Managed by Chance Read online

  “Thanks.” Mel blushed as she twirled her spoon around her bowl of creamy tomato soup. “You, uh… You’re really beautiful and sexy too.” She groaned, and added, “I know I’m just repeating what you said, but I really mean it. Sorry, I’m terrible at this. It’s been so long since… Anyway, I’m sorry I’m awkward and weird.”

  “You’re not, honestly. I’m having a great time with you. And I appreciate the compliments.”

  Mel nodded, but she didn’t say anything. She just continued to move soup around her bowl. She took a nibble of her sandwich, but she had suddenly lost her appetite. She felt stupid. Every time Katie gave her a complimented, she just said the same thing back to her. When did she forget how to give a woman a compliment without sounding like a mimic? She couldn’t recall being like that with her friends, so maybe her brain just wasn’t working because Katie was more than that.

  She startled as Katie placed a hand over hers, gently encouraging her to drop her spoon. With lips as soft as a damp rose petal, Katie kissed the top of her hand, then entwined their fingers to hold her hand on the tabletop.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “What?”

  “Whatever it is that has you suddenly looking like a bully stole your brand-new bike.”

  “Someone stole your bike?”

  Katie smiled. “You’re deflecting, but yes. When I was seven. I only had it for two weeks and a bully stole it right out of my front yard. My parents tried to get it back, but he had sold it. I didn’t get a new one till the following year.”

  “Damn, that sucks.” Mel rubbed her other hand over her head and gripped the back of her neck. With her voice hushed and a bit hoarse from the pain of the memories, she admitted, “It’s been over two years since I’ve been with someone, in any capacity.”

  Katie’s facial expression didn’t jar with surprise like she had expected. It softened with sympathy and patience. Feeling a bit braver from the empathy in Katie’s eyes, she continued.

  “I was with Justine for four years. I thought she was the one. I even proposed. I went all out for it – made it super romantic. At least, I thought so. Anyway, she said no and she moved out the next day. It was a shock because there were no warning signs. We were happy. At least, I thought we were. Anyway, you’re the first woman I’ve been with since then.”

  “I’m so sorry that happened to you, Mel. It sounds like it must have been painful.” She kissed the top of Mel’s hand again, then asked, “Are you over your ex now?”

  “I’ve been over her for a while. I’ve just been too afraid to get involved with someone again.” She didn’t say it aloud, but she thought it while she looked into Katie’s eyes, I don’t want to get hurt again.

  “I’ve been the rebound girl before and it sucks when I catch feelings for that person and they don’t feel the same way. I’ve been in that situation twice in the past three years. I haven’t had a serious relationship in four.”

  Katie took a few gulps of wine, completely emptying the glass. Mel gave her a kiss on the lips as she stood up. “I’ll grab the bottle. Do you need anything else?”

  Katie shook her head, so Mel went back inside to get the bottle of wine from the fridge and poured both of them a fresh glass.

  As she sat and took Katie’s hand again, Katie continued. “I was with my last real girlfriend for six years. I also thought I was going to marry her. She told me at the start of our relationship that she wanted to be the one to propose, so I never did. She kept telling me she was saving for it so she could get a nice ring and so we could take a nice honeymoon. Our bank accounts grew, but she never proposed. Then she wanted us to have a house before she proposed. But none of the houses we looked at appealed to her. After a few months of nearly constant fighting, I came home from work one day to find all of her stuff moved out and a note on the fridge.”

  She took a few sips of the slightly sweet wine and savored the feeling that stirred in her chest while looking into Mel’s kind, understanding eyes for a few moments.

  “The note was stupid and short and didn’t tell me anything. I later found out she had been cheating on me for three years with multiple women. I felt so stupid because I never saw the signs either. I didn’t have a clue. It wasn’t till I looked back at certain things that it made sense.”

