Chapter Eight
When Hadley pushed open the door to the Cat’s Pajamas the next day, she saw three large pairs of eyes staring back at her in eager expectation. Autumn rocked Will in her arms and Gia gently pushed Carrie back and forth in her stroller. Isabel stirred her coffee in time. They were primed and ready, a chorus demanding their pound of gossip.
“So, I take it you heard,” Hadley said, approaching their table and making eye contact with Isabel, who was no doubt the town crier in this case.
“Did we ever,” Autumn said, shifting a sleeping Will. “We’ve gathered, we’ve waited, and now we’re ready for the hot and heavy details, and don’t you dare balk, because you’d demand them of any one of us.”
“Every step of the way,” Gia said, pointedly. “Sit and talk.”
Isabel slid Hadley’s waiting caffè mocha her way and pulled her hands away slowly as if to not disturb the force. “And go.”
Her three friends relaxed into matching smiles and Hadley knew better than to protest, because Autumn was right. She would have never let the others off with anything less than a full debriefing. When it came to romantic stories, or sexy stories, or kissing stories, she was a maniac for details, and the juicer the better. It just felt different when they were her details. “Spencer and I had a nice night last night,” she said conservatively, and took a dainty sip of her mocha.
Isabel made a loud buzzer sound. “Wrong. That was so much more than a nice night.” She turned to the others full of energy, gesturing wildly. “When I pulled up, they didn’t see me. They were climbing each other like animals.”
“Oh,” Gia said, nodding along, entranced.
“It was hot and bothered and like nothing I’ve ever fucking witnessed. I’m getting heated just thinking about it.”
“Well, well, well,” Autumn said, entirely scandalized. “Little Miss Hadley, I do declare.”
Hadley shrugged. “I’m a human being, you know. Not all daisies and cupcakes like you guys seem to think.”
Isabel fanned herself. “Not anymore. Not after what I saw last night.”
“I knew there was a tiger in there,” Gia said. “She just needed the right woman to bring it out in her.”
“I have needs, too,” Hadley said. “I just don’t express them all the time. I actually enjoy sex a lot.”
Gia touched her coffee mug to Hadley’s, who nodded back at her in appreciation, because she wasn’t a shrinking violet. It was true that she’d never been a go-getter and hadn’t exactly taken the dating scene by the horns in the past, but that was because she was a romantic and it was important to wait for someone she truly connected with. She felt that connection with Spencer, ideal or not.
“So, you enjoy sex. You’re an unleashed tiger, but you still whisper swear words. How does that work?”
Hadley shrugged, because that answer was easy. “Swear words are entirely different from sex. They’re forbidden and crass. At least when I say them. Sex is natural and amazing and sensual.”
Isabel pointed at her. “You are the most foreign creature.”
“Tell us more,” Autumn said.
“Well, she’s a really good kisser. The best, actually. Not at all shy or timid about it.”
“She wasn’t,” Isabel said seriously. “I love it when they just grab you and go for it, and you walk away wondering what the hell just happened to you, ya know?”
Autumn and Gia nodded in hearty agreement.
“That was last night.”
Isabel grinned. “Trust me. I know.”
“What else?” Autumn asked. “Give us more. We need it. This is lifeblood for a cooped-up mom.”
“Well, Hadley had Spencer up against the car in one of those moves.” Isabel stood to demonstrate.
“Oh, that’s lovely,” Autumn said, sighing.
“But Spencer had a hold of Had’s waist and then her neck and then face.” Isabel swapped out positions to demonstrate Spencer’s portion, like the cover of a torrid romance. “I have to say that they were a very evenly matched pair.”
“Wow,” Gia said, blinking hard. “Then what?”
Isabel straightened out of her pose. “They talked for a minute and then more kissing.”
Hadley smiled and nodded at her friends. “That’s true. There was definitely more.”
“More passion this time,” Isabel said dramatically, leaning across the table like a leopard. “Lips were parted. Tongues clashed. The sidewalk was on fire.”
