The Sweetest Dare (10 page)

“Okay. Thanks for listening, Roman. I’ll let you know what happens, love you.” After their goodbyes she auto-dialed Kit’s phone and waited. Five rings, then six, and she canceled without leaving voice mail. Kit would see her number and hopefully call back.

Maybe I should go there first?
Kit’s duplex was technically on the way. It meant taking a different route and adding a mile to the drive, but she’d burn the extra gas to make things right with Kit.

About five minutes later she slowed near the driveway of Kit’s half of the house, then resumed minimum speed. The car wasn’t there. Where could she be if she wasn’t answering? Except for a few bars, Dareville pretty much shut down after dark. Kit might have driven to Virginia Beach, or…

Her heart lifted. Maybe she’d gone to the Den to surprise her.

She braked at a stop sign and sent Kit a text.
Are you coming to the Den? I hope so. Let’s make this better.
She wanted Kit to join her, have a few drinks, and maybe they’d dance like the first time.

More than that, she wanted Kit next to her. She turned back to the main road with a confident heart.

* * * *

Tish emerged from her office and let out a yelp. “Oh lord, Kit. Why are you still here?”

Kit looked up from the sink, from where she had several baking sheets in soak. She knew Tish typically stayed late once a week to square away bills and the catering schedule. On those nights Vinnie would come to collect her, and Kit assumed since it was close to seven he had a limo emergency.

“I figured you’d have gone after you counted down the register. It was so quiet, or maybe I need to turn down the music.” Tish glanced toward her office, where Adele’s voice flowed out a heartbreaking ballad.

Kit picked up a muffin tin from the left tub and dunked it into the right, full of suds. “I didn’t have anywhere to be, and it seemed like a good time to catch up on the cleaning.”

“You’d think the health inspector was coming. I’m not planning a white-glove test, Kit, you can relax. Oh, hell. Hang on.” She disappeared into her office to silence Adele, but Kit joined her after drying her hands. She rubbed away the wrinkles on her fingerpads. “Can I be honest with you for a second?”

Tish’s smile, earlier borne of surprise, fell slack as she regarded her employee. “Always. Have a seat. Is something wrong at home, or here? Is it about Sidney, the way she took off at closing had me worried.”

“It’s nothing health-related, or disastrous. I think.” Kit took a deep breath and twined her fingers into a tight ball. She’d worked for Tish a few years now and believed the two enjoyed a close relationship for their environment. They rarely hung out outside the store, but during the occasional get-together Kit felt comfortable talking to the older woman.

Still, butterflies. Two words, why could she simply say them?

“Kit, what’s wrong? You’ve gone all pale.”

Kit leaned forward on the desk. The double-handed fist thunked down in front of her. “Tish, I’m gay. I wasn’t sure if you knew that or not. I thought… maybe you’d like to know, maybe.”

Could that have sounded any weaker? She’d fixed her gaze on Tish’s desk as she spoke. A rose quartz paperweight in the shape of a butterfly caught her eye, and she recalled Tish saying Vinnie bought it for her at the Edgar Cayce Center at the beach. The baby pink gemstone represented love and feelings of love, so she’d read once on a website about the healing properties of crystals. Seemed like a strange gift for Vinnie to give his wife, seeing as they had little trouble expressing their desire for each other.

Then she tried to remember if Vinnie had bought her the paperweight before or after she caught them in the walk-in that time, but Tish’s hand crossed her line of vision and she fidgeted.

Tish reached for her and she loosened her double fist. “Kit, I had suspected as much. It was never my business to pry into your personal life, though I confess I’ve heard things around the store and town.”

“Like what?” Kit’s stomach roiled.

Tish shrugged and leaned back. “Well, at the park. You went to get lunch and two women at our booth watched you leave. One of them mentioned seeing you at The Woolf’s Den, and I know that’s a lesbian bar.” She tapped her desk and Kit looked up. “Kit, your personal life is yours. If it doesn’t affect your work performance, I’m not concerned who you date. If you though I was going to fire you because you’re gay—”

“Oh, no. It never crossed my mind,” she jumped in quickly. “It’s just that my family doesn’t know, and when I was in school…” She sighed.

“Honey, I’m sorry. I had no idea. You don’t talk about your family, but I figured…” Tish came around the desk and pulled her up into a hug. “Yeah, you get busy and you don’t call often. I’m bad about it with my mom, I write on her Facebook wall and it’s an event.”