  “It’s crazy how much we don’t see when we’re in love. Those rose-colored glasses are really something else. If Justine ever cheated, she didn’t tell me. I asked her what went wrong and why she didn’t want to be together anymore, and she just said she had outgrown us. What is that supposed to even mean? She couldn’t even explain it.”

  “That is very vague and confusing. Was she aspiring to a certain career or anything?”

  Mel released a scoffing laugh. “Justine? No. She had no goals like that. She just wanted enough money to have fun. She didn’t care about work or making any career milestones or anything like that. It was really frustrating sometimes. She was a barista at Sunset Brews. They offered her a promotion to assistant store manager, which came with a very nice pay increase, enough hours to qualify for medical benefits, and more vacation time. But she turned it down because of the added responsibilities and extra hours. We actually fought about that.”

  “Turning down a promotion like that does sound kind of insane.” Katie covered a yawn, then blinked hard a few times and shook her head. “Sorry, I think the late hour and drinks are catching up with me.”

  “Do you want to stay or do you want me to take you home?”

  With a sleepy smile, Katie kissed Mel’s hand, and softly answered, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay with you.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  After taking their mostly empty dishes to the kitchen and grabbing two glasses of water, they returned to Mel’s bedroom. As they slid under the covers and Mel pulled Katie over to snuggle, both of them sighed deeply and squeezed each other closer. Mel gave her a soft kiss on her warm forehead, and Katie lifted her head to give Mel a brief full mouth kiss. There were so many things they wanted to say to each other and to ask each other, but they were just too tired. And right then, their bodies were doing well enough to convey just how happy they were to have met.

  Chapter Eight

  The wooden floors creaked, followed by bodies bumping into the wall just outside of Mel’s bedroom, which was followed by barely muffled laughing and talking, causing Mel and Katie to wake from a deep sleep. Mel looked over her shoulder at her closed bedroom door, getting ready to yell at Layla and Blake to be quiet, but Katie grabbed her arm and pulled it in against her stomach. Mel smiled as she settled back on her side and nuzzled in Katie’s dark brown shoulder length hair. The slightly sweet floral scent caused her eyes to roll back as she tightened her embrace, bringing her front flush with Katie’s back.

  With a soft purring hum, Katie said, “Your bed is very comfortable. I slept great. The best sleep I’ve had in a while.”

  “You don’t normally sleep well?”

  “Not lately.” She smiled as Mel pushed her hair aside with her nose so she could kiss the back of her neck. “Maybe that will change. I really like you, Mel.”

  “That’s good. It would be weird for us to be snuggling in my bed if you didn’t.” Katie laughed and looked over her shoulder to kiss Mel’s lips, before Mel added, “I haven’t felt a connection like this with someone in a long time. I really want to keep seeing you.”

  “Can I take you out to dinner Tuesday night?”

  “That would be perfect. Would you like…?”

  There was a quick rapping of knuckles on the door, then it opened and Layla poked her head in with a wide grin. “Hey, we’re making lunch. Do you want anything?”

  Mel sat up on her elbow to face her better, and asked, “What are you making?”

  “Blake is cooking, actually.” She bit her bottom lip as she looked down the hall towards the kitchen before meeting Mel’s eyes again. “She’s making tandoori chicken, yellow rice, and roasted c
arrots and onions. Isn’t that so hot?”

  “I make tandoori chicken all the time.”

  Katie snickered and lifted Mel’s hand to kiss the top of it, but she didn’t interject into the conversation.

  Layla waved a dismissive hand at Mel. “Anyway, do you want some?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, I’m going back out to help.”

  After Layla left, and as Mel laid back down, Katie turned over to face her and gave her a soft, lingering kiss on the lips.

  “Are you jealous that Layla likes Blake?”

  “What?” Mel laughed with her face scrunched up. “No. Why would you think that?”

  “You seemed upset that she doesn’t think it’s sexy that you can make tandoori chicken.”

  “Sorry it seemed that way. I was just trying to point out that it’s not a fantastic quality.”

  “I think it is. I like a woman who can cook. It’s very sexy.”

