Chapter 21
Victoria
After they cleaned up the broken frames, glass, and ashes, Minjung went to make coffee, and Victoria got on the phone.
Getting green carnations in the middle of December was a difficult feat, but not impossible.
She’d made over a dozen calls to florists and grocery stores with floral departments and finally found a shop in downtown Cincinnati that had some.
After coffee, she dragged Tillman with her, and while they were down in Cincy, drove past the Tyttle Foods plant to show Tillman what the place looked like from the outside.
Tillman had put in an online application over a week ago, even before they’d left for Denton Heights, but he hadn’t heard anything yet, either way.
Victoria hoped that was a good sign. Her friend could use some good luck.
Their errand to the florist completed, Victoria and Tillman arrived at the coffee shop early and borrowed a vase. It was currently centered on the pushed-together tables they would use for the pizza when it arrived. Not that Victoria could eat. Her stomach was in knots.
“Thanks for finding a vase, Lydia,” Victoria said, thanking her again.
“Never let it be said that I stood in the way of love,” Lydia said and then turned back to guide her little Pammy, who was setting up for the after-party.
“Lydia’s cute,” Tillman said. “But taken, I know.”
“Stick around long enough, and you’ll find someone,” Victoria said as she paced back and forth. Where was everybody?
“Hey, chill, man,” Tillman said. “I appreciate you bringing me here to Denton Heights. If the job doesn’t work out, I might relocate here anyway.”
Victoria turned to give Tillman her full attention. “I don’t see why not. I’m probably moving back here, too. Bobbie made sure you’re not welcome back there, so why not start over?”
“I am kind of ready to move out of my mother’s house,” Tillman said with wide eyes. “She’s not exactly accepting of me.”
“And you can do the Linen Works job from anywhere, right? It’s all commuting, anyway.”
“True, but I do hope the Tyttle Foods job works out.” He smoothed his hair down and almost looked as nervous as Victoria felt.
“Wait,” Victoria said, her spidey senses tingling. “I missed something. Who is it?”
Tillman recoiled and looked away. “Another Domme’s sub, I’m afraid. Not JB.” He looked a bit forlorn and added, “I’m not going to pursue. I’m not like Bobbie.”
Victoria scoffed and rolled her eyes for her friend’s benefit. With nothing else to do, she picked up her nervous pacing where she’d left off.
“Stop pacing,” Rikki called from the front door, which she was holding open for Bernadette. “You’re wearing my floors out.”
Victoria simply waved her off good naturedly. Everyone knew she was nervous, and that was okay because she was nervous. “Thanks for having this today.”
“It’s becoming a tradition now,” Bernadette said as she hung up both their coats.
“Heavy load coming in,” a big booming voice announced at the door. Jaleesa came in first, carrying several bags, and still held the door open for her five subs to pass through. Each one carried at least two pizzas. DeShawn, the only guy, carried three.
Victoria watched as Tillman stood a little taller. “Oh, shit,” Victoria said. “Which one? There’s five of them.”
“Shut up,” Tillman said. “No one. I’ve got enough trouble.”
“Fine, have it your way.”
And then she appeared, and Tillman was forgotten. Jessica was saying something to DeShawn that had them both smiling and Victoria melting.
“You are so gone, man,” Tillman said.
“Yep,” was all Victoria could manage.
Jessica had her hair up in a messy bun. Delicate tendrils of loose hair had fallen, and Victoria wanted to brush them off Jessica’s neck and kiss the revealed skin.
Jessica’s smile changed when she saw Victoria. It softened, and she seemed to relax. Victoria hustled over.
“Hi,” Victoria said, feeling like a shy little kid.
“Hi, yourself, hot stuff.” Jessica let Victoria help her off with her coat. Once relieved of the coat, Jessica asked, “No regrets?”
“About what?” Victoria was confused.
“Me.”
Victoria exhaled loudly, leaned down, and wrapped the gorgeous woman in her arms. They steamed up the front windows as she kissed the woman in her embrace. “None,” she said as she released her.
“Good.” Jessica reached for Victoria’s hand. “Me, neither. Shall we start date number two in the name of taking things slowly?”
“Yes.” God, this woman made her nervous. Victoria willed herself to chill out and led Jessica to the table with the carnations. “Today’s theme.”
“Aww,” Jessica said. “That is so sweet.” She leaned down and smelled a couple of them. “Where did you find these in December? On a Sunday?”
