderful.”
“Why don’t you go take a shower while you still have the wrap on your cast.”
Lacey’s hands hadn’t moved. Quinn could feel the goosebumps forming on her skin, under Lacey’s hands and all over her body. It had been a long time since someone, anyone, had touched her this much. Actually, no one in recent memory had touched her this much, or this thoroughly.
With all of the caregiving, where had Lacey not touched her in the last two weeks? Well, one place. But pretty much everywhere else. Well, also not her breasts. Two places, hadn’t been touched. But close. Her hands had come close a couple of times.
It wasn’t awful.
Quinn wondered if maybe it was asking too much of someone who was also gay. Was it possible that Lacey was enjoying all of this touching? And how should Quinn feel about it if she was? Then, she remembered all the indignities that went into being Quinn’s caregiver. Shit. Lacey was definitely not getting off on this.
“You okay?” Lacey asked.
The hands on Quinn’s waist slowly moved to her shoulders and gave a little squeeze. She put her face in her hand and started to cry.
“Hey. What’s wrong?” Lacey asked.
Quinn shook her head. “This must suck so hard for you. I’m sorry you have to do every goddamn little thing for me.” She looked at the sky and let out a big sob. “God, I’m such an asshole! A helpless, fucking asshole.”
“Hey now,” Lacey pulled Quinn into her arms. “You are not an asshole. You’re just hurting and tired and, yes, being helpless sucks.”
Quinn sobbed even harder.
***
Freshly showered and wrapped in a fluffy white towel, Quinn sat on the edge of the bed. “Thank you.”
Lacey carefully pulled off the waterproof tape. “You’ve been through a lot. It’s okay to cry it out sometimes.”
She’d held Quinn for a good ten minutes while she sobbed out her pain and frustration. She hadn’t realized just how hard the situation was for Quinn. She wasn’t reveling in being waited on hand and foot. She hated every second of it. She hated having to ask for help. Hated being at the mercy of someone else. She felt out of control and it made her angry.
Knowing that made things a little easier for Lacey. This wasn’t a power play, even though it sometimes felt that way. “Almost got it.” She pulled the plastic bag off and wadded up the tape. “Okay, you’re all set.”
“Thank you,” Quinn said, meeting Lacey’s gaze. She gave her a slow, easy smile. “I feel so much better. Almost human again.”
Lacey smiled back. Quinn looked so contrite and so cute with her black eye that had turned a purple-ish, green-ish color. Her eyes fell to Quinn’s lips. They were no longer dry and chapped.
Moist.
Lacey quickly shook that word from her head and said, “No problem. Sarah Fucking Covington knows her shit.”
“You talk to your mother with that mouth?” Quinn quipped.
Lacey’s gaze fell to the floor.
“Why don’t you ever talk about your mom?”
There it was; the question Lacey had been avoiding. But she couldn’t avoid it forever. She sucked in air and said, “She died when I was sixteen, but I don’t like to talk about it.”
“I’m sorry,” Quinn said. “I didn’t…I shouldn’t have…”
Lacey couldn’t. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t talk about her mom. “Lunch will be ready soon.” She quickly left the room and closed Quinn’s bedroom door, leaning against it as tears made themselves known. She hastily wiped them away and went downstairs. She started pulling vegetables from the fridge to make a salad. The tears came even harder as she sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. Tears and knives weren’t a good combination. She set the knife down and put both palms on the counter. A sob worked its way up her chest.
It was Lacey who had taken care of her mother those last three months of her life. She’d taken a leave from the show so she could watch the woman who gave birth to her slowly slip away. Cooking, bathing, managing meds and taking the train with her to doctor’s appointments. Everything she was doing for Quinn, she’d already done for her mother, but with a very different end result.
She’d pushed it away, the similarities, but the memories were always right there, under the surface. “I miss you,” she whispered as she grated a carrot. “I miss you, Mama.”
***
Quinn walked into the kitchen in a short gray robe. Lacey glanced up at her as she put the finishing touches on the salad. “I thought we’d eat outside.”
She hoped Quinn wouldn’t notice her red, puffy eyes. Who designated this National Crying Day, anyway? Jesus. They didn’t even have their periods. Lacey just wanted to move on from it. She hoped Quinn did too.
“I didn’t feel like getting dressed,” Quinn said, stealing a cucumber slice from the bowl. “Also, I want to sleep naked tonight, so you’re just going to have to deal.”
Lacey snorted as she slid Quinn’s pain pills across the counter. “Whatever. You’re the superstar
.”
