Kiss the Girl

by Melissa Brayden

  Samantha smiled widely. “Yes. In fact, we were just discussing the Foster account.”

  Brooklyn stared at Sam, clearly surprised by the news. “Then I got here just in time.”

  And she had, because with Brooklyn there as the commonality, things naturally fell into place. Over the next hour, Jessica relaxed into herself, getting to know the girls and taking in their shorthand. And there was a lot of it. The four best friends really were that, Jessica noted as she surveyed the easy banter and the familiarity of their exchanges. They teased each other, commiserated over dating issues, and were completely at home with one another.

  She admired their friendship because she’d never really had anything like it.

  Brooklyn turned to Jessica and felt infinitely lighter as she laughed with her friends. After a brief introductory period, in surprising news to her nerves, things seemed to be going pretty well. From the back pocket of her jeans she felt her cell phone buzz. As the conversation continued around her, she pulled it out and glanced at the readout.

  The text from Hunter read, “Your girlfriend is hot and doesn’t seem at all like an evil queen of all things business.” She glanced up and exchanged a smile with Hunter before typing out a response with her thumb.

  “Right? Thank you for getting that.”

  “The worst part, though,” Sam remarked, “was when Mal finally got Starbucks to repeat her name back correctly only to have them spell it wrong on the cup in big bold letters. I spent the rest of the morning with the clearly labeled Mellory. It was tragic.”

  In response to Mallory’s expression, the table erupted in laughter, because alcohol or not, it was pretty pitiful.

  “Give them a fake name,” Jessica suggested. “I do.”

  “What have you used?” Mallory asked, clearly amused.

  “Julio.” The table erupted again.

  “Next round is on me,” Hunter said. She signaled the waitress and offered Brooklyn a wink.

  Jessica eventually excused herself to the ladies’ room, which was much nicer than one would have expected for a bar essentially laid out in a warehouse. As she reapplied her lip gloss, the door opened and Mallory’s image appeared in the mirror behind her. Jessica turned and stepped away from the sink. “All yours.”

  “I’m good, actually,” Mallory said. “I’m sorry about earlier, when you got here. I was on hyper-alert mode. It’s something I’m working on.”

  Jessica softened. She hadn’t seen much sincerity in Mallory up until this moment. “No need to apologize. I get it.”

  “That’s not to say I’m not intensely protective of Brooklyn.”

  “I can understand that.”

  “And while I’m supporting her and her decision to enter into this relationship, I’m not convinced it’s the wisest move for either of you.”

  Okay, so that was less supportive.

  “You should know that she comes first, Mallory. My intentions, where Brooklyn is concerned, are one hundred percent sincere.”

  She nodded. “That’s good to hear. Because she’s met her quota for rough times.”

  “I think we agree on that issue.”

  “I hope so. You should know that we all have her back and will hunt you down if you hurt that girl.”

  “Got it. I’d rather not be hunted, so…”

  Something in Mallory’s face softened. “You should know that I’m not as hard-core as I seem.”

  “No?”

  She shook her head and shrugged. “I had to get that out of the way.”

  And then Jessica understood. A smile tugged. “That was the big-brother speech, wasn’t it?”

  Mallory laughed and tilted her head from side to side. “Something like that, yeah. I happen to have three big brothers and a little experience to draw from.” And then her fierceness was back again but this time more endearing. “But that doesn’t make the sentiment any less real. You break her heart and you answer to us.”

  “Those are terms I can live with.”

  “Good. Because the thing is, Brooklyn expects people to disappoint her. That’s a given in her head, that’s just who she is. But for whatever reason, she’s pushed all that aside for you. Don’t make her regret it.”

  “I won’t.”

  Mallory nodded and turned to go.

  “Mallory?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Are we going to find a way to be friends at some point?”

  “One step at a time, Lennox.” But the playful gleam in her eye when she said it meant something.

