Kiss the Girl

by Melissa Brayden

  Work had been murder lately, and the long hours were beginning to take their toll. She glanced around the small wine bar, liking what she saw. It was a narrow space, with an upscale bar to the right and a handful of petite tables under sleek, dim lighting fixtures. Large wooden bookcases lined the back wall. It was like drinking in a swanky library. After a quick perusal of the menu, she’d selected a Spanish-red blend and ordered a glass. She’d sip it for a bit as the world came and went, then head home for the night.

  As the piped-in music shifted from jazz to classic guitar, a blonde made her way inside and paused in front of the bar. Something about her pulled Jessica’s attention. The woman was younger than her, and definitely beautiful. Her hair was down and fell past her shoulders in those flirty layers from the shampoo commercials. Her designer jeans had a singular rip across the thigh, clearly on purpose, and the turquoise top had similar rips perpendicular to the shoulder seam. The effect was the briefest glimpse of the skin beneath. It was a complete look, one she could never pull off, but this woman had it down.

  “Sterling Chardonnay, please,” the woman said to the bartender, who nodded and poured the white wine into an oversized globe.

  “Shall I start a tab?” the bartender asked.

  “No. I think one will be enough.”

  “Nine fifty.”

  The woman’s hand went to her side and froze there. Something dawned on her and she closed her eyes. “My wallet is in my car. And my car is on its way to God-knows-where. I have nothing to pay you with.” She handed the glass back to him. “Sorry. It’s just been one of those days, you know?”

  Jessica raised her hand and signaled the bartender, unable to stand it. “On my tab.”

  The woman turned at the sound of her voice and held out a hand in protest. “Oh, no. You really don’t have to—”

  “Except I insist.”

  Brooklyn was struck by the woman sitting at the small table near the bar. Ultrachic was probably the best description. She wore a slim-fitting, cream-colored business suit and killer heels. But her eyes held warmth.

  “Thank you,” she said, and nodded once. “I don’t know if you’ve ever had one of those days where it feels innately like the universe is conspiring against you. It seems like I can’t catch a break. Well, until now.” She raised her wineglass in punctuation.

  Her benefactor held her eyes a moment and seemed to make some sort of assessment. “I have an extra chair. And lucky for you, I don’t intend to conspire. You’re welcome to sit.”

  Brooklyn inclined her head, her interest piqued. “Tempting. But not if you’re busy, or expecting someone.”

  “Nope. Just me and my solitary self tonight.”

  Okay, now that she looked closer, this woman was incredibly attractive. What was she doing alone? Long dark hair, deep-blue eyes, and yep, perfect cheekbones. She probably worked for some sort of modeling agency. High fashion, perhaps. It’s not like she could walk away from a woman like that. Plus, it would be impolite, and that wasn’t her style. Uh-huh, that’s what she was going with. Manners.

  Brooklyn eased into the chair across from her. “All right, but if you get tired of me or want your chair back, don’t be shy.”

  “One thing I’ve never been mistaken for. It’s unfortunate.”

  Brooklyn laughed. “Good to know. Well, my new non-shy tablemate, do you have a name?”

  “In shocking news, I do. It’s Jessica.” She tilted her head from side to side and smiled. “Jess.”

  “It’s nice to make your acquaintance. I’m Brooklyn.”

  “Let me guess? Born and raised.”

  She winced at the frequent assumption that sliced through her on a whole new level today. “Something like that.”

  “Complicated?”

  “Yeah. I’d rather not be, though.” She decided to change the subject. “So, Jessica-Jess, what do you do when you’re not rescuing women in wine bars?”

  “Tell you what.” She leaned forward. “I won’t ask you about the origins of your name, if you won’t ask me to talk about work. The point of tonight was kind of a leave-it-all-at-the-office kind of a thing.”

  Brooklyn nodded. “We can do that. But I did take note of the fact that you used the word ‘office.’ That’s partial information.”

  She winced and it was adorable. “I was never good at secrets.”

  “That’s okay. I suck at yoga. You should see my tree pose.”

  “Really?”