Autumn and Gia smoldered, and for the first time, Hadley could nod along with them, because she got it now. The romance novels had not invented moments like last night. They weren’t unicorns in the mist. Unbridled passion existed! And there could quite possibly be more of those moments in her future. But then she remembered the rest.
“It’s not all great, though,” Hadley said, deflating their very full balloons. Three crushed faces turned to her in accusation. She was killing their fantasies of romantic grandeur, and as much as she hated to do that, she needed advice.
“No. Really?” Isabel asked, in disbelief. “What’s gone wrong already? This was mere hours ago.”
“Spencer doesn’t believe in marriage or forever.”
Her friends stared at her. “Okay,” Autumn said, holding up a cautionary hand. “That doesn’t have to be awful. What does she believe in?”
“That people find each other for a reason and drift in and eventually out of each other’s lives, making way for a new chapter. That’s how she put it. Life is about chapters.”
“Chapters,” Gia said. “Nope. I don’t get it.”
“I’m as cynical as they come, and even I’m not that dark,” added Isabel.
Hadley shrugged, not sure she could explain something she didn’t fully understand herself but gave it a try. “She’s an artist, so she has her own take on the world. I also think her parents’ divorce might be an influencing factor.”
Autumn handed Will to Gia and picked up Carrie, who was beginning to fuss. “Uh-uh. That doesn’t work for me. My mother was a walking bad example as far as relationships went, and I still believed the one was out there for me somewhere. Spoiler alert, she was!”
Hadley smiled at the memory of Autumn and Kate’s story. “Trust me. I get it. I want that for myself.”
“What are you going to do?” Gia asked. “Do you think you’re up for changing her mind?”
Hadley shrugged. “Maybe?”
“It’s definitely possible,” Gia continued. “I used to think that surfing mattered to me more than anything, more than the person I was in love with. I don’t believe that for a second anymore. People can change.”
“Good point,” Isabel said. “I vote for hanging in there for a bit. See what happens.”
“And if I fall for her, and she breaks my heart into millions of tiny pieces, which could fully happen, what then?”
“Then we break her kneecaps,” Gia said, smoothly as if it were the simplest solution in the world. They looked at her in horror. “It’s an expression. I’m joking.” A pause, and then quieter, “But only kind of.”
“Here’s what I think,” Autumn said, seeming to settle on something important. “Love is love. It can be temporary or it can be long lasting, but it’s never a bad thing. If you think there’s a chance at love here, Had, you have to follow your heart and sort the rest out as you go.”
Hadley knew that underneath it all, but hearing the words out loud made her face the facts. Spencer was placed in her path for a reason, and she needed to see this thing through, wherever it took her. Big bang candidates didn’t show up every day. “I think you’re right.”
Isabel squinted. “The bonus is there will likely be more up-against-the-car kissing.”
Hadley sighed dreamily. “It would be hard to turn that down.”
“Just look out for yourself as you go,” Gia said. “And if there’s trouble, kneecaps.”
“Kneecaps,” Autumn and Isabel echoed. “Now drink that mocha,” Autumn said, “and think up some new details from last night. I have fifteen minutes before I have to take these two back for a nap and I need to bask in decadent details.”
Hadley launched into the remaining tidbits from the night prior as her friends leaned in. “Well, to start with, she smells like strawberries…”
* * *
“I need you to tell me how to make Cornish Game hens, and fast,” Spencer said, from the floor of her living room. This was serious. She wasn’t messing around. She hadn’t seen Hadley in four days, and she was coming over to Spencer’s place that night for dinner, and she needed everything to be perfect.
Kendra set down the latest issue of Cosmo and regarded her from where she lay on Spencer’s couch. “Girl, you don’t cook.”
“Not usually, no. Tonight, I need to.”
“Nope. Not enough information.”
“Fine,” Spencer said, dropping the shipping box in her hand. “I have a date, and I need dinner to be good.”
“Then you should order in.”
