“So, do you live in Los Angeles?” I ask Keira.
She instantly nods, “Yep. Born and raised. What about you?”
“I’m a little trickier. I kind of grew up all over when I think about it, but most of my childhood was spent in the backwoods of Louisiana.”
She cocks a brow, “A lesbian in the backwoods of Louisiana, damn. That couldn’t have been good.”
The way she assumes I’m a lesbian doesn’t bother me in the least bit. Though, I’m not going to dive into the fact I haven’t come out. If she knows I’m still in the closet she’ll either want to run off, or this fun little chat we’re having will turn into something entirely different, where she encourages me that living in the sun is better than living in the shadows.
“Yeah, you could say that again. So, what do you do for work, or whatever?”
Keira laughs, taking a quick sip of the remaining bit of her drink. “Are you going to ask me my sign next?” She wiggles her eyebrows, obviously teasing me.
“Oh come on. When has it been bad to learn about one another?”
“Usually women like us don’t ask questions like this.”
“Women like us?” I question.
“Yes. Women who only want the company of another for one night, no strings attached, merely not spending their time alone.”
I nod, understanding where she’s coming from. “I’m not like most of your friends, am I?”
Keira shakes her head, confirming my thought. “No, Gemma Storm, you are not. And to answer your question, I’m a human resources manager for a charity in the city. But I already know what you do, considering you own a gym.”
I don’t even bother correcting her. She’s pretty much solidified the fact this is going to be a one-night thing, and so it shall. It’s been a hell of a long time since I’ve had a woman in my bed and scratching the itch I’ve been having down below myself isn’t cutting it these days.
The bartender brings us back the two martinis Keira ordered and she passes him her now empty glass. Keira picks up hers and hands me the other, holding it up, “To new friendships, and new beginnings.”
“I’ll drink to that.” I comment as we both clink our glasses against the other’s.
I don’t know what the night is going to bring, but I’m damn certain it will be as pleasurable as it is fun. I just need to let Brax’ know I won’t be back to our family house here in Los Angeles until very late tonight, or extremely early in the morning.
Chapter Eight
Keira
I’m not normally so forward. In all honesty, I surprised myself when I didn’t just leave after getting that text from Charity. I’m not someone who sleeps with random people. I’ve never been that type of woman. Before Charity and I even met, we both got tested for STDs and had to show one another the negative paperwork. I’m seriously shocked I stayed in the bar and kept flirting with Gemma, slowly getting to know about her. It got to the point where it was almost midnight and we were still just chatting, talking about our favorite movies and silly stuff. For instance, Gemma collects comic books. It’s her tiny little quirk and her brothers make fun of her for it, but I think it’s adorable. She didn’t dive in too much about her family, but neither have I. Plus, it’s not any of my business.
At one point this evening Gemma went up to a brunette man in a suit. He had bits of a honey blond color coming through the top of his hair and his eyes landed right on me. He smiled devilishly and I swear I saw him mouth the word ‘redhead’. They looked a bit alike in the face, with their narrow noses and the way their stone colored eyes pierced through me.
Gemma came up to me immediately after and said we could go do whatever, so, I suggested we go to my place. It’s only a couple blocks away and it’s super easy to catch an Uber out in front of the hotel.
Thankfully she said yes and an Uber was out there sitting in front of the lobby. Our ride to my place was short and uneventful, yet we kept talking about the silly little things. In all honesty, I don’t even have this much conversation with Charity. We just meet up every couple weeks when I don’t have Kaia and mutually make one another’s sexual frustrations go away. But considering how she treated me tonight, I don’t think I’ll be seeing Charity anymore. She threw me out like I’m stripped steak, when in reality I’m a filet mignon. Her loss, not mine.
Even now as I’m leading Gemma to my apartment, something inside me feels like it’s finally alive. I can’t really make sense of it yet, but we’ve been sitting around, chatting for hours on end, spending this time learning more about one another than I’m used to. This is odd for me, to be doing talking instead of kissing.
Sliding my key into my door, I unlock it and push it forward, leading Gemma into my apartment. She walks through the door and shuts it behind her, locks the deadbolt and follows me through my small foyer area. I take my shoes off like I typically do every time I enter my place, and she does the same thing.
I gnaw on my bottom lip and turn around to look at her, staring at how fucking beautiful she is in this garnet red dress. The way her hair is in a half up, half down style, and really take her in. Forcing this so quickly feels wrong and this has never happened to me before. I’ve had my fair share of dates with both men and women, but none of them have gone like this, so effortlessly, so natural. Hell, this isn’t even a date. We met by pure circumstance.
“Is something wrong?” Gemma asks in a confused tone. I know what she’s doing. I’ve seen it time and time again. She thinks I’m doubting this, that I don’t want to delicately brush my lips against hers or have my hands flow over her lovely rump. She’s wrong, though. I want it, and I want it more than I’ve wanted it in a very long time.
“I don’t want to fuck this up,” I speak before I even have a second to catch my thoughts.
“What?” Gemma questions, furrowing her brows together.
“I don’t want to . . . push this . . . God, I feel so insane right now. But I’m just going to go for it. Gemma, I’ve met a lot of women, and I haven’t liked them in a fraction of the way I’m attracted to you. You’re sweet, kind, and beautiful. We talk about the little things and that’s okay, I love it. I know what you came here and expected, and I want to, God I want to . . . but I don’t want to screw this up. If there’s even a chance this could be more than a sloppy one-night stand, I’d love that. But, if there isn’t, I totally understand and I’ll accept the sloppiest one-night stand of my life.”
“Wow. That’s a lot to take in.”
“So, what do you say?” I question, hoping she’s feeling the same way I do. I’m not professing I’m in love or anything, but I do think we get along really well. Well enough in fact that we can explore whatever this is between us.
Chapter Nine
Gemma
What kind of question is that? She went from giving me the impression she wants to screw me tonight, to stepping on the brakes. I can’t deny I’ve enjoyed my time with her, and I won’t lie and say I’ve chatted more with Keira about my silly little quirks more than most women I spend time with.