Kit snickered and slouched back in her chair when Tish pulled back. Her boss rested her hip on the desk corner. “I’m not really concerned about them right now. There’s more I need to tell you, about me and Sidney.”

“When you say it like that, I don’t have to guess, huh?” Tish asked with a short laugh.

“It sort of happened. People might call it ‘instalove,’ but when you’re attracted to somebody you want to act on it if the other person is open, right?”

Tish nodded. “Vinnie and I didn’t exactly experience a slow-burning romance, so I get it.”

After a beat, Kit revealed her relationship with Sidney, summarizing the weeks spent in each other’s company, leaving out the recent adventure with hidden toy which Kit had stuffed in her hoodie pocket. She kept the details PG-13 rated at best, and watched as Tish silently processed the news.

“We don’t fool around at work, honest.”

“I don’t need the particulars.” Tish waved her to hush. “To be honest, in the back of mind I may have suspected something. I’ve seen you two exchange glances now and then, and a more perceptive person would know there’s an attraction.”

Kit turned hot, and imagined she flushed bright enough that Tish couldn’t miss it.

“Look, Kit, if you and Sidney want to have some fun on your time, it’s not my business. After committing an, ah,
indiscretion
here it would be hypocritical of me to say you can’t date a co-worker.”

“Technically, Vinnie doesn’t work here,” Kit said, “and he’s your husband.”

“Still, though. What kind of chocolatier would I be if I didn’t approve of young love?”

Kit inhaled and let it go in a rush. Why did she ever think this conversation would devolve into tears or heartache? Tish put her at ease, and it relieved her that the world hadn’t collapsed on her when she announced her sexual preference aloud. Would it be this easy when she finally faced her parents?

“I’m glad you don’t have a problem with me and Sidney, but here’s the thing…” She didn’t want Vinnie sneaking up on them. “I don’t know if what we have is love—”

“Lust, then? Nothing wrong with that. I remember lust.” Tish’s expression turned wistful and she leaned on her elbows.

“Come on. You and Vinnie are great together. I’d like to have something like that. It’s just… well, I enjoy being with Sidney, but we had kind of a spat today. It’s the reason she left early.

“About every night since we met, I go home and shower, then go to her place or she comes to mine. We have dinner and talk, maybe watch a show or Netflix, then we enjoy nighttime activities,” she added with a laugh. Tish didn’t raise a brow, to her brief amusement. “I thought everything was fine. We connect on different levels besides the job. We like the same music and agree on political issues. Lately, she wants us to be more public in our relationship, and I prefer things the way they are.”

“Do you like her, Kit?” Tish asked. “I mean, do you honestly believe you and Sidney could make a relationship last? If you do, it’s worth the hard work you put into it. If she wants you to open up more, acknowledge your feelings without fear of repercussion, you know what’s involved there.”

“Yeah. It’s not like I haven’t tried. We danced at the Den the first night. What’s wrong with being a homebody, too? I love working here, but how many millionaire chocolatiers do you know?”

That got her a laugh. “Baby steps, Kit. Business is good, because we work at it. Nobody’s forcing you to wave a flag. Take it slow and be aware of her. Go to a movie. Then dinner,” Tish said. “The comfort of being out in public will come naturally, and you’ll find people aren’t going to chase you out of town.”

Simple suggestions, and Kit couldn’t argue about any of them. She’d think nothing of licking Sidney’s clit, but holding her hand in front of people?
That ought to be a given. Why’s my stomach still queasy, though?

“Let’s say I come out on a grander scale, and Sidney and I break up?”

“You’d rather end it now while you’re somewhat closeted, and spend your days at the double boiler wondering what might have been?” Tish asked. “Why hook up with her in the first place?”

Kit’s head pounded. The interview for the job hadn’t been this strenuous. “She was pretty, and nice and funny. Is. I like her coordinated retro-Eighties outfits, and her pancakes, and her sense of humor.” She missed Sidney now, and ached as her mind replayed their last exchange.

“I hadn’t pegged you for a pessimist, Kit.” Tish rested her chin in her hands, her elbows propped on the desk. “Not the ideal person you want in a chocolate shop, selling candy as gifts for lovers.”

