The brunette was laughing at something Emory said, and Emory was shaking her head trying to contain her own laughter.
Damn it, she should stop staring. It was rude and intrusive.
And she would.
She focused on James then and forced herself to ask a question that would bring her back into the fold of the conversation. “Do you feel at home there yet, in your new place?”
“Not quite. But I’m sure with time I’ll get there. It’s the perfect place for me with room to grow into, you know?”
“I’m sure you will.” She nodded again, but her gaze was pulled across the room as if attached to a magnet.
*
“Oh, and that brings me to my next topic,” Lucy said, “which is to congratulate, and at the same time scold you, for your much talked about dalliance at The Edge last week. Mia was all too eager to dish every last detail when I saw her for lunch.”
Emory regarded the after-dinner drink in front of her and frowned in annoyance. She hated the way information traveled like wildfire among their group of friends. “It was not, what was the word you just used? A dalliance. I danced with a woman, actually a girl if you want to get technical. Not a big deal, Luce.”
“It is a big deal if you took her home with you. It’s been a while since you’ve gotten out there. This is kind of monumental.”
Emory couldn’t help but laugh then. “I would hardly call whatever that was dating, and no, just for the record, she absolutely did not go home with me. I don’t think I could stand myself if I slept with a woman who uses five letters to spell Amy.”
“Such an elitist bitch,” Lucy mused, clearly enjoying it.
“Am I?” Emory laughed along with her. “I wish I wasn’t. I don’t want to be.”
“It’s okay, Em. I think it’s our lot in life. We were brought up to be selective about who we surround ourselves with. There are worse things in life than good breeding, trust me.”
Emory thought about that sentence and the people she did choose to surround herself with. She didn’t have a whole lot of family left. There was Vanessa, but she lived in Colorado with her own family, and they’d never been close. She had Lucy, Mia, and their circle of friends, and of course, her assistant, Trevor, and the people she worked with. She also spent time with the co-chairs of the various charities she volunteered with—planning events, galas, and fundraising opportunities. And lately, there had been Sarah. Her gaze moved across the short distance between them and she studied her. When she’d first recognized Sarah in the restaurant, her movement had stilled, and she’d lost the last bit of something Lucy was saying about olives.
Emory had noticed Sarah more and more as they’d gotten to know each other, but seeing her outside of work, wearing a black and blue cocktail dress that hugged her in all the right places was another story. She looked stunning. She’d worn her hair down, and the dress showed just enough to completely entice, yet withhold. Seeing Sarah in this whole new light had Emory’s mind in overdrive. Slow down, she reprimanded herself. Sarah is your very straight employee who, as such, needs to remain in the do-not-imagine-naked column.
Lucy shot Emory a questioning look and followed her gaze to the nearby table. “So this woman does work for you?”
Emory accepted the bill from the waiter. “Right, I told you that.”
“In what capacity? Your taxes, investments, what are we talking here?”
Emory met her gaze. “She’s from the company I hired to sort out Mother’s house.”
Lucy’s eyes widened in shock and she turned around to steal another glance at Sarah. “She’s your cleaning woman? That’s your cleaning woman?”
“Please lower your voice, but yes,” Emory answered, somewhat annoyed.
“As in, the dancing cleaning woman?”
“Yes.”
“Wow. Suddenly, my house could use a little touch up.” Lucy stole another glance.
“Shut up. Let’s get out of here.” Emory signed the slip of paper and returned it to the leather bound book, leaving a generous tip for the superb service.
Sarah watched Emory’s retreating form and followed the gentle sway of her hips as she and her companion exited the restaurant. She was curious as to where they’d go next, what the rest of their evening entailed. A moment before they’d disappeared around the corner, Emory turned back and offered her a slight wave, her eyes lingering on Sarah for a moment. It wasn’t until they were gone that Sarah remembered she should probably breathe.
*
James held Sarah’s hand as he walked her to the door of her apartment. “I had a great time tonight. If it’s possible, I think I enjoyed tonight even more than our first date.”
Sarah was feeling bold. “Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?”
His face lit up. “I’d love a cup, if you’re sure you don’t mind.”
She squeezed his hand. “Of course I don’t mind. Come on in.”
Sarah didn’t invite too many people over outside of Carmen and her family, but you know what, maybe that should change.
“This is a nice space you have here.” James looked around while Sarah put the coffee on. The two-bedroom apartment, though small, had been decorated with care. Grace’s artwork adorned the refrigerator, and matching sky blue curtains hung serenely from each window. A comfy couch and an overstuffed accent chair made the living room the perfect locale for TV watching and late night reading.
“Thank you. It’s home to us.”
He picked up a framed photo from the end table. “This must be Graciela.”
“Yep. That’s my little monster.” She came up behind him laughing at the goofy photo of Grace in an oversized business suit and tie, carrying a briefcase. “Her Halloween costume last year. She was a stockbroker.” James raised his eyebrows in amused curiosity. She waved him off. “During her finance phase. She was watching a little too much CNN with my dad that fall. In the past now. You’re currently joining us in the midst of a swimming phase for which we blame The Little Mermaid, and I do mean blame.”
“I see.” He chuckled. “I look forward to meeting her one day.”
Sarah was warmed. “Me too.”
It was a nice moment, and James took hold of the opportunity and leaned down, brushing her lips with his. When she responded, he kissed her harder, and it wasn’t long before they eased slowly to the couch. She placed her open palms on his chest, enjoying the warmth beneath her hands. It had, for damn sure, been a while since she’d allowed herself to be kissed. It was nice. Their pace was even, non-threatening, and she liked how comfortable James made her feel. He nudged her ever so gently and Sarah leaned back, her head against the sofa cushion. James followed her down, the coffee forgotten. She closed her eyes giving herself permission to surrender to the moment. She had no intention of sleeping with James so early in their relationship, but a little make out session on the couch certainly couldn’t hurt. James seemed to respect her boundaries and didn’t push things any further than she was comfortable with, following her cues nicely. Gradually, she pulled her lips from his. “This was nice,” she whispered.
He smiled at her through labored breaths. “More than nice.”
Pushing herself to a seated position, she straightened her dress and ran a hand through unruly hair. “Can I get you that cup of coffee?”
He stood. “I think I’ll pass, if that’s all right. You’ve given me enough to keep me awake tonight as is.”
She laughed at the overly tortured look he flashed her.
“I’ll call you soon,” he said and kissed her gently before heading off into the night. She closed the door and walked back into the room smiling, taking her time getting ready for bed. As she slipped between the cool sheets, she thought back on the evening with James and how enjoyable it had been. She replayed the events of the date over again in her mind. Without warning, her thoughts drifted slowly to Emory, and she wondered what she was doing. Had she and the other woman gone home together? Had Emory kissed that woman just as she had kissed James?