It didn’t make sense for Lacey to sleep in the guesthouse yet. She needed to be close by in case Quinn needed anything during the night, which she often did. The sterile guest room, which wasn’t so sterile anymore, had become Lacey’s new home.
“I’m sick of pajamas,” Quinn said. “I never wear them. And I’m sick of this fucking thing on my arm.” She raised her cast, trying to make a point, but it only caused her to wince in pain.
Lacey gave her a motherly smile. “Language, honey.”
Quinn grabbed her pills off the counter. “I learned it from you.” She went to the sliding glass door and walked outside. “AND I WANT A GLASS OF WINE!”
Lacey breathed a sigh of relief at the outburst. Quinn was so caught up in her own frustrations she hadn’t noticed that they were both emotional wrecks. She grabbed a wine glass out of the cupboard, poured sparkling water into it and set it on the tray. Once lunch was ready, she took the tray outside and set it on the glass table.
Quinn put her phone down. “That was my mother. She says Sarah Fucking Covington is a spoiled, crazy bitch, but she still – big surprise – desperately wants to meet you.”
“You know, I always try to hide my true self from the viewing audience, but sometimes it just sneaks through.” Lacey sat across the round table from Quinn and took a sip of her wine.
Quinn ignored the joke and frowned at the wine glass on her tray. “This doesn’t help,” she said, picking up the glass. “It’s still just water. And why do you get wine?”
“Because I’m stuck with you. Check the booze rider in my contract.” Lacey took another sip and forced a smile.
Quinn scowled back at her. “I should have you negotiate my next deal.”
“Nah, I’m a doctor, not a lawyer. At least…not yet.” Lacey rested her wine glass against her lips, trying to hide her smile. She should maybe mention to Quinn that her robe had fallen open, revealing a cute little triangle of light brown hair, but she stayed quiet.
***
The following morning, Quinn came downstairs fully dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. She almost bumped into Lacey who was rounding the corner with a breakfast tray. “I was just coming…how did you get dressed by yourself?” Lacey asked, looking her up and down.
“You were just coming?”
“Don’t be juvenile, that’s my thing.” Lacey set the tray down so she could inspect Quinn’s sling. “Your arm must be doing better.”
Getting a t-shirt on had hurt like a mother fucker, but Quinn was sick of all the coddling. She wanted her independence back. “I can’t be an invalid forever.” She stood still while Lacey adjusted the sling. “Can’t put a bra on yet, but I zipped up my own pants. Also, I have news.”
Lacey’s eyes landed on Quinn’s chest. Her perky breasts were of course, standing at attention under the thin, white, almost see-through V-neck that was vying for Best T-Shirt in the World. She quickly shifted her eyes upward. “Huh?”
“News. I have news.” Quinn bit her lip, trying to hold back a giggle.
Lacey put a pill in Quinn’s hand and gave her a glass of orange juice. “Take your meds first.” She put her hands on her hips and waited.
Quinn downed the pill and the entire glass of juice. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and smiled brightly. “We’ll have a script by tomorrow and we start filming next week!”
Lacey looked like she wanted to jump up and down and scream through the house, but she kept her cool, slowly leading Quinn to the sofa to sit down. “Tell me everything.”
“Well, they’re relieved that I’m not going to hold up production. They liked the pitch, and they loved the idea you had about your character. Harvard Law and all.”
Lacey slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh my god, you’re kidding me!”
Quinn pulled a piece of paper out of her front pocket. “Here’s the casting director’s info. Your agent needs to call her right away.”
Lacey grabbed Quinn’s shoulders. “Quinn…”
“I know. I’m excited too. I hope we can pull it off.”
“Pull it off? We’re going to KILL. IT.”
“And no matter what happens, you’ll see the fake girlfriend thing through to the end?” Quinn needed to be sure they were still on track with the original plan. She needed to know Lacey wouldn’t bail on her once she had a real acting job.
“Of course. This is going to be huge for my career and I’m very grateful.”
Their eyes locked on one another and Quinn seductively said, “How grateful?” She immediately regretted saying it and looked away, her stomach knotting up with electricity. “Just rehearsing for later.” She stood up and walked over to the window. “Don’t we have a doctor’s appointment today?”
Lacey also stood up. “Yeah…we do…just…um…” She stumbled over her words and cleared her throat. “…eat your breakfast while I get ready?”
Quinn turned and nodded, noticing the blush on Lacey’s cheeks. “Yeah, okay.” She’d obviously felt it, too, the brief moment of intensity between them. Quinn needed to be careful, now that she was starting to feel better. Being flirtatious probably wasn’t a good idea. They both had far too much on the line to risk having everything blow up in their faces over temporary sexual gratification.
