Chapter 12
TWELVE
I hadn't been in Faye's flat since our sleepover but a lot had changed since. Her seating area had been moved around, a TV was hanging on the wall, and most importantly, the spare bedroom now came with a door.
"Thanks for helping me with this," I said, grabbing the bow tie from my handbag.
Faye smiled as she closed the front door behind me, her hip briefly bumping against mine. "Of course, it'll be a piece of cake."
"Don't mention cake to me," I grumbled, having lost count of how many times I had to stop Balthazar from trying to take a bite out of a customer's slice. While I appreciated that he kept me company during the day, I might not miss him next time he went on his own adventure.
"What's wrong with cake?"
"Just Balthazar being a tiny pain in the ass," I said while shrugging off my coat. “I never thought I would say this but I think Betty has been keeping him in line.”
Faye laughed. “Really? Lazy Betty?”
“I know. It's hard to imagine but yeah, I think so."
"What's it been like with them gone on their cruise?" she asked while hanging my coat up on a hanger, no doubt making her grandma proud. "How long are they gone for again?"
"Two weeks total. And it's been... alright. A bit quiet in the flat but I don't mind the silence. It's been nice but I could use some company later in the week. Perhaps I could convince you to come over for a movie date or dinner?"
"Consider me convinced," she said, this time brushing her hand over my arm. "That sounds fun."
Excitement bubbled up in me. “Great. Friday?”
“Friday.”
I followed her into her flat. "Nice door, by the way.”
She shot me an amused look and stroked the new door seductively. "She's gorgeous, isn't she? Such a beautiful door. I was so glad when the workmen came to install it. I named her Jacinthe."
"You've got another woman besides me?" I let out a dramatic fake gasp. "Faye Li, I did not peg you as a cheater."
"Did you mean for that to sound so dirty?" she countered, already giggling childishly.
"Oh, grow up!"
"Never!" She poked my arm before pulling me closer. "And I know you're joking but just in case you weren't aware of this, there's nobody else in my life but you."
Her words sent a flood of warmth through me and I basked in it. It was glorious to hear those words even if I hadn't even thought about Faye being interested in someone other than me. She just wasn't like that.
I moved closer to her, pressing into her. "There's nobody else but you either."
"Good." She draped her arms over my shoulders, her hands tangling in my hair. "I don't want to share you. Except with grumpy cats, I suppose."
I stepped forward until our bodies were flush and she was leaning against the door. "Then it's settled. You and I are now a we."
She chuckled against my lips. "That was smooth, Cassie. Did you rehearse that?"
"No, it just came to me." I kissed her, enjoying the way she melted into me. Her body was so warm and lithe, and it felt so good to be so wrapped up in her. To have her arms tangled around me, to feel her arch into me.
Faye's breathing hitched when I kissed her neck and she sighed into my hair. "That feels nice."
"You smell good," I murmured, nipping at the soft skin underneath her ear where she smelled of peaches and something else that was just Faye.
She made a little sound that I'd never heard from her before. It sounded so breathy and wanting, it was waking up a primal part of me. What other noises would she make if we went further? What kind of sounds would she make if I kissed her other places, if I put my mouth on her?
I pushed more into her and the door creaked suspiciously, putting a stop to our kiss. I didn't want to move back but I also didn't want to tumble onto the floor and get hurt.
"It seems Jacinthe isn't happy about us getting together," I said, stepping back to give us a breather. I hadn't come here for that and I didn't want to overwhelm Faye when we hadn't even talked about it.
Faye cleared her throat, clearly in need of a moment to compose herself. She rubbed her neck, lingering on the spot where I kissed her, and looked up at me. "What did you need me to do again?"
"The bow tie. For Balthazar," I reminded her.
"Oh, yes. Right. Yeah, let's do that before we get too carried away. It shouldn't take too long." She fluttered her hands over the front of my body, briefly touching my hips before moving into the living area. "Do you want to wait while I make it or do you have to go?"
"I've got nowhere else to be."
Her mouth tipped up in a genuine smile. "Then take a seat. Can I get you a drink? Tea? Wine? Juice?"
"A cup of tea sounds lovely," I said, settling on her couch so I didn't lose track of my hands again.
I hadn't struggled with desire or arousal before but it was taking me off guard how much I could feel the want throbbing through me.
Especially because it hadn't felt like this when Faye and I were just friends.
But now... Now I felt like something had been unlocked inside me and it was surprisingly distracting.
Faye returned with two hand-painted wonky mugs of tea and set one down in front of me. "You can put something on the TV if you like."
"I would rather watch you work."
"Oh." She suddenly looked shy. "It's not very interesting. I'll just be stitching the bow into place and then making a loop for the collar."
"I think it's cute when you concentrate. You get a little crease in your brow," I said, touching the spot between my eyebrows.
Faye sat down at the table with her sewing machine. "And how do you know what I look like when I concentrate?"
"It's how you looked in school when you were trying your best to solve a math problem or figure out the position of the stars. You were cute back then, too."
Her ears got red. "Drink your tea, smooth-talker. I know you didn't see me that way back then."
"I didn't have feelings for you but I still had eyes.
I've always thought you were pretty and cute.
" I leaned forward, enjoying the reaction I was getting from her.
I'd discovered a while ago that bold flirting just made her roar with laughter but honesty got her flustered quicker than anything else. It was nice to see that was still true.
The sewing machine started its familiar clattering sound and the conversation lapsed since Faye's focus was needed on the project.
I watched her work, shoulders rounded over while she fiddled with the bow tie and her scissors.
She scrunched her nose while she did the small detailed work and rolled her neck when she adjusted her posture.
She always did carry the stress in her shoulders.
I thought about getting up and offering her a massage but I didn't want to break her flow. I'd seen how cranky she could get if she was interrupted in the middle of the process. For now, I was happy to sit back and watch some nonsense on the TV, simply enjoying being with her.
If this was anyone else, I would feel antsy and uncomfortable but not with Faye. Being with Faye was peaceful and when I imagined a whole life of this with her, I could feel myself fall in love even more.