Chapter 10
Drew’s mind raced with a thousand thoughts at once. Brooke was kissing her again and, try as she might, Drew couldn’t resist the pull towards the other woman. When she finally did lean back she found that Brooke was eyeing her. It felt like Brooke was waiting for something.
“What?” Drew asked with a smile.
“I hope that wasn’t too much,” Brooke sighed.
“It was. But it was the right kind of too much,” Drew answered. She took Brooke’s hand in her own.
“What does all of this mean? What about Robin? Aren’t the two of you dating?”
“Dating? Yes. Together? No. We’re not committed. As far as things between us, they can be whatever we want them to be. I would say we should probably take things slowly.”
Inside, Drew couldn’t help being afraid. If they went too fast would Brooke get spooked and run off again? She knew she couldn’t expound upon that fear to Brooke.
“So you want to date me the same way you’re dating Robin?”
Brooke’s tone was neutral, but Drew was still worried. Would one wrong word scare Brooke away?
“That’s what I was thinking. But I’m open to other options.”
In her mind Drew was weighing pros and cons.
Even after everything there was something about Brooke that kept drawing her back.
Despite the misstarts, Brooke felt safe.
Drew was certain that she’d like to try things with Brooke.
She just wasn’t sure that Brooke wouldn’t be overwhelmed if she told her that out right.
Brooke seemed to be puzzling everything out internally, which made Drew even more nervous. Brooke seemed to see the nerves worn plainly across Drew’s face. She reached out a hand to cup Drew’s cheek.
“We can move slow,” Brooke said softly. Her voice was a whisper, but her bright blue eyes were clear.
“Okay, we’ll go slow,” Drew agreed with a smile.
“What do we do first?” Brooke asked.
“I think first, we go out on a date,” Drew laughed.
“What should we do on this date?”
“Let’s go to the Nashville garden of lights. Tis the season after all,” Drew grinned. Brooke met her smile with one of her own.
“I would like that. When would you want to go?”
“Tomorrow? You’re probably going to be tied up with the landlord tonight. Tonight, I have a …” Drew allowed the words to trail off unspoken. The truth was that she had a date with Robin that night. Brooke seemed to understand and offered her a tiny smile.
“You’re seeing Robin tonight?”
“I am,” Drew admitted. She didn’t like the guilty feeling turning to acid in her gut.
There was no reason for her to feel guilty. It would be insane for her to enter into a commitment with Brooke after the last few weeks. This gave them both the chance to ease into it. They could see if the thing between them was something worth pursuing.
“Okay. Tomorrow night it is. But I want you to tell Robin that you’re dating someone else as well. I don’t want it to feel like I’m dating you behind someone else’s back.
“Of course. That’s more than fair.”
Drew would have told Robin anyway. She was glad that Brooke seemed to be on the same page with her. Drew glanced at the clock on the stove and gave a silent curse. She was in danger of running late.
“I’m excited for our first date. But I have a forearm arriving any minute and it won’t tattoo itself.”
Brooke laughed and leaned in for another kiss. The kiss felt soft and searching. They broke away and it was nice to know that it wasn’t their last kiss.
“Fine. Go tattoo a forearm,” Brooke teased.
“Let me know what they say about your apartment,” Drew said. She grabbed her leather jacket and threw it on.
“I will. Do you think Pearl could stay at your place today? She isn’t destructive, and I can work out the litter box situation before I leave for work.”
“Of course. Pearl is welcome to hang out,” Drew smiled at the cat. Pearl gave a lazy yawn then strode off for the bedroom.
Drew leaned in and gave Brooke one final kiss before turning towards the door.
So far the day had been going in a positive direction.
She couldn’t wait to get Tatum’s feedback on this new development.
Drew was sure that her friend would have plenty to say.
She ran across the street to her tattoo shop with a smile played out across her lips.
Did I really just ask Brooke out, and did Brooke really say yes?
Drew wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from their date, but she did have an inkling that her life was about to get more interesting.
Tatum hadn’t been this invested in Drew’s life since she’d dated a woman who was on probation and wearing an ankle monitor. Her friend had peppered her with questions all morning. Now, as Drew’s tattoo gun was poised over a nervous looking guy in his early twenties Tatum’s questions continued.
“How are you going to break the news to Robin?” Tatum asked.
“What do you mean? I’m not breaking up with her,” Drew laughed.
“Drew, come on,” Tatum rolled her eyes.
“What? We’re not committed. Why should it matter if I’m dating her and someone else?”
“Because you’ve been out on four dates,” Tatum responded. The exasperation in her friend’s tone was palpable.
“Is four dates significant?” Drew asked. Tatumn pinned her with a glare.
“Four dates is around the time in lesbian dating where you start taking things seriously. The fact that you’re now starting to date someone else is a clear indication that you are not taking things with Robin seriously.”
Drew focused in on the long line she was currently tattooing.
While purposefully ignoring Tatumn’s observation she couldn’t help seeing the truthfulness of it.
Four dates could be considered purposeful dating.
Drew hadn’t considered her interactions with Robin to be purposeful.
Their conversations had never gone below the surface.
On two of their dates Robin hadn’t asked Drew a single question about herself.
Drew emboldened herself by the remembrance that she and Robin hadn’t experienced any of the typical markers.
They hadn’t kissed or even held hands. How could she possibly consider the thing between them as serious.
Tatum still fixed her with a sardonic smile.
Drew held her gun above her client’s arm and pinned Tatumn with a glare of her own.
“Oh, don’t give me that look,” Tatumn whined. When Drew rolled her eyes Tatumn continued her thought.
“All I mean is look at you. Somehow you went from not wanting to date anyone to dating two beautiful women at the same time. I’m impressed.”
Drew knew that Tatumn was being genuine.
Try as she might, Drew wasn’t sure how she felt about being congratulated for dating both women.
She had never been the sort to have something going with more than one woman at a time.
Brooke had held a strong place in her mind ever since they’d met.
Drew had been drawn to the woman like a moth to a candle.
Unfortunately, like a month to a candle Drew had come to expect a little pain in their interactions.
It wasn’t all warmth; there was a burning to Brooke.
Robin on the other hand was everything that Drew had been told that she should like.
Robin was talented and driven. She was the kind of woman who was going to get everything she’d ever wanted by the sheer power of her will and hard work.
Robin had many admirable qualities. But Drew couldn’t help feeling as though Robin liked keeping her around for arm candy.
She was everything Drew was supposed to want, but Drew wasn’t sure that she wanted Robin.
She wasn’t even sure that Robin truly wanted her.
How had she ended up dating two women who were equally hard to figure out?