“No! Not with this woman. She’s better than just ordering in. She deserves home cooked.”
“Not from you. No one deserves that.”
“Are you going to help me or not?”
Kendra sighed, dropping the magazine entirely. “Is this the woman from the fancy store?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re still really into her?”
“Yes.”
“Lord. We’re going to need some paper and a lot of patience.”
Two hours later, once she was on her own, Spencer couldn’t decide whether to go with a tablecloth on her small dining room table or not. She rarely ate there herself, preferring either the counter or the couch for meals, but for the two of them? They should definitely eat at the table.
She’d hit the grocery store earlier with the list Kendra had provided her, and with a quick call to her mom for her vinaigrette salad dressing recipe, she felt like she was making real progress. She placed her hands on her head and made the decision. Tablecloth was the way to go!
She dashed back to the kitchen. The hens were in the oven. She’d peeled the potatoes, and now she just needed something to wear. Not too dressy, but not too casual. Tonight was important. Tonight was date three, and who knew what date three would bring? She didn’t want to be presumptuous, but she couldn’t help but wonder and hope. It was still summer, so she settled on white capris and a maroon tunic. Should be fine.
“Oh, you’re getting some tonight,” Kendra said, after returning to the apartment to check in on Spencer’s progress. “Everyone knows what date three means.”
“It doesn’t have to mean sex,” Spencer scoffed. “That’s a myth and way too assumptive for my taste.”
“It doesn’t have to mean sex, but it does and every adult is aware. Plus, it’s not like you’re off to a night at the movies. She’s coming to your apartment, Spence.”
“I get it.”
“But if you want to help matters along, change that top.”
She glanced down at the tunic, the one she had designed and sold thousands of. “Why? This is one of my best sellers.” She turned to the side. “Are you missing the detail over here? Look at this stitching. It’s badass.”
“Who cares about stitching on a date?” Kendra pointed at Spencer’s chest. “No cleavage at all. What are you trying to do? Teach a yoga class or entice a female to want you so badly she can barely concentrate on dinner? You’ve got choices to make.”
She paused. “That second part sounds nice.” Kendra stalked to Spencer’s bedroom, and Spencer followed.
“This one,” Kendra said, selecting a blue tight-fitting top. “It hugs and it dips in the front. You need the dip.”
“Really?”
Kendra squinted in disbelief. “You’re better at this than you seem, right? I mean, you’ve never had trouble getting women that I’ve noticed. How do you not know this stuff?”
“The question is, how do you know this stuff?” Spencer asked, as she shrugged out of her tunic and replaced it with Kendra’s suggestion. “You’re straight. How would you know what a woman wants in another woman?”
She shrugged. “I watch television. Plus, I’ve been to enough of the gay clubs with you to see who gets the most action, and it’s not the girl in the flowy shirt. You feel me?”
“Yeah.”
“I think your hens are burning.”
“What?” Spencer raced to the kitchen and threw open the oven door. “They look okay.” She turned to Kendra with her please-help-me face. “Do they look okay to you?”
“Ladle some more butter over the top and turn the oven down. I gotta head out. Got plans of my own on this fine evening.”
“Please tell me it’s not with that loser Tucker.”
“I can’t. Bye, Spence. Date three! You got this.”
“I don’t. I feel weird and vulnerable and I think I need you to stay and help me with the prep.”
“Nah. You just need to enjoy this little ride you’re on, because I am. Can’t say I’ve seen you this rattled before.” She took out her phone and snapped a photo of Spencer. “Now I can always remember it. Ta ta.”
“But how do I keep the hens from drying out?” Spencer called to the closing door. In defeat, she raced back to the kitchen and read over the instructions Kendra had left, reiterating them to herself one more time. She surveyed the living room, now clear of shipping supplies, fabric, and mannequins. But the throw pillows on the couch looked lopsided. She fluffed them, wondering who the hell she was to care so much about couch pillows impressing a date. She shuffled back to the kitchen to make sure the potatoes were soft enough, only to run into a sticky note on her refrigerator that said, “Light candles before she arrives.” She snatched the note, crumpled it, and shoved it into her back pocket. But light the damn candles, she did. She really did owe Kendra. She put on some mellow background music and waited. And waited some more. Her hands tingled in anticipation. Hadley was due in ten minutes. The time ticked by ever so slowly until, at last, a knock at the door.