  Brooklyn held up her hand solemnly. “On my honor. I failed entirely at downward dog. Was expelled from the class altogether when I pointed out that the instructor just wanted to check out my ass.”

  “That’s enjoyable.”

  “He didn’t think so.”

  Jessica sipped her wine, an amused glint in her eye. “Somehow I feel better.”

  A silence. But the comfortable kind, which was kind of nice. Brooklyn decided to enjoy it and the wine. Already she was feeling infinitely lighter as the stress from the day ran off her. She sat back in her chair and traced the rim of her glass. “So do you live around here?”

  “Just around the corner actually.”

  “With your very handsome husband?”

  Jessica met her eyes. “Negative.”

  “Boyfriend then.”

  “Yikes. Not since early college.”

  Brooklyn caught the implication and whoa; this shifted things a bit. With this new information, her intrigue level shot up a thousand percent. “This just gets more interesting as it goes.”

  “Doesn’t it? What about you? Madly in love with your doorman?”

  Brooklyn shook her head and almost had to laugh at the thought of her and Sly. “He’s a nice guy, but no. I haven’t dated anyone since my last girlfriend broke up with me eight months ago. I wasn’t, as she put it, ‘emotionally present in the relationship.’ It’s something I’m working on.”

  Jessica’s lips parted almost imperceptibly when she said the word girlfriend, and now there was this little gleam in her eye. Yeah, they were so on the same page.

  “We should eat something,” Jessica said, seeming to shake herself back into the conversation. “It’s pretty much dinnertime, and this wine will go to our heads without food.”

  “Well, I hate to point it out again, but my wallet is woefully absent. It’s embarrassing but true.”

  “No worries. I’m aware of your down-and-out status in the world. I think it makes our meeting all the more dramatic, don’t you?”

  Brooklyn thought on this. “Well, I can’t say I’ve ever met anyone under these circumstances before.”

  “See?” Jessica picked up the small menu and studied it, biting her bottom lip in a way that transfixed Brooklyn. “What about a cheese-and-bread plate? Chevre, Vermont cheddar, and, hmmm, a Cashel Blue? Oh.” Something seemed to have occurred to her. “Unless you have somewhere to be. Sometimes I’m presumptuous and think the world is on my schedule.”

  “And I’m grateful for the thought, but I have nowhere to be. Plus, how can I say no to Cashel Blue? Whatever the hell that is.” And really, there was no way on earth she could. This woman, she was finding, was smart, funny, sophisticated, and okay, let’s be honest, flat-out gorgeous. This was a rare find in combination, and therefore she wasn’t going to head home early.

  They placed their order and Jessica splurged on a bottle for them to share. The traffic at the bistro picked up considerably over the course of the next hour as the locals got off work. It was easy to see that the charm of the place wasn’t lost on the surrounding neighborhood.

  “Do you think you’ll come back here after tonight?” Brooklyn asked.

  Jessica inclined her head. “Will you?”

  She smiled. “You know, I think it’s a definite possibility.”

  “So you live in the city?”

  “A Soho girl.”

  “Trendy.”

  “Oh please, Miss West Village.”

  Jessica shrugged. “You got me. So what’s gone wrong in
your day today, Brooklyn, besides the whole wallet fiasco?” She seemed genuinely interested.

  Brooklyn nodded once. She didn’t mind divulging the basics. “Okay, well, the most recent hit was my car getting towed from right across the street over there.” She went on to explain the long line at the printer, chasing the tow truck, the broken heel, and even backtracked to the speeding ticket earlier in the day. Then for whatever reason, she took it one step further, shocking even herself. “But the part that really messed with my head was a call that, drumroll, please, my birth mother wants contact.”

  Jessica took a minute, her expression sympathetic. “Wow.”

  “Yeah.”

  “So you’ve never met your mother?”

  Brooklyn shook her head. “I was given up for adoption the day I was born.”

  “Oh.” She was silent for a moment. “Do your adoptive parents know about the call?”

  “Oh, well, I don’t have any of those. I lived in six different foster homes until I was fourteen and then finished out my time with the state in a group home.”

