-20-
Grant
I had four more stops on the El before I’d reach the restaurant when Tara texted me.
Tara: I’m at the bar. I already need a drink and she’s not even here yet.
Grant: On my way, be there in 10.
I pocketed my phone and tightened my grip on the strap hanging from the ceiling as the train wound through a curve. I’d gotten several text messages from Ruby earlier telling me how much she liked Tara. I was still blown away she’d come to my match this afternoon.
By herself.
I’d never been able to convince Morgan to come. The closest I could get her to watching rugby was the film Invictus, and only because it had Matt Damon in it.
Once again, I kicked myself for not seeing the warning signs earlier with her. Thinking with my cock instead of my brain was never a good idea. At least I didn’t have that issue with Tara.
Well, not completely. We didn’t fuck in the traditional sense, yet there was a ton of heat and sex between us.
But there was also the lie. I’d been told to stay away from the blindfold club. I couldn’t claim ignorance if I admitted I knew she worked there, and I didn’t know how she’d react when she found out I’d been her customer once. What had she thought about that night? Was I just a faceless john to her, or had there been a connection even then?
There was a black ledger in a drawer in her apartment that could tell me.
Curiosity killed the cat, remember?
I wasn’t going to do that to Tara.
If Morgan had wanted to post her nudes to Reddit or some porn website, I probably would have been fine with it. The worst of her betrayal was the invasion of our privacy. She hadn’t asked before inviting strangers into the intimate side of our lives. She’d taken that choice away from me, and I still struggled to move past it.
The restaurant was only a few blocks over from the stop, and I found Tara at the bar like she’d said, a mostly empty drink in front of her. She looked so happy to see me, I couldn’t help but wonder if she thought I wasn’t going to show.
“Big surprise, Erin’s running late,” she said. “We should get a table now. She promises to be here, like, eventually.”
We didn’t have to wait long to be seated, and after I’d ordered a drink, Tara folded her arms and leaned on the table, crushing the menu beneath her elbows.
“Did you get a copy of the piano recording? Francine sent one to me, but—”
“It sounds great, right?” Her anxiety over her sister’s arrival seemed to be forgotten, because Tara was full of bubbly energy. “How’s your part going?”
“Fine,” I said quickly.
She bobbed her head. “Awesome. Elena can fit us in on Monday, the same time as before.”
“This Monday?” Unease twisted my gut. I wasn’t ready to perform the piece for anyone, let alone her, but pride made it impossible to say that out loud. “With training and my match today, I haven’t had a lot of time to practice.”
Her energy deflated somewhat. “Oh. Yeah, I know it’s not a lot of time, but the audition is in two weeks.” She forced a carefree smile. “If you don’t think you have time and it’s easier, let’s just do the Coldplay song. It’s not a big deal.”
There was no way I was letting her down. “No, I’ve got it. I can’t do Monday, though, I’ve got an appointment with Mr. Fredrick.”
“The repair guy? Is something wrong with your cello?”
“No.” My voice was tight. “It’s nothing. I wanted some help with my technique.”
Her eyes went wide. “You’re taking lessons?”
“Like, one lesson,” I mumbled.
She looked stunned, and for a moment, she was speechless. Was she even blinking? Her voice was just loud enough to hear over the din from the rest of the tables around us. “You’re taking lessons . . . for me? You didn’t have to do that.”
I drew in a deep breath. “I want it to be perfect.”
Her eyes went soft and warm. She was moved. But before she could say anything else, her expression shifted and her shields went up. A woman came to the table and hung her purse on the back of the empty chair beside me.
“No, don’t get up,” she said as Tara made a move to stand. “Sorry I’m late.”
Tara’s older sister wasn’t a hugger, it seemed. The resemblance was clear, but Erin was a brunette, and it was like someone took all of Tara’s features and dialed them up to ‘severe.’ Her nose was sharper, her shoulders wider, her face gaunt. Her blue eyes were dull and shrewd.
“Hi,” she said, glancing from Tara to me. “Who’s this?”
