Chapter 15
fifteen
GREER
Greer jerked with a start, looking Nathalie over carefully. She was dressed nicely, not like she’d been out on a date, but in a tight white shirt that showed off her breasts perfectly, and a jacket that went over her shoulders. She’d picked out a skirt that night, and it melded to her curves perfectly.
“What do you mean plans?” Greer asked again, really needing some sort of answer, and considering Nathalie was the only one in the kitchen with her, she only had one person to ask.
“Lachlan and Ivy want more to drink.” Nathalie pointed toward the cabinet where she kept the alcohol. “And they wanted to invite you to join them.”
“You’re not drinking?” Greer raised an eyebrow at her.
“No.” Nathalie stared intently back at her. “I’m not.”
“So they need a third person to drink with them?” Confusion swam in Greer’s belly. She really had no idea what to do or say to that, did she? Because it was such an odd request coming from all of her bosses at once.
“Need? No.” Nathalie stepped in closer, scooting by Greer to reach the cabinet with the liquor. Their bodies touched, Nathalie’s warmth instantly seeping straight into Greer as she moved. But Greer hadn’t stepped back to give Nathalie any more space, and Nathalie hadn’t seemed to mind at all. “They want you to join them.”
“Want me?” Greer squeaked a little. “I’m sorry, I’m not understanding.”
“We want you to join us,” Ivy said from the doorway to the kitchen. “It’s not a requirement of your job, and it’s not an expectation. You’re more than welcome to tell us no.”
Greer looked at Ivy, then at Lachlan—who nodded—and then straight back to Nathalie, who seemed pleased as cherry pie at how this conversation was going.
“Unless you’d like to get back to your… dancing,” Nathalie said, raising an eyebrow in Greer’s direction.
“I uh… was just cleaning up after the slumber party.” Greer canted her head to the side and stared at Nathalie. What game were these three women playing? Because she really needed some type of manual to figure out what was happening right now.
“Come on! Join us!” Lachlan stepped around the kitchen counter and took Greer’s hand in her own. She always was the more touchy one, but this time it didn’t exactly set Greer at ease. That was probably because this conversation was way out of the ordinary.
Greer looked directly to Ivy. Would this infringe on whatever they’d done? Did they know about that? Was this about to turn into an interrogation?
“They want to get to know you better,” Nathalie said, her smooth and calm voice bringing reason back to Greer’s brain.
“That’s it?” Greer asked.
“That’s it,” Nathalie responded, a bottle of rum in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.
“Oh. Okay.” Greer brushed her sweaty palms onto her thighs. “Then sure. I guess.”
Automatically, Greer tried to snag the bottles from Nathalie, who instantly pulled her hands back. “Not tonight. I’m serving tonight, and I’m staying sober to watch the kids. Feel free to drink if you want.”
Greer frowned. “Are you sure about all of this?”
“No, but when am I ever?” Nathalie stared at her directly, and in her gaze, Greer could see that she really did mean it this time. That there wasn’t a hesitation or confusion, more just a curiosity as to where all of this was going to go from here on out. Which, Greer would admit, she was curious about as well.
“All right.” They sat down at the kitchen table. Well, Greer and Lachlan did. Ivy and Nathalie stayed by the kitchen counter and grabbed glasses and small plates of food for everyone. Was this normal for the three of them after a night out? To continue the party when they got home?
Ivy brushed her fingers gently over Greer’s shoulder as she leaned over the table to set down some of the food and hand Lachlan a glass. Lachlan’s eyes locked on the touch, and she raised an eyebrow at Greer and then looked directly at Ivy.
What exactly had Ivy told them about what had happened? Or had she told them nothing? That was the problem with the fact that they hadn’t had a chance to talk yet. Because Greer was stuck not knowing anything. She bit her lip as Ivy sat down next to her, Lachlan on her other side, and then Nathalie joined directly across from Greer—as if in a position to keep an eye on everyone.
“So what do we talk about at these girl’s nights?” Greer asked, popping a cracker into her mouth and eyeing her drink. What had Nathalie even made her? They’d never drunk together, so Nathalie wouldn’t know what Greer liked and didn’t like.
“We talked mostly about you at dinner,” Lachlan said, flicking her gaze between Ivy and Greer.
“You did?” Greer’s cheeks burned. “Only good things, I hope.” Were those nerves bubbling up? God, why did she have to be this way? If they were unhappy with her, surely, they would have said something before now and they wouldn’t all come at her at once. Right?
“Of course.” Lachlan grinned broadly. “We love having you here.”
“Good. Good.” Greer reached for her drink and took a large swig of it. Whatever it was slid down her throat smoothly, the flavors mingling on her tongue. She glanced up at Nathalie. “This is good.”
“You’re welcome.”
Greer’s lips quirked upward into a smile. She loved how cocky Nathalie could be sometimes. It was amazing to witness a woman who didn’t hold back on that like so many women had been trained to—including Greer herself. She’d had the proper etiquette and social norms grilled into her from the moment she’d been born, and then she had failed to meet the majority of the expectations set on her.
“You really should be talking about something other than me and the kids when you’re out, you know.”