  “A group home. As in an orphanage?”

  “Well, they don’t really have those anymore, but yeah, I guess this would be a modern-day equivalent.”

  Jessica rested her chin on her hand. “Then what happened?’

  “I graduated from high school, set out on my own, and never looked back.”

  She shook her head slowly. “I have no idea what to say. It doesn’t sound easy.”

  “No. I wouldn’t recommend it. It wasn’t a great way to grow up.”

  Jessica seemed like she couldn’t quite wrap her mind around it. “But I don’t get it. There are waiting lists for infants. I thought everyone wanted to adopt a baby.”

  “Oh, they do. Unless the baby has severe asthma and turns out to be more trouble than you ever bargained for. Then you give her back after close to a year and so do the next people. It’s gotten better as I’ve aged, the asthma, but it was a hassle when I was young.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be. And I really don’t mean to be a downer.” She smiled to show Jessica she was fine. “Life’s good now. I love my job. I have the best friends a person can ask for, and listen. I have ice-cream sandwiches in my fridge right now, which is a mega bonus.”

  Jess laughed. “Ice-cream sandwiches, huh?”

  “They’re the best.”

  “They are.”

  Jessica was captivated. She’d spent only part of an evening with Brooklyn, but she already knew there was a lot to this woman. And it was enthralling to talk to her. She was guessing Brooklyn was eight to ten years younger than she was, but she had this effervescence that was contagious. She met Brooklyn’s gaze and her stomach fluttered a tad, a new feeling. Plus, she had these light-blue eyes that just begged a person to stare into them. And Jessica didn’t require too much begging. Something about Brooklyn really, well, drew her in. She poured them a second glass.

  “I like talking to you.”

  Brooklyn nodded. “I know.” Then her eyes widened and she popped herself in the head. It was pretty cute. “No. God. That came out wrong. I mean, I’ve enjoyed your company too.” She sighed. “I’m a total dork sometimes. You should know.”

  Jessica laughed. “You are not. So are you going to do it?”

  “Do what?” Brooklyn said, absently staring at her. Yeah, there was definite chemistry here.

  “Contact your mother.”

  She sat back in her chair, pensive. “Right. Um, I really don’t know that part. Things are right where I want them to be in my life. Why disrupt all of that because some woman who gave me the brush-off once, now wants to check in?”

  “You shouldn’t. Unless, of course, this matters to you. I would imagine it might. You don’t have to beat yourself up for being curious.”

  Brooklyn nodded, suddenly looking very serious. “And it feels like that’s what I’m doing, beating myself up a bit. I just wish I didn’t want to know so badly. It’s annoying me to no end that I do. It makes me feel…weak, which is the one thing I’ve never allowed of myself. Ever.”

  “Just my opinion, but I think you’re entitled to feel however you want to feel on this topic. And it doesn’t make you weak in the slightest. And trust me, I’d tell it to you straight.”

  “You would, wouldn’t you? I kind of get that feeling.”

  “It’s what I’m known for.” If only Brooklyn knew.

  Brooklyn snagged a cracker and took her time eating it, as if it were just too important to rush. The play-out was endearing, as if each little tiny bite were like a precious find. She glanced up and caught Jessica watching her, which prompted her to break into a grin. “Tell me something about you.”

  “As in?”

  “Anything. A random fact. Something most people don’t know about you.”

  Jess thought for a moment. “Okay. But you can’t tell anyone.”

  Brooklyn held up three fingers in scout’s honor, her face extra-reverent to match.

  “I love to watch TV. If I had more time, I’d camp out on the couch with a whole list of shows and let them entrance me. Alas, I stick with the couple I can fit into my overbooked schedule.”

  “Really?” Brooklyn seemed to be enjoying this. She smiled, and it made her eyes shine.

  “Really. But if word of this gets out, my reputation is done for.”

  “Oh, I think you have to explain this reputation.”

  “Ah, well, it’s complicated. A few business moves I’ve made have prompted people in my field to peg me as a ballbuster. So I do what I can to live up to it. It seems to work. A win-win.”