“Grant Kruger,” I said, holding out my hand.
“Erin Vannett.” Her attitude was all-business as she shook my hand aggressively then pulled out her chair and sat. “Did you wait to order?”
“Yeah,” Tara said, studying her sister critically. “It’s good to see you.” Although her tone and expression said otherwise.
“I’m glad this worked out.” Erin was barely paying any attention to her sister. Instead, she glanced around the room, looking for the server. “I’m starving. Did you order an appetizer?”
Our server must have sensed her, because he came over immediately. Tara and I sat in silence as her sister ordered a salad and asked for half of the ingredients on the side and had detailed instructions about how she’d like it prepared.
A salad.
Maybe Tara was right, and her sister was a monster.
When we’d ordered and she relieved the server, Erin focused on her sister, giving a smile so big it felt like a production. “How are you? What’s new? Dad said you’re still doing the sales thing.”
“Yup.”
Erin wasn’t satisfied with that answer. “How’s that going?”
“Fine.” Tara’s gaze connected with mine for a split second, and it looked strangely like she was offering an apology. “How’s work for you?”
It made sense soon after because Erin spent the next twenty minutes talking about herself. We listened dutifully as she told us all about her job as a project manager and how she was steadily climbing the ranks within the company. It wasn’t until after her salad arrived that she took a breath.
“So,” she said, pushing her salad around with a fork to ensure it was correct, “Grant. What do you do?”
“I’m a line producer for a local morning show.”
She paused, probably just now hearing my accent. “Where are you from?”
“Ireland,” Tara said, and I smiled.
The inside joke wasn’t just lost on Erin, it seemed to annoy her. “What?”
“South Africa,” I said.
“Oh, wow. Interesting.” She dipped a bite of lettuce in her cup of dressing. “And you two are dating? Or just friends?”
Tara’s voice was sure. “We’re together.”
I lifted the corner of my mouth in a smile. I liked how she’d confidently stated it.
Erin’s gaze shifted toward her sister. “You’re into guys again?” She lobbed the comment at me under her breath, like it was a funny secret she was letting me in on. “She went through a phase where she dated girls.”
Tara raised an eyebrow in displeasure, and her tone was patronizing. “Yeah, a phase of bisexuality that will unfortunately last the rest of my life.”
Her sister set down her silverware. “Why do you have to be like this? No one cares if you want to be gay.” She sighed with indifference. “Just pick one and be gay if you want. Or be straight. It’s really not that hard.”
My jaw nearly hit the table.
Rather than get upset, a smile curled on Tara’s lips like she found the whole thing hilarious. “You’re right, it’s totally a choice. I wasn’t born like this, I chose it.” Her tone was affected. Too bright and fake. “Just like you—you weren’t born to be a self-centered asshole. You wake up every morning and make the choice to be that way.”
Erin rolled her eyes. “Oh my God, calm down. You know what I meant. I’m just saying it’s confusing for us, and it’s not necessary. Mom and Dad are okay if you want to be a lesbian. You don’t have to pretend to be straight for our benefit.”
Tension coiled in my back. Tara didn’t seem upset by her sister’s callous attitude, but the male part of me was hardwired to want to protect. I didn’t want to see her get hurt, and although it wasn’t my place, I couldn’t stop myself. “She’s not pretending, and I’m sure who Tara chooses to date has nothing to do with you, or your family.”
Tara pushed her plate back. She’d lost her appetite, and judging by her irritated expression, her patience too. “I think we should get the check.”
Erin’s shoulders snapped back, and her tone was incredulous. “You want to leave? All because I told you I was okay with you being a lesbian?” Her expression patronized. “Okay, that makes sense.”
“But I’m not a lesbian,” Tara snapped, waving the server down. “I’m bi. Just like I told you I was at Lacey’s wedding, and the last time I was home, and at least three other times. I’ve tried to explain it, but I’m just . . . tired. I’m bi, Erin. I’m sorry if that’s confusing, but as Grant mentioned, it’s not actually about you.”