“Oh, we didn’t really talk about the kids,” Ivy said, breathy. She lowered her hands beneath the table and plopped her palm onto Greer’s knee with a squeeze. “That’s one of our rules when we go out. No kid talk unless it’s necessary because there are issues.”
“Oh.” Greer frowned, but the touch from Ivy warmed her instantly, and brought her right back to that night that they’d spent together. “But you talked about me?”
“Yes, we did.” Nathalie again with that cocky tone. “Seems we can’t stop talking about—or thinking about—you, Greer.”
“Well, that’s a bit odd. I’m nothing to write home about.” Greer’s hand shook as she reached for her glass and took another sip.
“We disagree,” Lachlan said. “You’re amazing, not just with the kids but dealing with three very headstrong women and all the chaos that comes with us. You’re the only one who’s managed to stick it out and make it through.”
“Ah.” Greer’s cheeks heated. “Well, I’ll take that as a compliment then.”
“You should,” Ivy answered, not taking her gaze off Greer. “You deserve to know how good you are at your job.”
“Right.” Another drink for Greer. If this intensity was going to continue, then it would be a very long night indeed. And she was going to need a second and perhaps a third drink to make it through.
“Stop putting Greer under the spotlight, you two. Can’t you see it makes her uncomfortable?” Nathalie’s voice rang out between them.
It was an odd statement coming from her, since Nathalie had purposely made Greer uncomfortable many times over. And the one that instantly came to mind was that night in the kitchen when Nathalie had come back from her date. Not just with the way that Nathalie had looked at her and talked to her, but then the masturbation afterward? How loud she’d gotten just as Greer had walked past her door? She wasn’t stupid. That wasn’t a coincidence.
“Right. So dancing while cleaning? Is that a thing you normally do?” Lachlan asked.
Greer snorted. “Actually yeah. It’s a way to get the kids involved and interested in helping out. Something I learned years ago.”
“But do you also do it on your own, then?” Ivy asked.
“I guess I do.” Greer’s cheeks heated with embarrassment, but she chuckled lightly. “Not going to stop something if it’s working, right?”
“That would be a terrible idea,” Nathalie said quietly. “Never stop a good thing.” Her look was so direct. Was she saying something else that Greer was unaware of? Or was this just Nathalie trying to make her deliciously uncomfortable again?
“Right. So I guess I do dance while I clean.”
“Fascinating.” Lachlan looked away from Greer and to the other two. “Thank you for suggesting tonight, by the way. We all needed it.”
“Oh, I’m glad I could help.” Greer hadn’t expected that. She’d figured somewhere in the back of her head that Nathalie would take all the credit for the idea itself, which she didn’t mind. It didn’t really matter who was the cause so long as the result was what it needed to be. “You all should go out together more often.”
“Maybe you should come with us next time.” Ivy squeezed Greer’s knee again before lifting her hand up and putting it back on the table.
Greer wasn’t sure what to say to that. This was out of the ordinary enough, but to actually go out to dinner with all of them? That would be way out of the norm. “Yeah, maybe.” That was the best non-committal answer that she could give.
The conversation eased from there, thankfully. And they spent the next two hours just talking about life, work, kids, and school. Greer so easily fit into the conversation that it surprised her. She figured they would leave her out as they started talking about things that only the three of them would know about. But it didn’t feel that way at all. She felt integrated into the conversation and into their life.
Ivy was the first one to beg off, but she was way too drunk to walk home on her own. So Nathalie helped her upstairs into one of the spare bedrooms. Greer and Lachlan immediately started to clean up the food and the drinks. The night had been good, easy, and relaxing. Even the kids had been well behaved and excited.
How often did they actually get to have a sleepover with all of them together? It was like cousins getting together only at the holidays, and certainly far more exciting than a normal sleepover. She was just filling the dishwasher and setting it to run when Lachlan stopped her.
“I had a question for you.”
“Sure.” Greer straightened her back and leaned against the kitchen counter.
“I’m not entirely sure how to ask it, though. I guess it’s really a two-part question.” Lachlan’s face pinched in concentration.
“I’m an open book, Lachlan.” Greer pressed her hands against the counter and lifted herself up onto the edge of it, sitting down. This was clearly going to be a bit of a longer conversation.
Lachlan sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She glanced Greer over from head to toe and back up again. “Nathalie said you’re a lesbian.”
“Oh. Uh. Yeah.” Cold washed through Greer at that. So they really had talked about her that night at dinner. She just hadn’t expected this kind of conversation at all. And how uncomfortable exactly was Lachlan with this information? Because it could cost Greer her job, couldn’t it? Then again, she was best friends with Ivy, who was a lesbian.
“How did you know?”
“Know what?” Greer asked, trying to catch her brain back up with the conversation at hand.
“That you were a lesbian.”
“Right.” Greer frowned slightly. “I never felt like I was supposed to about boys. Not in middle school or in high school. When all the other girls were talking about dating and boys and kissing, I was quite repulsed by the thought. I don’t think I really figured it out until high school, though, when I had this history teacher that I loved and adored. And when that class ended, I really figured out why I loved and adored her, and it wasn’t because she was a good teacher.”