  “Maybe I should go reclaim my kitchen then. I can’t have you thinking Blake is sexy.”

  Katie’s head fell back with a laugh, and as she fell forward again, she kissed Mel’s lips, giving her bottom lip a gentle nibble.

  “I’m not attracted to Blake at all. You can relax.”

  Mel brushed the back of her fingers across Katie’s cheek while studying her face in the daylight. “You’re really beautiful.” Katie’s smile widened and she inched closer, while Mel continued, “I really like your eyes. Last night I thought they were gray, but there’s just a touch of blue right around the pupil. And they have the most incredible pattern. They remind me of ice crystals or that thin layer of frost on a window.”

  “And you said you’re terrible at this.” Katie rolled Mel onto her back and climbed on top of her. “Thank you for the gushing appraisal of my eyes. This time I’m going to be the one repeating you by telling you I really like your eyes.”

  The cheesy smile that spread across Mel’s face didn’t even come close to showing how happy she was. The warmth of Katie’s body, the faint scent of her perfume and shampoo, the affectionate way she was looking down at her. Everything about every moment since she met Katie had her buzzing and she didn’t think the feeling would end any time soon. This was exactly what she had been missing for so long and exactly what she needed to get through this week at work.

  Mel slid her hands up Katie’s thighs and over her ass with only the warm soft cotton pajama pants separating their skin. With their eyes locked, their lips and tongues brushed together, ever so gently, just teasing with the promise of something deeper. As Mel’s hands slipped under Katie’s tee shirt and her fingertips grazed through the dip of her spine, Katie took a sharp breath and pressed her tongue forward, seeking the heat and embrace of Mel’s kiss.

  A caress spawned a shudder. A firmer grip elicited a deep rumbling groan. And soon they were shedding their pajamas, panting for air, and rocking their naked bodies together. The air was made thick with body heat, the heady scent of their arousal, and harmonizing breathy moans that drowned out every other sound around them.

  The sheets tangled their legs and arms, restricting them just enough to keep them from rushing, keeping their passion tender and hypnotizing. When they climaxed within moments of each other, it was beautiful, powerful, and elevating and grounding at the same time.

  “Wow.”

  Mel nodded as she gasped, “That was…,” and released a quiet sound from a sudden aftershock. “There aren’t words.”

  “I think I could find a few.” Katie flopped over onto her side and placed a hand on Mel’s stomach, languidly gliding her fingertips across her milky smooth skin. “Can I ask you something?”

  Mel lifted her arm, inviting Katie to lay on her chest, while confirming, “You can ask me anything.”

  Instead of accepting the invitation, Katie sat up on an elbow to get a better view of Mel’s face, which she studied for a few moments, before asking, “Are you really okay with our age difference? If things get serious, you won’t be embarrassed or anything about me being nine years older than you, will you?”

  “The age difference doesn’t bother me. And I honestly don’t give a shit what people think of me and what I do or don’t do. I don’t compromise on who I am for anyone. I won’t lessen myself or give up my rights just so someone can feel more comfortable with their messed-up views on things. Anyway, before I get on a soapbox, my point is I’m good with this. I really want to date you.” Mel released a small laugh, and admitted, “If Layla had told me before going to the club that I’d be saying that today, I would have told her she’s nuts.”

  Katie’s face lit up with understanding that Mel was honestly ready to start dating again, and she wanted to date her specifically. She bent down to give her a short kiss, and as she pulled away, keeping their faces close, she said, “I really want to date you too. But I want to give you fair warning. There are some people in my life that I think will be a pain in the ass about it. My family definitely won’t like it. They barely tolerate that I’m gay. And at least one of my friends will probably have something to say about it. She’s a bit of a snob.”

  While drawing a cross over her heart, Mel said, with a grin, “I promise not to allow anyone’s snobby antics to scare me away, if you ever decide to introduce me to the people in your life. Can I ask you something though?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why are you friends with a snob?”