“Hey, I had a hand in strong Easter sales.” She wagged a finger and brought a smile to her boss’s lips. “Thanks for listening to me, though. It upset me when my friend Annalise swept in and asked Sidney to come to the Den for karaoke. I’ve always been jealous of her, how open she is to everybody. She doesn’t care what other people think about her, and I guess I figured if I tried to act the same way I’d get all the heat.”

Tish frowned. “Annalise… you’ve mentioned her before. She’s the one who has a new girlfriend every week?”

“Sometimes a minimum of,” Kit said, an unbidden image of lesbians marching through a turnstile attached to her friend’s bedroom door flashing in her mind.

“You think that’s related? Maybe you associate Annalise’s openness to her inability to keep a partner for the long term?”

Kit pondered the possibility, and decided not with a shake of her head. Annalise never struck her as the type to settle down with one person forever. She enjoyed threesomes and group activity, and the freedom to move freely without commitment. She’d probably be the same person in or out of the closet.

“When Sidney left with the intent of meeting her at the Den, I got upset,” she said. “Sidney likes her fun, too, and I worry what Annalise has in mind.”

“Then why are you talking to me?” Tish stood and made a shooing motion with both hands. “You like Sidney… and want to be with her?”

“Yeah.” More than anything, she wanted to cozy up in bed tonight with Sidney and surrender this horrible afternoon to sleep. Even if they didn’t make love tonight, she’d be content with spooning the shorter woman, her arm draped over Sidney’s and their legs twined.

“Go to her, now. Listen to what she wants. You believe she’s worth it, so give it to her. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

Kit remained in place, and Tish rounded the desk and hugged her. “I don’t care if you’re gay or straight, but I care for your happiness, Kit. Be happy.”

“Okay,” Kit said, standing still.

“Go. Now!” Tish barked, and she skidded out of the office.

Sid checked her phone for the umpteenth time, her mood falling closer to the floor to find no response from Kit. The idea of hanging around the Den all night with Annalise and two of her friends appealed less to her now, especially since the other women shared none of her interests. She’d tried to engage them in conversation, but every time the live karaoke band struck a chord to begin a new song, her voice faded into the background.

She sat in a corner circular booth with Annalise, who clamped a protective arm around each girl. They could have been twins with their matching piercings, hairstyles, and clothes, but Sid spotted the differences in their faces. The one on the right, Skylar, directed much of her attention to her phone, while Paris chewed gum and stared at the band with vacant eyes.

“I’m surprised they started the music this early,” she said after the rather jarring rendition of Janelle Monae’s “Tightrope” ended. “Any other place, things don’t get rolling until late.”

“This
is
late for Dareville.” Annalise tipped her beer bottle to her lips. “Downtown rolls up the sidewalks at six, but you know that because you work at Tish’s.”

She didn’t need the reminder. She thought of Kit—actually had her on the brain all this time—and wondered what would happen at work tomorrow if tonight passed without an appearance from her. Roman’s voice nagged at her, but she’d called and texted a few times. It wouldn’t help to appear desperate. She’d lobbed enough balls into Kit’s side of the court.

“Yeah, I guess. Have you decided on a song yet?”

Annalise had a copy of the song list, and three heads bent to study the tiny print. “I changed my mind about Mary Lambert. I’ll probably play it safe, maybe ‘Raise Your Glass’ or ‘Wrecking Ball.’”

One of the pierced pseudo-twins snorted at that, and waved down the waitress. The slim brunette took their orders, then smiled at Sidney and complimented her outfit. “Haven’t you seen you in a while, sweetie.”

Sid tried to recall the server’s name, and when nothing sprang to memory she thanked her and ordered the Key Lime Pie martini. Annalise gave her a puckered frown.

“What?” Sid laughed.

“I don’t know how anybody can drink those. Kit loves ’em, but I think they’re too damn sour.” Annalise held up her beer in rebuttal.

“Depends on who makes them, I guess.” Sid glanced at the bar and didn’t recognize the woman making drinks there.

“I wouldn’t mind trying one,” said Skylar, who looked as if she regretted ordering a Cosmopolitan.

“I don’t see Marie tending bar tonight, so I can’t vouch for how it will taste.” Kit told her as much that night in the back room, where they danced and flirted and turned each other on to the point that the rest of the club beaded with sweat.