Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
AUDREY
At the ice rink, Audrey was starting to feel nervous.
She wasn’t nervous about being here with Brianna.
In fact, she was really looking forward to it.
She couldn’t wait to show off the hot librarian she was dating to all the townspeople, and if someone cast a dirty look their way, she was ready to stand up for both of them.
It was just that…Nathan was going to meet them there.
Audrey wasn’t shy about who she was or who she liked, but she was nervous Nathan wouldn’t approve.
It wasn’t that she needed his approval, but she felt it would probably mean a lot to Brianna.
Audrey wasn’t afraid of disappointing her family, but Brianna had already lost her family once.
Audrey didn’t want to see her girlfriend go through that again.
Girlfriend? Slow down, she told herself.
They hadn’t made it official yet, but Audrey knew she would want to soon. She supposed it all depended on how today went.
“Two skates, please,” Brianna was telling the teenager manning the rink rental booth, pulling Audrey out of her nervous thoughts.
“Shoe size?” he asked, clearly disinterested.
"7.5,” Brianna said while Audrey added “8.5” a second later.
The teenager nodded and stepped to the back area to get them. When he returned, he had the system pulled up for a card payment. He turned the machine to them wordlessly, and Brianna tapped her phone to pay.
“Thanks,” the teen said then led them away.
Audrey and Brianna grabbed their skates and walked off to the few benches available.
The outdoor rink was busy, with people everywhere changing into skates, changing out of skates, or just chilling and watching their friends.
Brianna and Audrey sat down on a bench half occupied by another couple in their twenties.
“Do we just leave our stuff here after?” Brianna asked, already pulling off her fuzzy boots.
Audrey followed suit. “I guess so? I don’t see any rentals, and I guess we can watch our stuff from over there.”
“That would never fly in Toronto. Perhaps in small towns, I guess.”
“Just a few of them,” Audrey confirmed, winking.
Brianna was about to say something when a throat cleared behind them.
“Having fun without me already?”
It was Nathan, Grace in tow. Audrey took her time lacing up her skates, unsure of how to act, while Brianna seemed to rush through hers, jumping up to greet him.
“Hi,” she said.
Audrey could hear them exchanging chitchat, and by the time she stood to join the conversation, everyone was all smiles.
“Hey, how are you?” Audrey said in greeting, directing it at Grace. She could only imagine how out of sorts she must’ve felt, being around a man she was probably freshly seeing and his sister, and his sister’s…someone.
“Good! How’s your day so far?”
“Fantastic,” Brianna jumped in. “Have y’all been to Maven? The pancakes were heavenly.”
“We’ll have to go there sometime,” Grace said. She turned to Nathan, who nodded. They looked really cozy together, and it was taking all of Audrey’s concentration not to ask them about it.
She could only imagine how Nathan felt seeing her and Brianna together.
“So, should we go chat?” Audrey asked him. Might as well rip the bandage off.
When Nathan didn’t respond, his date elbowed him.
“Me and you?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes, who else, dummy,” Audrey said and rolled her eyes.
“Sure. Let’s talk while I go get our skates,” Nathan said and began walking away.
It was a bit awkward to follow him in her skates, but Audrey waddled along, Nathan’s date trailing behind them.
“So…you and Brianna, huh?” Nathan asked as they stood in line. While there weren’t that many people waiting, it seemed the teenager manning the booth moved slowly. Not that there was anything to rush for in a town like Beaver Creek.
“Hmm, what do you mean?” Audrey asked.
She knew it was the cowardly way out to play ignorant, but she wasn’t sure what else to say.
It was also a bit awkward to have this conversation in front of Nathan’s date, especially if it was someone Nathan was only seeing casually.
She wasn’t sure if she wanted all her business out there like that.
“You know what I mean. I’ve seen the way you look at her,” he said.
Audrey blushed at that. “I mean, I did always like her.”
“I remember.”
“I’m not mad, you know,” Nathan continued after a few moments when Audrey didn’t elaborate further. “You can date whoever you want. That goes for both of you. It’s just…weird.”
“Because you like her too?” Audrey asked. She didn’t think it was true, but she had always wondered. The town rumours were half fiction, but the few times they weren’t, it was shocking to everyone.
Nathan laughed. “Absolutely not. She’s like a sister. Besides, she never saw me that way, and I’m not stupid enough to think she’ll change her mind. I know how I am.”
“At least you’re self-aware, I’ll give you that.”
Nathan shrugged. He was about to say more when Audrey and Nathan finally reached the counter, and his date stepped to the front to get her skates. Audrey awkwardly waddled to the side to wait for them, and then she joined them in a brief walk back to the bench, where Brianna was still waiting.
Nathan stopped Audrey with a tug on her arm before they could get close enough for Brianna to hear. He turned towards her seriously, and Audrey could not recall the last time she had ever seen her brother so serious.
“At the end of the day, as long as both of you are happy, it’s fine with me,” he said. “Just…are you sure about it?”
“What do you mean?” Audrey asked.