“So then you came out?”
“No.” Greer looked Lachlan over carefully. “I came out in college, and I never came out to my family. No need to when I don’t talk to them.”
Lachlan nodded slowly, twisting her hands in front of her. She looked out past Greer toward Nathalie’s bedroom. “I’m not sure if I’m a lesbian. But I have been attracted to women before.”
“Before?” What exactly was Lachlan saying?
“And you and Ivy…” Lachlan trailed off slowly. “I’ve seen Ivy act like she did tonight before. So I have to ask… did you two have sex?”
Greer paled. Cold washed through her entire body as panic clawed its way into her heart. What the hell was she supposed to say? From that question alone, it was obvious that Ivy hadn’t told them anything. Which meant that Greer was either going to have to lie or she was going to be the one to break down the truth and possibly break apart this family. And they were a family, whether they wanted to admit it or not.
“I won’t get mad if you two did.” Lachlan stepped in closer, coming up right beside Greer at the counter but facing her. “I was just curious is all.”
“Yes,” Greer whispered. She couldn’t ever lie. She hated lies. They were what ruined families and always put someone on the outs. “Yes, we did. Just once though.”
Lachlan nodded slowly and then put her hand on Greer’s knee. “Thanks for telling me.”
“You’re not going to fire me?”
“No.” Lachlan smiled, and there was honesty there that Greer grasped onto. “I’m not even going to tell Nathalie. I’m just curious what the attraction was like.”
“Lachlan…” Greer slipped off the counter and lowered her voice. “Are you trying to figure out your sexuality or are you trying to figure out if you’re attracted to Ivy?”
“No, not Ivy. I already know how I feel about her, and Nathalie.” Lachlan flicked her gaze up to meet Greer’s. “And you.”
“A-and me?” Greer stuttered. “What do you mean about me?”
“I like you, Greer. I love the way you are with the kids, how confident you are, and how you fit right into this crazy little world that we’ve all created together. But you don’t just fit in, you’ve affected it. Tonight is proof of that.” Lachlan stayed perfectly still, staring into Greer’s eyes. “I love how confident you are in your body, even though you’re bigger like me. And I mean that as a compliment, even though it didn’t really come out that way.” Lachlan winced.
Greer chuckled lightly, the tension breaking a bit.
“I’m not confident in my body. I’m not confident when it comes to sex and physical relationships. I’ve never been good at them.”
“Says who?” Greer asked.
“Baylor.” Lachlan rolled her eyes. “He’s the only person I’ve really ever been with.”
“Are you serious?” Greer’s stomach twisted hard, and she did what she never thought she would do. She reached up and cupped Lachlan’s cheek, turning Lachlan’s face so they could continue to look at each other.
“Yes. I saved myself for him, and then he was never happy with me.” Lachlan rolled her eyes. “Stupid mistakes of my past.”
“Lachlan…” Greer brushed her thumb across Lachlan’s lips. “Anyone who tells you that you’re not enough is a fool and a selfish asshat.”
Lachlan snorted, but she turned her cheek into Greer’s touch. “I know that but it’s so hard not to believe it. It’s easier when I’m around you.”
Greer took in a shuddering breath. What the hell was happening in these houses? First Ivy and now Lachlan? Who next? Nathalie? Greer internally chided herself at that thought. That would never happen. But Lachlan was so sweet right now, so open and honest and vulnerable.
“Will you show me?” Lachlan asked.
“Show you what?” Greer once again found herself sliding her thumb across Lachlan’s lip.
“What to do,” Lachlan answered, inching in closer. “Teach me.”
“I…”
“Don’t overthink it.” Lachlan slid in even closer. “Just kiss me.”
Greer found herself bending down. She closed her eyes, breathing in Lachlan’s scent, the scent that made her purely her. Greer’s heart raced as she pressed their cheeks together and closed her eyes. Lachlan moved her hands up, sliding them behind Greer’s neck and moving so they were nose to nose.
“Kiss me,” Lachlan breathed.
And Greer did. She pressed their lips together in a sweet, tender embrace. Everything about Lachlan was soft and gentle. The way her fingers slid against Greer’s neck and cheeks, the small hum and moan that she gave when Greer parted her lips and peeked her tongue out for just one dash of a taste, and the gentle pull of Greer deeper into Lachlan’s embrace.
She couldn’t be more opposite Ivy in this moment if she tried. Greer turned them, pushing Lachlan into the kitchen counter and pressing their hips together, lining up their bodies. She deepened the kiss, trailing her hand from Lachlan’s long hair to over her chest and feeling the thump of her heart against her chest.
Greer moaned and nipped at Lachlan’s lower lip before she moved her hand lower and cupped her breast. Lachlan grunted and dug her fingertips into Greer’s back before breaking the kiss and breathing heavily.
“I want this, Greer.” Lachlan kissed her again. “I want you to teach me.”
Greer had a choice to make. Either spend the night with Lachlan or end it now for good. And fuck, did she want to cherish Lachlan like she deserved. Kissing her again, quickly, Greer pulled away and smiled.
“Let’s go to my bedroom,” Greer said.
“Yes. A hundred times, yes.”