Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
CARA
“I don’t know what to wear?!” I whined as I opened the door to my best friend. I’d called Blair in a panic and forced her to rush over to help me.
“Babe, calm down. That’s why I’m here.”
We headed to my room where her eyes widened at the tornado that had ensued. Clothes were thrown haphazardly everywhere.
“Okay, I’m a little scared of you right now. Why are you freaking out? You guys have been dating for a while, right? Why are you so nervous? Are you proposing or something?!” she gasped and started jumping up and down.
I groaned. I'd forgotten about the fact that my friends didn’t know it was fake. Well, it was fake, but I had more important things to focus on than my lie.
I rolled my eyes. “Calm, down, B. No, I’m not proposing.
And I’m not freaking out, I just, I want to look nice, okay?
Nothing is feeling right to me. I think my period’s coming soon.
” There. None of that was a lie. I did feel like I was getting my period soon, and I did want to look nice for Vera, even though she’s seen me in almost everything.
“Okay, okay. Sorry. Let’s see what we’re working with.”
I walked over to the closet and picked a few things out. A few pairs of jeans, shorts, and dresses. Blair said no to them all. “You’re picking things that are safe and comfortable. Here, let me have a look.”
“Well, I don’t want to be uncomfortable, Blair. Why can’t I just wear a simple dress? That’s my signature style.”
“Exactly,” she shouted from the closet. “You called me over here because you don’t want to wear your usual things, but you don’t know what you want. Oh! But I do.”
She stepped out of the closet with an outfit I hadn’t worn since I was in college. A silver skirt and halter top set. The top showed way too much cleavage and the skirt barely covered my ass.
“Seriously? I haven’t worn that since college.”
She nodded. “Yes. Just try it on.”
I took a long breath before taking the outfit and changing. Blair and I were best friends and had seen everything both of us had, so changing in front of each other was nothing.
When I adjusted the top, she gasped. “Oh my god!”
“What?” I asked curiously, looking down at the outfit. “It still fits, I guess.”
“Fuck yes it fits! She is going to die!”
I laughed. “Die? Really?”
“Hon, I’ve seen the way she looks at you in normal clothes. This might actually kill her!”
“Well I don’t want to do that. I don’t know. Don’t you think it’s too much?”
“Sweetie, it’s perfect. You look hot as fuck! She’s going to love it. Now let me do your hair and get your ass going!”
“My hair? I was just going to put it up—”
“In a high pony. I know, babe. Let’s try something a little different tonight, yeah?”
I groaned. I’d been trying a lot of different things lately. They’d all been working out so far, so what was one more thing?
“Fine. Have at it.”
An hour later after Blair gave me some loose curls and touched up my makeup for me, I was walking into Queer Quarters and being greeted by my favorite bartender.
“Holy, shit, you look hot as hell, Cara! Meeting someone here, I assume?”
I took a seat at the bar and smiled. “Hey, Rylee. I am, actually. I’m meeting Vera.”
“Oh, right, your girlfriend. I saw you two at the wedding getting very cozy. I may have snapped a few candids of you, I’ll send them to you. What can I get you to drink, hon?”
I paused for a minute. Was that what we were? Girlfriends? I mean, we hadn’t really talked about it but I knew I wasn’t interested in anyone else.
“I’d like that. And a vodka soda please.”
“You got it. So how are things at work going?”
“They’re good. Busy, as always, but that’s what I love. I just signed on my first dark romance author, so that’s exciting. How about you? How’s Greyson and Lana?”
Lana was her wife, and Greyson was their almost ten year old son. She smiled and handed me my drink. “They are good. They are home playing video games, most likely.”
We talked a little more and I avoided the marriage questions until I went to find a table. Vera would be there soon, and as much as I loved Rylee, she loved to pry just as much as Drea.
I hated to admit I was a little nervous.
I knew how she felt about me, clearly, but I don’t know, in the back of my mind, I was still scared.
Everything was so new. She’d known her feelings for me from day one, and while it took me a little longer to realize my feelings, I couldn’t lie and say that they hadn’t been there too.
If they hadn’t been, we never would’ve slept together.
Vera had initiated practically everything from our first meeting, to every sexual encounter.
I wanted to show her that her feelings weren’t one sided.
I wanted to show her that I wanted her and I was serious about wanting to be with her.
I did that when I initiated our first kiss at her grandmother’s house, and I was doing that now, with—
“Hi. Is this seat taken?”
I was shaken from my thoughts of Vera by an unfamiliar voice. I looked up to see a woman smiling at me. She had auburn hair and hazel eyes and looked to be a few inches shorter than me.
I smiled back at her. “Uh, yes it is. I’m waiting for someone, I’m afraid. She should be here any minute.”
She nodded. “Well, I’m not surprised. A beautiful woman like you wouldn’t be all alone. I’d be more than happy to keep you company until she gets here.”
She took the seat across from me and didn’t take her eyes off me. She was being polite but there was just something about her. It was obvious she was flirting with me, but it seemed like she was proficient in that department. Like this wasn’t her first time.
In another life, maybe it would’ve worked. She was more on the femme side and seemed to carry herself with confidence. I just wasn’t interested, and that took me by surprise. She was most definitely my type—my old type.
She wasn’t six feet. She didn’t have dark hair or strong arms. She didn’t give me butterflies whenever she looked at me. She didn’t have me questioning everything in my life. She wasn’t the one I wanted to go home with and never leave. She wasn’t Vera.
“That’s sweet, but—”
“What’s sweet?”