Besides, Quinn had waited years to be with a woman. She could definitely wait a little longer for someone who wasn’t a complete pain in the ass. A faint smile formed on her lips, thinking about how explosive this energy between them would be on camera, though. Her long-running hit show was about to get a big old shot of sexy.
CHAPTER TEN
“What do you think?”
Quinn turned her head from side to side. “You’re getting good at this.” Lacey had pulled Quinn’s blonde hair back into a low ponytail and slicked it down with hairspray so it wouldn’t move. It was the best they could do without calling in reinforcements.
Lacey set the can of hairspray down with a little more force than necessary. “God, I can’t wait until you can use your right hand again.”
“That’s what she said.”
Lacey stared at Quinn in the mirror, refusing to crack a smile. “Really, with the sex jokes?”
Quinn picked up her blush brush and ran it across her cheeks. “You’re rubbing off on me. I used to be so cultured and well mannered. My mother would be horrified.”
According to Jack, it was time for their first official foray into the public domain. The bruising around Quinn’s eye was almost gone. What was left of it, they’d managed to cover with foundation. The scratches had also healed up quite nicely. In fact, if you could ignore the huge cast on her right arm, Quinn Kincaid was starting to look like herself again. Pretty, Lacey thought. So pretty.
“Don’t worry, you’re still very cultured.” Lacey watched with fascination as Quinn put the blush brush back in the drawer, adjusting it several times to make sure it lined up perfectly with the other makeup brushes. “And I don’t even know what that business is,” she said, waving her hand over Quinn’s drawer full of OCD. “But it’s my turn to get ready.”
“You have 30 minutes. 35 tops!” Quinn shouted as Lacey left the room.
***
Forty-five minutes later, Lacey walked into the kitchen wearing a white, long sleeved cropped top, fitted navy blue skirt and three-inch silver strappy heels. Her hair was straightened and pulled to one side, revealing a large silver hoop earring.
“Ready?” Quinn looked up from her phone, doing a double take. “God.”
Lacey filled a glass with water. “You can thank your stylist.” She set the water and a pain pill on the counter in front of Quinn.
“Jack…um…” Quinn couldn’t find her words. She’d never seen Lacey this dressed up before, with full makeup and lipstick and heels. The outfit was skin tight and sexy as hell, making Quinn feel tingly in unmentionable places. She cleared her throat and let her eyes wander up Lacey’s body again. “Jack wants us at Nobu in Malibu. Plenty of paparazzi there tonight.”
Quinn’s eyes were stuck on the thin strip of skin peeking out between Lacey’s skirt and top. The bright white top was the perfect contrast to her newly tanned skin, due to time spent poolside. “I…I…think so.”
Lacey grinned. “Eyes up here.” Once they made eye contact, she chuckled. “God, you’re so gay. Now, take your pill.” She pushed the glass of water across the marble countertop.
Quinn did what she was told and then held the glass in front of her mouth, trying to hide her grin. Even though it wasn’t a date, she felt kind of proud that she’d be with the hottest woman in the restaurant. “We’ll take the Maserati tonight.”
Lacey walked away, swinging her hips a little more than usual. “Fuck yeah, we will. I didn’t just spend all that time in front of the mirror for nothing.”
***
Lacey pulled up to the valet at Nobu, feeling a little bit nervous about the attention they would most likely receive. She wasn’t the only one dressed to the nines. Quinn looked hot as hell in a little sleeveless white dress that hung loosely and came up to about mid-thigh, showing off her toned, sexy legs. The neckline was high, but the fabric was sheer down to her cleavage. Broken arm or not, she would definitely turn some heads.
Lacey opened her door and was about to get out of the car when she leaned back in and said, “Just friends, right?”
Quinn gave her a quizzical look. “I told you, we will never…”
“We will never fuck. I know, Quinn. I meant for the paparazzi. What are we tonight? You’re the director of this show, so direct me. Tell me how close to stand. Where to touch you, or not touch you.”
“We’re um…you know…” Quinn hesitated as Lacey stared at her, waiting for an answer. “…friends. Just do what a friend would do.”
Lacey smirked at her, wondering why that was so hard to say. The valet opened Quinn’s door and offered his hand. “Good evening, ma’am.”
Quinn pointed at her broken arm and then at Lacey. “She’ll help me.”
Lacey sighed as she grabbed her purse. “Nurse Fuckington will be right there.”