“I mean, do you know how hard it will be for me to choose a side if you break up?” he said jokingly, but Audrey knew her brother well enough to see the genuine question beneath the jest.
She looked back towards Brianna, who was now helping Grace put on her skates. The two women laughed at Brianna’s awkward attempt at tying the skates, and Audrey smiled at the scene.
“I’m sure about it,” she said eventually.
She wasn’t sure if it was her tone or expression, but whatever Nathan saw in her face had him nodding along.
“Good. Now, do us Mahoneys proud and take good care of her, okay?”
“I always do,” Audrey said.
“Ewww,” Nathan yelled and ran back towards his date.
“Grace, save me! I don’t want to hear about my sister’s sex life.”
Audrey waddled back towards the rest of the group, who were now laughing. She didn’t miss the redness in Brianna’s cheeks, though she wasn’t sure whether it was from the cold or from the joke.
“No one was talking about sex, you idiot.” Audrey swatted at her brother, who was able to run, as he hadn’t yet changed into his ice skates yet.
“Well don’t start now. Let’s just get out there and try not to fall on the ice,” he said, finally sitting on the bench next to his date to put on his skates.
Brianna stood to make room for him, and Audrey went to her side to help her up. She held out her hands to steady the librarian, who grabbed her hands tightly.
“Oh gosh, I don’t think I thought this through. I feel like I’ll fall over,” she complained before she eventually straightened, still gripping Audrey tightly.
“Don’t worry, gorgeous. I got you,” Audrey said.
Audrey pointedly ignored the fake puking sounds coming from behind her. Whatever; Nathan could think what he wanted. She was going to spoil her girl every chance she could.
Brianna seemed to ignore her best friend’s complaining, because she leaned in close and kissed Audrey on the cheek. “Okay, cutie.”
Now pulled into the parking lot at Brianna’s apartment, Audrey was nervous. She had parked her car instead of pulling up to the front of the house, but she was ready to go home if Brianna told her to.
“The skating wasn’t so terrible,” Audrey said instead, hoping for a neutral ground. Perhaps a debrief of the date would be a good way to start.
“It was really nice,” Brianna said. “I still can’t believe you didn’t fall over once.”
“What can I say? It’s all part of my charm.” Audrey flipped her hair in a jokey gesture, and Brianna giggled.
“Yes, it is.”
“Sooooo…” Audrey trailed off. She was still looking at Brianna now, trying hard to resist the urge to lean in and kiss her. Brianna looked at Audrey’s lips and back up to her eyes.
“Would you like to come up?” she asked.
Audrey nodded and followed Brianna back to the apartment, not wanting to say anything for fear her nerves would ruin the moment. Inside the apartment, the women took off their winter gear and hung it all up in Brianna’s front closer.
Audrey followed Brianna to the kitchen, where the woman washed her hands. Audrey did the same and turned to find Brianna standing near the flowers again, touching the petals softly.
“Didn’t get enough of them the first time?” Audrey asked, touched Brianna seemed to like her romantic gesture so much.
“No one’s ever gotten me flowers before,” Brianna said, turning back towards Audrey, leaning her back against the tall kitchen island.
“I can’t believe that. A woman like you deserves flowers and more.”
“Hmm, what do you mean by ‘more’?” Brianna had a twinkle in her eye that spoke of mischief, and Audrey was drawn closer to her.
She stepped close to Brianna and placed her hands on her hips. The feel of Brianna against her was already so perfect, and Audrey leaned in so close, a single movement would have their lips pressed together.
“What do you think I have in mind?” Audrey whispered.
Brianna answered her with a kiss, and Audrey felt all the tension leave her shoulders.
This was what she needed, what she had been wanting all day.
To feel Brianna’s lips against her, her neediness as she opened her mouth and let Audrey explore.
Her soft exhales as Audrey kissed her neck, as her hands reached underneath her sweater and across her stomach.
Brianna’s glasses were slightly in the way as they kissed, and Audrey focused on Brianna’s neck instead to avoid the clash.
Brianna moaned as Audrey continued sucking on her neck, and Audrey repositioned herself so they could kiss again, wanting to feel the moans against her mouth.
She couldn’t get enough, but she wanted more.
Though the last time she was here had ended with Brianna’s head between Audrey’s thighs, Audrey wanted more this time.
She wanted to know what Brianna felt like, wanted to know what she looked like as she came, to be the one to bring her there.
Audrey broke the kiss, much to Brianna’s obvious displeasure as the librarian huffed at the loss of contact.
“What happened to more?” Brianna asked.
“That isn’t what I had in mind,” Audrey said honestly. “But I don’t want to pressure you into anything. We can go at your pace.”
“I appreciate that,” Brianna said. She smiled and removed her glasses, putting them carefully on the kitchen island behind her. Audrey’s stomach fluttered at the action, optimistic about what it meant would be on the table for them today. “I think I’m ready to let you taste me.”
It was a clear reference to their last date, and Audrey had to stop herself from abandoning all reason and taking her right there on the kitchen island.
Audrey nodded. “Show me the way to your bedroom?”
“With pleasure.”