  There was hope and it made Jessica want to celebrate a little. When she arrived back at the table, she took Brooklyn’s hand and pulled her onto the dance floor. Jessica loved to dance. She always had, though it was unlike her generally conservative demeanor to slow dance in public, to put her softer side on display. But then there seemed to be a lot of new lately.

  Something soft was playing from way back, and several couples were swaying easily to its beat. Soulful and bluesy. Billie Holliday maybe. She liked it. It was the kind of music you danced to in a snowstorm. She liked it even more when Brooklyn settled in against her and met her eyes.

  “So you’re a hit.”

  “Really? How do you already know?”

  “Easy. They stopped being polite. It’s a surefire sign, as it doesn’t happen all that often when outside people are around. But after about fifteen minutes, they were totally and completely themselves. That, Cinderella, means they like you. Which is not hard for me to believe at all. As I happen to feel the same.”

  Jessica tried to hold back the smile, but it was a losing battle. She was relieved and grateful and excited. “It’s a good night, then.”

  Brooklyn placed a soft kiss along her jaw. “It’s a very good night. And I’m going to enjoy it. The calm before the storm.”

  Jessica tilted her head to the side. “Are you referencing the one outside? I happen to like it.”

  Brooklyn took a deep breath. “Monday morning is kind of a big deal, wouldn’t you say?”

  Aha. The final Foster pitch. “Can I tell you something?”

  Brooklyn tickled the back of her neck softly as they danced. “You can tell me anything, Jessica.”

  And she knew it was true. They had this ever-present connection between them, and it’d been there since that very first moment. She tucked a strand of hair behind Brooklyn’s ear. “I am not worried about the Foster account. I probably should be, but I’m not.”

  Brooklyn’s mouth fell open, and she poked her gently in the ribs. “That confident, huh?”

  She shook her head, laughing. “No. I’m not saying it right. What I mean is—”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m not worried about whether we get the account. If this were three months ago, I’d lose sleep, agonize over every detail. And while I’d still really like to land it, I’m not even going to be there Monday. Tina can handle this one on her own. I’ll send Bentley to assist.”

  Brooklyn didn’t understand. “Why?”

  “Because that’s not what I’m invested in. In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been really happy lately, and it has nothing to do with what goes on at the office. I’m in a place that I never thought I’d be, never imagined for myself, and I don’t want to go back.”

  Brooklyn stared at Jessica and felt the smile on her face slowly fade as she took hold of Jessica’s meaning.

  The music shifted to something contemporary and fast paced, but they didn’t move from their spot. Jessica took Brooklyn’s face in her hands as she spoke. “I told you once that I was falling for you, but I think that moment has passed.”

  “It has?” Brooklyn’s heart hammered away.

  “Mhmm.” Jessica brushed Brooklyn’s bottom lip gently with her thumb, then placed a kiss in that very spot. “Because now, I’m so in love with you I don’t even recognize myself. I’m planning vacations and Christmases and daydreaming about kissing you in the snow every winter you’ll have me.”

  She drew in a brea
th because there it was. Jessica loved her. Hearing the words, Jessica’s desire for a future together, caused something to stir within her. Something that had been long absent clicked into place. And the feelings it inspired washed over her now in great big wonderful waves, propelling her to act. She was on her tiptoes and kissing Jessica before she had a chance to think, angling her face for a better fit and sinking into the amazing warmth. Kissing Jessica had this way of satisfying her and making her want more at the same damn time.

  It was a wondrous thing.

  When she pulled her lips back, she found those dark-blue eyes and stared, knowing the ball was in her court. But somehow the words she needed failed her, and as she grappled, a crippling fear took over, sending a shiver through her entire body.

  And she remembered who she was.

  She took a step back, offering a reassuring smile through her struggle. Her eyes brushed the ground and she took a slow breath, wondering why she couldn’t just function like a normal person and take that emotional leap. God.