“I’m resourceful.”
“Are you now?” Jessica said with a slightly flirty lilt.
Victoria felt her cheeks flare up with warmth. She hadn’t felt this puppy love feeling in so long that she wondered if she’d ever felt it before.
Shanice and Marta breezed in next, and for a fleeting moment, jealousy flashed through Victoria at the sight of Marta. She took a deep breath. Everyone has exes or former play partners, she reminded herself. She herself had over a hundred. Hypocrite.
Jessica pulled up their clasped hands and kissed the back of Victoria’s. She must have sensed Victoria’s momentary unease. “She’s walking,” Jessica said, pointing to Shanice.
“It’s incredible. I’m glad I’m here to see it.”
“Me, too,” Jessica said and gestured to the food table. “I should help them get set up.”
Before she could move, Shanice and Marta came over for hugs. Shanice looked at Victoria. “Leo? Right, Daddy Vic?”
Victoria nodded and glanced at Marta who wore an ‘I’m sorry’ expression on her face.
“Birthday, Miss Jessica?”
“Oh, March 31st,” Jessica said.
“Oh, good, I didn’t miss it.” Victoria moved behind Jessica, wrapped her arms around her, and pulled her close. Did Victoria’s show of possession have anything to do with Marta standing right there? She wanted to think not but knew it did.
Shanice’s eyes had gone wide. A big smile lit her face.
“Sun signs are in no way the full stories, but you are both fire signs and very compatible. Leo,” she said, turning toward Victoria, “needs a partner who is confident and will go after what she wants. And Aries,” Shanice continued, looking at Jessica, “needs a partner who can match their somewhat assertive, sometimes impulsive nature.”
“Like changing schools on a whim,” Jessica said and grimaced.
“Exactly that kind of thing,” Shanice said. She looked back at Victoria and asked, “Are you up for it, Daddy Vic?”
“Absolutely,” Victoria said and squeezed the woman in her arms.
“Good. I now pronounce you a good match,” Shanice said with a giggle. She turned toward Marta, raised both hands in the air to raise the roof, and said, “Soul patrol. Soul patrol. I told you, Mama.”
Marta just shook her head and let Shanice head over to help Pammy set up.
“So, Marta,” Victoria asked, “what’s with this community service thing the littles are doing?”
“I can’t even tell you whose idea it was, but when Shanice told me what they’d come up with, she said it was because they saw everyone doing stuff for them all the time and they wanted to give back.”
“Wow,” Victoria said. “That’s so enlightened of them.”
“I thought so, too.” Marta then touched Victoria on the arm and excused herself to greet Rikki and Bernadette.
“Well, how about that?” Victoria said, gesturing toward Shanice. “The stars are aligned in our favor.”
“I had no doubt,” Jessica said with a lascivious grin.
During the after-party lunch, Victoria and Jessica rarely left each other’s sides.
As the gathering was winding down, Victoria started to get nervous.
They hadn’t talked about where they would go from there.
A hike? They just ate, so dinner out wasn’t right.
A drive, maybe? Victoria couldn’t bear it if Jessica wanted to go home alone right now, but she would accept it.
They said their goodbyes to Madison and Miss Shasti.
Madison apparently had a final exam the next day, but Victoria promised they’d spend some time together once her exams were all finished for the semester.
She specifically mentioned the post-Christmas bird count and Madison hugged her long and hard.
She then ran out the door without looking back.
Victoria wasn’t sure, but it looked like there were tears in Madison’s eyes.
“She loves you,” Jessica said. “You have to move back here. You can’t stay away from that cuteness.”
“That’s not the only reason I’m moving back,” Victoria said. “A certain fiery Aries has my attention.”
Jessica wrapped her arms around Victoria’s neck. “Oh, please. Do go on.”
“I just have to figure out where to hang my hat.” Victoria didn’t want to start that worry chain, so she grinned at Jessica and asked, “Now what?”
“Mmm,” Jessica said. “Take me home.”
“Oh?” She wasn’t exactly sure what Jessica meant, and she was nervous about assuming.
“We’ve had two dates,” Jessica said. “That’s slow enough. I’m an Aries, and like Shanice said, I’m impulsive, so I want you to—” Her cheeks turned a delicious shade of red. “I’m going to explode if we don’t—”
“Mmm,” Victoria moaned low. “Let me give Tillman the keys to my truck.”