Her sister stared at her salad, pouting, and it reminded me of the car ride home with my parents. No amount of effort was going to make Erin understand, because deep down, she didn’t want to.
Tara asked the waiter to bring the bill, and when he headed off, Erin leveled a gaze at her younger sister. “I guess I’ll get the check.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You work in sales.”
Fire burned in Tara’s eyes. It was so hot, it was a miracle it didn’t burn her sister to ash. “You’re unbelievable. You think I don’t have money? I guarantee I make more in one night than you do in a whole month.”
Erin paused. “One night?”
Tara stood abruptly and dug her wallet out of her purse. “What was the reason for this dinner?”
“What do you mean?”
She shot her sister a plain look. “Why did you want to get together? What’s happened that you needed to tell me about?”
Erin’s gaze darted away, caught. “Lucas asked me to marry him.”
As I rose from the table, my gaze dropped down to the diamond ring on Erin’s hand. It barely fazed Tara. She dropped several twenties on the table. “Great. Congratulations.” Her gaze lifted to me, and her expression was loud. It screamed, “Let’s get out of here.”
“Nice meeting you,” I said, but it was a hollow, throwaway comment. I took Tara’s hand in mine as we headed for the exit.
When we made it out the door and onto the sidewalk, she pulled me aside, tucking us up against the building, her face serious. “I work at a private club. It’s very exclusive, with a high member fee, and on Friday and Saturday nights we do tastings. That’s what I meant when I said I make more than her in a single night.”
“Oh,” I said, playing along. She hadn’t really lied, she’d only omitted the larger truth. “It’s Saturday. Do you have to work tonight?”
“No. I had a client who got a little too friendly with me, so my boss and I thought it was best if I took the next two weeks off.”
Alarm prickled across my skin. “Is everything all right?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“If this guy made you uncomfortable, why are you the one being punished?”
She reached up and cupped the side of my face, her thumb just outside the scrape in the corner of my mouth I’d gotten in my match. “I’m not. It’s a paid vacation. I needed a break anyway so I can focus on the audition. My boss is in a tough spot. He doesn’t want to lose the guy because he’s a good customer—it’s just the guy only liked dealing with me.”
I didn’t like it, but I could understand. I wanted Tara all to myself too.
Was that true? It was more in the emotional aspect. The idea of her fucking other people strangely didn’t turn me off. It made my heart beat faster. Made me break out into a sweat. It got my cock hard. Last night I’d thought she was working at the club, and the part that bothered me the most was that I wasn’t there. I wasn’t included.
Her doms had forbid us from fucking, and she’d said the same applied to them . . . but what if it didn’t? The idea of her with a woman was exciting, so that wasn’t a problem. And the idea of watching her with another man was hot, but could I actually handle it? I was so damn curious.
“I just want you to be safe,” I said, stepping closer and sliding a hand onto her hip. “I like you, and you told your sister in there that we’re together.”
Pink tinted across her cheeks. “Was that okay?”
“Are you fucking kidding?” I slid my hand down until it was on her ass and squeezed. “Yes.”
She looked thrilled, but I saw deep in her eyes, there was guilt too. Was she thinking about what was unsaid between us? I didn’t want her to. Hopefully, after the audition, she’d be ready to tell me. She’d trust me enough to not think I was using her to get a story.
I bent my head, bringing our lips together. The kiss was slow and sensual, totally different than one we’d shared before. It came from passion and intimacy, rather than pure lust.
When we parted, her eyes were unfocused and dazed, but she blinked it away. Her voice was sultry. “You want to come over?”
Every part of me said yes, some places more enthusiastic than others. But there was something I needed. “Can I meet you over there? I have to go get something first.” I’d let her assume I meant I was stopping by my place to pick it up.
“What is it?”
I gave a coy smile. “A surprise.”
“Is it, by chance, shaped like a cello?”
I laughed. “No.”
Her expression went dubious. “Okay, then. I guess I’ll see you soon?”
I grinned widely. “You sure will.”