“Hey,” Spencer said, stepping aside so that Hadley could enter. “You look amazing.”
“So do you. What smells so fantastic?” Hadley asked, turning in a circle. “Wow. What is that?”
“Cornish game hens. Is that okay? I also have red-skinned potatoes and a green salad with homemade dressing.”
Hadley truly did look impressed, which was a victory for Spencer. “I had no idea you were a chef as well as a soon-to-be-famous designer.”
Spencer’s cheeks heated, which prompted her to turn away, leading them into the kitchen. “I’m not a chef. I had to have help from a friend. I did do the cooking, but she offered some instruction.”
“I don’t care,” Hadley said.
“You don’t?”
She smiled lazily. “Not in the slightest. You went to a lot of effort. For me.” She placed a hand over her heart. “That means a lot.” Hadley’s gaze dropped from Spencer’s eyes to her neckline. “Oh,” she said. “You look really sexy.” Hadley covered her mouth. “I shouldn’t have said sexy. It just flew right out of my mouth. You look…lovely. Pretty.”
“Let’s stick with sexy,” Spencer said, holding eye contact. And hello to the heat she felt once their gazes settled. She owed Kendra big-time for the top suggestion. Big-time. She would send her on an all-expense paid vacation if this evening worked out.
“Sexy it is.” Hadley glanced around, moving them out of the charged exchange. “I love your apartment. The framed sketches on the wall. Very you. Are those yours?”
Spencer glanced behind her. “No. I wish. Gerard DeVoux, one of my favorite French designers and someone who’s inspired me a great deal over the years.” She studied the sketches. “He takes risks and they always pay off. But not the kind of risks that make you attend one of his shows and think ‘that was cool, but I’d never wear that.’ His stuff is risky but practical, which I want for my own brand.”
She felt Hadley’s hand on the small of her back as she stared at the closest sketch. “I think you’re more than on your way to that very combination. Also, I have good news for you.”
Spencer turned. “And what’s that?”
“I showed Trudy the final sketches, and even without the samples in hand, she’s in. She’s putting together a round one order now. Get ready for paperwork in a matter of days.”
Spencer covered her mouth as the information sank in. “I’m going to be on Rodeo Drive?”
“And not just any part of it. One of the most highly acclaimed stores you could land. You should be really proud of yourself, Spencer.” Hadley beamed at her, which made the celebration that much sweeter.
“This is all because of you,” Spencer said, meaning every word. She kissed Hadley, because she needed to. She was not only beautiful and kind, but she’d gone out of her way for Spencer at every turn.
Hadley laughed. “Was that a thank you?” she asked, softly touching her lips.
“It’s many things.” They smiled at each other. Spencer felt ridiculous, but there was just one thing she had to do. “Do you mind if I call my mom? Just a real quick call.”
Hadley softened. “Please do.”
Her mother picked up on the third ring. “Baby girl? Everything okay?”
“Mama, why do you always think there’s something wrong when I call you? You have to stop this.”
“Because you text more these days. I’m a worrier, so when the phone rings, I worry. Does that mean nothing is wrong?”
“Everything’s fine.” She walked farther into her small kitchen to not completely embarrass herself in front of Hadley, but she couldn’t wait until later to share the news or it would be cold and stale. This was the moment she wanted to share with her mother. “Better than fine. I got the Rodeo Drive order!” Because she was no dummy, she held the phone far from her ear just in time to dodge the ridiculous scream that came through the ear piece. Hadley laughed and Spencer pointed at the phone, shaking her head. “Sorry,” she mouthed. Hadley waved her off as if it were the most natural thing in the world for screaming mothers to show up on dates.