  “Hey, Brook. Look at me,” Jessica said. So she did, and somehow the world felt manageable again. That’s what Jessica did for her. “You said everything you needed to say just now in the way you kissed me.”

  It wasn’t enough.

  Brooklyn knew that much. But at the same time, Jessica understood. And that made her that much more wonderful. That’s why she deserved to know the depth of the feelings Brooklyn had for her. And she would. Soon. If Brooklyn could just gather a little bit of courage.

  Jessica placed a quick kiss on Brooklyn’s open palm. “I’ll settle the tab.”

  She went home with Jessica that night with a full heart, laughing their way through the brutal wind and stopping for an impromptu snowball fight, as you always must when snow’s in supply.

  And with an even fuller heart they found each other in Jessica’s bed, the tender exploration shifting to lust-induced heights, the way it always did when the two of them were together. Jessica drifted off first, in the wee hours of the morning. Brooklyn watched her for a bit, captivated by how beautiful Jessica was when she slept, how peaceful. Long eyelashes and full lips and gentle breathing. She was quite simply an angel in front of her.

  Jessica was hers, she reminded herself.

  “I love you too,” she barely whispered. She spoke the words into the safety of the darkness and not to Jessica, but that didn’t make them any less true. She closed her eyes then and surrendered to sleep, enveloped in the knowledge that she was truly happy for the first time in the whole of her life.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Nervous?” Mallory asked as they waited for the elevator to arrive and take them to the Foster offices.

  Brooklyn pondered the question, taking note of the butterfly races happening in her stomach. “Yeah. But in an excited kind of way. Whatever happens, I’m proud of the work we’ve done. I think it’s our best yet. In the end, these guys are going to go with the best idea. That’s what this is about.”

  They stepped into the elevator, and once alone, Mallory checked her lipstick in her compact mirror. “True. But we have a pretty kick-ass idea, if I do say so myself. I agree it’s our best yet, and all the credit goes to you. But we can’t control the outcome.”

  “Right. I know. But I’ve worked so hard for this one. Like blood, sweat, and some definite tears, you know? Is it bad to say that I really, really want this?”

  “Aww, I can’t take that adorably hopeful look on your face.” Mallory smiled and pulled her in for a hug. Mallory really did give the best hugs. “We’re going to nail the presentation.”

  She exhaled slowly. “Positive thinking. I like it.”

  The elevator dinged their arrival, signaling go-time in Brooklyn’s head. They strode with purpose into the lobby and checked in with the receptionist. The waiting room was empty, which meant that Tina and Bentley were already inside presenting.

  Brooklyn liked the fact that Savvy had the second spot. Something about getting the final word resonated with her. She glanced at her notes again and ran her hand across the large, leather-bound carrying case that contained the amazing storyboards Hunter had crafted. It felt cool to the touch and somehow that was reassuring. She couldn’t wait to show them off.

  That’s when the door to the conference room opened, and Tina, Bentley, and Jessica filed out quietly. But wait a minute. Jessica wasn’t supposed to be at the presentation. She’d said specifically that she wouldn’t be. So what was she doing here now? What had changed? They stood as the other team passed and nodded their professional hellos. Jessica met her eyes briefly and squeezed her hand as she passed. But she had a look on her face that Brooklyn couldn’t quite decipher.

  She shook it off.

  “Ms. Campbell, Ms. Spencer,” the receptionist said. “You may set up now.”

  Brooklyn nodded. They gathered their materials and headed into the conference room, which was now empty, allowing the executives a short break between presentations. Brooklyn oriented herself to the space and glanced at her presentation points one final time.

  She was ready.

  “Brooklyn, can you come here for a second?” Mallory asked.

  But when she turned to join Mallory at the front of the room, what she saw as she approached stopped her short. “I don’t understand.”

  When Mallory turned back to her from the storyboard on the easel, her face was pale. “I don’t know. It was just sitting here. Probably from that last presentation.”