  “But really you’re secretly at home watching Dancing With the Stars rather than preparing for your big trial the next day.”

  Jessica tossed a cautionary glance to the table next to them, leaned in, and whispered slowly, “I love Dancing with the Stars.”

  “Oh, I can tell.”

  “But I’m not an attorney.”

  “Damn it.” Brooklyn blew out a breath. “Strike one.”

  Jessica laughed. “Now you go.”

  “Okay.” Brooklyn stared skyward in contemplation. “I’m incredibly superstitious.”

  “Hmmm. As in walking under a ladder would be bad luck?”

  “The worst luck. You should avoid it at all costs. But it doesn’t stop there. I’m in deep. Breaking mirrors, finding horseshoes, opening umbrellas inside. These are all major things.”

  Jessica sat back, struck by how much the quirky confession just seemed to fit, no, enhance, the Brooklyn she’d gotten to know over the last hour. She shook her head, incredulous. “Where did you come from?”

  Brooklyn seemed to understand it was a compliment. “Right back at you.”

  Jessica glanced down at the bottle. She’d settled the tab as they’d talked, but they’d had yet to finish the wine. “There’s a little left. Interested?”

  She hesitated. “Better not. I think two and a half is my limit. Now, I just have to figure out how I’m getting home.” Brooklyn pulled on her green-and-white plaid coat and belted it. It was a great look.

  “While I’d offer to drive you, I don’t drive in the city.”

  “A total shame. City driving’s the best. My favorite kind driving, actually.”

  “Says the girl with a speeding ticket and a towed car all in the same day.”

  “Right. There’s that.” She held her thumb and forefinger close together. “Minor details.”

  They walked out together into the brisk night air. Autumn was in full effect in New York, and the cooler temperatures signaled that. “But I’ll do you one better than driving you,” Jessica said. “I’m the best cab hailer this city’s ever seen, and if we walk to the end of this block, our chances grow exponentially. That part comes from valuable experience. And before you say anything, the ride’s on me.”

  Brooklyn hung her head. “I feel horrible. You’ve paid for everything tonight. You should know that I’m not some grifter prey
ing on the generous. I promise. And to prove it,” she raised a finger, “I plan to pay for everything next time.”

  Jessica stopped walking and turned to her in sincerity. “So there will be a next time?”

  “It might be presumptuous of me, but I hope so.”

  “Me too. I won’t lie and say I have a lot of spare time, but yeah…me too.”

  “Not a lot of time because of all the stocks you need to trade?”

  Jess smiled and scrunched one eye apologetically. “Strike two.”

  “I’m going to crack this if it kills me.”

  They stood beneath a street lamp on Bleecker Street. Light danced around Brooklyn’s hair in a delicate halo, and Jessica could have stared at that visual all night. She held Brooklyn’s gaze as the air crackled between them. In a move that was so unlike her, she stepped in and did what felt right, inclining her head and capturing Brooklyn’s mouth with hers. It was bold. It was impulsive. It was amazing.

  And when their lips met, all bets were off.

  She’d meant it to be a simple kiss, but the result was too spectacular and she sank further into it. Into the warmth, the wonder. Her body buzzed in a way it hadn’t in years, correct that, maybe ever.

  Brooklyn had been kissed before. Lots of times, actually.

  But this was different. This kiss was electric in a toe-curling kind of way. The effects of it shot through her body with thrumming determination. Her lips clung to Jessica’s, holding on to the last lingering moment of what had been an end-all kind of kiss. All parts of her were fully engaged, and she wasn’t finding the necessary access to her brain cells. When their lips parted, she found Jessica’s eyes. “Whoa,” she said quietly.

  Jess nodded. “Yeah.”

  “What if I never see you again?”

  “You will. But I’ll need your number.”

  Brooklyn took Jessica’s phone and typed it in, just as a cab stopped in front of them. “Told you I was good. Your ride.” Jessica paid the cabbie in advance, then held the door open for her. “Good night, Brooklyn.”

  “Good night, Jessica-the-mysterious. I hope the fashion show you’re styling tomorrow goes well.”