  Katie laughed as she rested her head on an upturned hand and began absentmindedly rubbing her other hand up and down the center of Mel’s chest in long, slow strokes.

  “We’ve been friends since we were young kids. When we were twelve, her father came into a boatload of inheritance money and they went from being your typical middleclass moderate-leaning family to being very wealthy conservatives. We get along most of the time, but we really butt heads when it comes to anything remotely related to politics and religion.”

  “That’s the real American way – butt heads about politics and religion. Americans sure do love making life all about those two subjects. It’s exhausting. Like, why the hell is my uterus and what I choose to do with it being discussed in churches and in government buildings? It’s like because they’ve run out of available land on the globe to plant a flag on, they’ve decided to stake out our bodies. Creeps.”

  “That’s an interesting comparison – I don’t think I’ve heard it said quite like that. It’s true though. Planting a flag is exactly what they’re trying to do.”

  “We just need some very slippery landslides so the poles won’t stay in.”

  Katie fell forward onto Mel’s chest laughing hard, and Mel laughed as she wrapped her arm around her shaking shoulders.

  “Oh, shit.” Katie gasped for air as she tried to sit up, but as soon as she looked at the grin on Mel’s glowing face, she fell over laughing again. Still chuckling, she said, “I can’t shake the image of women masturbating in protest by the hundreds of thousands around DC.”

  “That sounds so fucking hot.” They laughed again, then Mel clarified, “I love the way you took it, but I actually meant a landslide as in people moving away from a conservative mindset. I was actually being very American and talking politically.”

  “Yes, you’re very American.” Katie chuckled again and licked her lips to moisten them. “You’re very funny.”

  “And you have a very naughty mind. Last night you invented a bus engine made up of women and today you’re dreaming of a massive masturbation party on the lawn of the White House.”

  “Both of those images were spawned by comments you made.” She wiggled Mel’s nose and traced her smile with the tip of her finger. “No matter how innocent you think your intentions were, both comments sounded naughty.”

  There was a quick knock on the door and Katie got the covers pulled up over her and Mel just before Layla opened the door and poked her head in again.

  “Hey.” Layla’s smile widened as she looked between them. “Did I interrupt or did you just finish?”r />
  Mel pulled the sheet up higher to cover Katie’s bare shoulder, and instead of answering, she asked, “What do you want now, Layla?”

  “Blake said if you don’t come out to socialize, you don’t get to eat.”

  Mel released a groan and rolled her eyes, before she retorted, “And did you remind her that this is our home, not hers? She doesn’t get to dictate who eats and who doesn’t. And did you remind her that I cooked for you both last night while you were making out on the couch?”

  “Damn.” Blake pushed the door open to lean against the opposite side of the doorframe to look at Mel. “Even after getting laid, you’re still a crotchety thing, aren’t you?” She looked around Mel’s bedroom with genuine interest in every pass of her eyes. “You’re a very tidy person.” She met Mel’s eyes again. “Are you avoiding me?”

  “If I was alone in here, I could see why you’d think that. But I’m not alone. I’m in the company of a woman I’m getting to know and enjoy being with.”

  With a look of mock offense, Blake asked, “And you don’t enjoy being with moi?”

  “Seriously, why are you in here bothering us and not out there sucking each other’s faces off?”

  Blake licked her lips as she scanned Layla’s bare legs in her pajama shorts, and answered, “We’ve sucked each other off enough for now.”

  “I didn’t need to know that. Get out so we can get dressed.”

  “Alright, Melrose. We’ll give you some privacy.” She grabbed the doorknob, and as she started pulling it closed, she looked at Katie, and said, “Good afternoon, Katie.”

  “Good afternoon. Thanks for cooking.”

  Blake winked at her, then looked at Mel with a cocky grin before closing the door.

  Mel groaned while sitting up and running her hands through her hair to straighten it out. “You okay with going out there?”

  “Yes.” Katie kissed her lips, then reached across the bed for their pajamas. “It will be nice to get to know Layla some before I have to leave today.”