  Alarm bells were going off loudly in her head, and her mind went into overdrive trying to figure out what she was looking at. The storyboard in front of her showed the end-of-commercial spot. Their commercial spot. The beach. The wedding. A gay wedding. It was their concept to a tee. She reached for the remaining storyboards propped against the wall. The Lennox Group must have left them there for the executives to peruse.

  As she studied the other storyboards, it only got worse. She felt the blood drain from her face as the realization settled. Not only had they stolen their concept, but they’d lifted their execution as well. The core of the work was much the same, the only differences being slight angle shifts or color replacements on the storyboard.

  She stared up at Mallory. “This isn’t a coincidence.”

  “No, I would say not. They’re too similar.” The look on her face communicated everything.

  “You think Jess did this. She wouldn’t have. Would she? No. No way.”

  Mallory hesitated, but only slightly. “I don’t know. I’m just looking at the facts.”

  Brooklyn blinked effectively to try to clear her head, but the air in the room was feeling rather scarce. She held onto the back of one of the conference room chairs and closed her eyes.

  “Here,” Mallory said, handing her the inhaler from Brooklyn’s purse. “It’s going to be fine. Just breathe. In and out.”

  Brooklyn took a couple of puffs from the inhaler, and while her breathing might have settled, nothing else had. The world felt wildly upside down. It didn’t make sense. How did the other team have access to their work? She tried to reason her way through it. “Let’s say it was Jessica. She would have had to—” And the understanding slapped her in the face as she turned solemnly to Mallory. “The laptop. I had my laptop with me when I visited her office.” She covered her mouth. “Mallory, I’m so sorry. This is my fault.”

  “It’s okay.” She moved to her then and ran her hands up and down Brooklyn’s arms in reassurance. “And this is not your fault. But do you know what happens now?”

  Brooklyn shook her head. She was at a total loss.

  “We give the presentation we came here to give. Present our ideas, because they are ours.”

  It seemed like a ridiculous thing to do at this point, but she didn’t see a lot of options, short of wandering out of there with their tails between their legs, which she wasn’t prepared to do.

  They would have to be impressive, but they could do that. A bigger issue was looming, though, one she could
n’t quite face just yet. She’d think about what all of this meant later, because if she did that now, she’d come undone.

  The executives filed back in, and after a few pleasantries, they were underway. Brooklyn took the floor. “Imagine if you will the most picturesque, balmy day. Love is in the air. It’s the perfect afternoon for a wedding, and who doesn’t love weddings?” She smiled confidently at Mallory, who smiled back. Once she got started, she fell easily into the zone. As she discussed the spot that had become near and dear to her heart, she felt that passion bubble to the surface all over again.

  While a few glances were exchanged once the duplicate concept was clear, she could tell that they were pulled in further and further as she spoke. It was because her connection to the concept was strong, and that was something The Lennox Group didn’t have, couldn’t have.

  The presentation went by in a whirlwind, and before she knew it, Brooklyn was met with applause and a series of handshakes from the team in front of her.

  “An interesting series of events today,” Royce said as he approached. “And while I may have a few questions about that later, I enjoyed your presentation very much. We’ll be in touch with a decision soon. We’re eager to move forward quickly with this.”

  They didn’t speak on the ride down. But once they spilled out on to the street, Mallory turned to her. “You were on fire in there. I’ve never seen you that good. The presentation couldn’t have gone any better.”

  She nodded. “Thanks.”

  “You know what? Why don’t we get a drink? It’s close to five, and I think the universe owes us. We can talk it out.”

  “You go on ahead. Call the others. I need to take a walk.”

  Mallory shook her head slightly. “Brooklyn, don’t. You need to be around your friends right now. And you know what? Maybe it was all just a big misunderstanding that we’ll laugh about one day.”

  The anger, the hurt, it was all building now, slamming into her like the most brutal tidal wave. “Do you believe that? That this was some misunderstanding?”