I jumped when I heard a voice behind me. That voice. She placed her hand on my shoulder and I froze. I’d know that touch anywhere. The way it sent heat coursing through my body and made me lose my breath. Vera.
“I was just keeping her company. A beautiful woman shouldn’t be left alone. You never know who you’ll run into.” The stranger’s smile never faltered, but her tone didn’t sound too friendly.
“You made it.” I said, standing up to give Vera a hug. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me in for a kiss.
“Of course I did, princesa. And I see you’ve made a new friend.
” She cleared her throat and turned toward the other woman who was now standing.
“I apologize for interrupting your conversation with my girlfriend. I don’t believe we’ve met.
I’m Vera, and you are?” Okay, so we were girlfriends. I smiled at the sound of that.
“You have got to be kidding me!” We all turned to another voice at the bar. Rylee was glaring in our direction and was heading straight for us. What did we do?
I looked toward Vera who shrugged. I looked toward the stranger who was rolling her eyes. Did she know Rylee?
When Rylee finally came up to us, she ignored me and Vera. “What in the actual fuck are you doing here, Rebecca? You should know by now that you’re not welcome here!”
So her name was Rebecca. Why did that name sound familiar? “Rylee, hi. Is there a problem? We were just talking.
She turned to me and lost her glare. “Cara, you don’t know who she is? Rebecca? The piece of shit that cheated on Fallon and Mackenzie? At the same time?”
I gaped at her. I’d heard all about her, but I’d never seen her in person. It made sense why I was getting a weird feeling when we were talking.
She turned her attention back to Rebecca, who was smiling like nothing was going on. “It’s so good to see you again, Ryl. How are you?”
“Cut the bullshit, Becca! You need to fucking leave, or so help me god I will throw you out my damn self! You are not welcome here. If you step foot in this bar again, I will have you arrested for trespassing.”
“Whoah, Rylee. That’s a little extreme, don’t you think?” I asked. Sure, from what I’d heard about her, she wasn’t the greatest person. But to have her arrested? That seemed like a lot.
“No, Cara. It’s not at all. Fallon and Mackenzie are my best friends, and I am trying to create a safe space here. They come in all the time and I don’t want them to have to deal with her.”
She turned back to Rebecca, whose smile had fallen, and took a few steps closer to her. I got closer to Vera and she wrapped me in her arms. I was getting a little scared. I’d never seen Rylee so angry before, and I didn’t know what to expect.
“Listen, and listen good. You have hurt my friends enough. I will not tell you again. You need to leave, and you need to leave now. I don’t ever want to see you in this bar again.
And if I get a word from anyone that they’ve seen you or you’ve tried to get close to Fallon or Mackenzie, I won’t be so nice the next time we meet. Understand?”
Rebecca took on an expression I couldn’t decipher before she nodded and left without another word.
“Damn. I’ve never seen you that mad before,” I said.
She huffed out a laugh and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. That was extremely unprofessional of me. I just really fucking hate her!”
“I get it. I’m not very fond of her either,” Vera responded.
“That’s because she talked to your woman.”
Vera squeezed me tighter. “Si,” was all she said.
Wait, was she jealous? No. She didn’t get jealous, right?
“Well enjoy the rest of your night. I’ve got to get back to work. Don’t tell my boss I threatened a customer, okay?”
We nodded and watched her take off back to the bar. As soon as she was gone I turned into Vera and gave her a kiss, letting it last longer than necessary. “You have nothing to be jealous of. I told her I was waiting for someone but she took it upon herself to sit down anyway.”
She caressed my sides and I wanted to forget about drinks and just go home. “I wasn’t jealous.” The look on her face told me that was a lie. “Fine. Maybe a little. Can you blame me? Look at you! I’m even jealous of myself that I get to see you in that outfit.”
“And maybe out of it if you’re good.” I winked.
“?Mierda!” she groaned before pulling out my chair.
She chose the chair next to mine and made sure to get as close as humanly possible to me, our legs practically connected to each other.
The waitress came and took our orders. We decided to split an order of wonton tacos and a few beers. She ordered a Modelo and I ordered a Blue Moon with an orange slice.
When the waitress left, Vera pulled me closer by my waist, using her other arm to delicately trace circles up and down my arm. I shivered, smelling her cologne and feeling her proximity to me.
“Have I told you how gorgeous you look tonight?” she asked, kissing my neck.
I hummed. “In so many words, yes.”
“Well you look insanely gorgeous.”
“Thank you, Vera. You look and smell so good tonight.”
I made a point to smell her neck before kissing it, enjoying her intake of breath.
Sadly, our food arrived before I could continue smelling her. Her cologne was my kryptonite. We thanked our waitress before saying a quick toast.
“Cheers to new adventures.” I smiled and repeated the toast before connecting my glass with hers.
After our toast I brought her in for a kiss, letting it linger and enjoying the moan it produced from her. I’d always loved kissing, but kissing Vera was my favorite. She was so responsive anytime we kissed.
She pulled back and I frowned. “I was enjoying that, you know.”
She placed her hand on my thigh a little too high and squeezed. “Oh, I know you were. I can guess exactly how much too, but you need to eat something.
I rolled my eyes just as my stomach started to growl. She fed me a taco and I groaned at how delicious it was.
We spent the rest of the evening eating and talking and exchanging small touches, nothing too sexual.
Rebecca never came back and no one else interrupted us the entire night.
We even shared a few dances before I had too much and was begging for her to take me home, wanting to spend the rest of the night laying in her arms.