“My baby!” her mother crowed when she came back on. “You’re famous now. Oh, I gotta call your grandma, and Susanne from across the street, Aunt Gladys. Her daughter works at the bowling alley part-time, and mine designs clothes on Rodeo Drive!”
“Don’t give Aunt Gladys a hard time. You two are way too competitive.” Her mother and Aunt Gladys were now competing LA real estate agents who had been rivals since childhood.
“Just let me gloat a little. She deserves it.”
Spencer closed her eyes and smiled. “A tad, then ease up. You know she’s sensitive about Denise.”
“The girl has no ambition. Wants to watch soap operas all day in a housecoat and chat up bowlers all night in a miniskirt. Do you know what she said to Gladys the last time she tried to talk sense into her?”
“Mom, I do want to know, but can we talk about Denise later? I have to go now. I’m on a date.”
Her mother’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Is she pretty?”
Spencer turned to Hadley and nodded. “Very.”
“Is she nice?” her mother whispered.
“Way nicer than me.”
“She have a job?”
Spencer laughed. “A promising one.”
“Oh, I’ll let you go then. This one sounds good.”
“I think that’s the case.”
“Bye, baby. I love you and am so proud! I need to make those calls now.” Another squeal.
“Thanks, Mama. Bye.” She clicked off the call and took a deep breath before turning back to Hadley. “Thank you for indulging me. We have this thing where we tell each other stuff as soon as it happens. Ignore me.”
“You two sound close.”
Spencer tossed her phone into her bag on the counter. “We are. Always have been.”
“I’m close with my parents, too. Though I never had a mom. I used to wonder what that would be like.” She leaned back against the counter and held up a hand. “Don’t get me wrong, I had an amazing childhood and wouldn’t change a minute of it.”
“Raised by your father then, or…”
“Both of them actually. Gay dads. They were the best parents I could have. Warm, funny, and thoughtful. Well, Papa is definitely funnier than Dad, but I try not to point that out or it becomes a whole thing.”
“And they’re still together?”
“They are,” Hadley said with a smug smirk.
Spencer let it go. “How was your Saturday today?”
“Long. I worked for most of it, but we pulled in some relatively high numbers for this time of year, so I chalk it up to a win in the sales column.”
“I bet the clients love you.”
Hadley ran a hand along the edge of the counter. “I do okay.”
“You’re wearing heels.”
She glanced down and lifted one heel-clad foot. Gray strappy Jimmy Choos. A nice choice. “I am. I wanted to look nice. For you. For tonight.”
“Your poor feet must be feeling it.”
Hadley winced. “Minor compromise, but yes.”
Spencer shook her head. “Why would you ever do that to yourself?”
“Because I adore fashion and all things related to it and am willing to suffer for the cause. That simple.” Spencer couldn’t argue with the logic, and in fact, Hadley looked fantastic as always in a pale blue belted sundress, and the gray heels that made her legs look like they went on for centuries. No one could accuse Hadley of anything other than fantastic legs. Tonight, she’d styled her hair partially back, with soft curls that hit just past her shoulders.
“Yeah, here’s the thing. Fashion be damned. I’m going to have to insist you take those things off.” Hadley raised an eyebrow and a bolt of heat hit Spencer at the sound of the words. Asking Hadley to take anything off had her mind overheating. She ordered it to quell and focused on Hadley and what she needed in the moment, which was a break from discomfort. She glanced at the timer. “In fact, we have some time before dinner.” She pointed at her dark leather couch with all the wonderfully soft, broken-in wrinkles. Code for worn and comfy. “Sit. That’s an order.”
Hadley, who regarded her with a suspicious smile, walked silently to the couch, slipped out of her heels, which trimmed a good three inches off her height, and took a seat. “Is this where you want me, Ms. Adair?”
“That’s perfect,” Spencer said and took a seat down the couch. “Now give me those.” She pointed at Hadley’s feet. Without hesitation, Hadley lifted both feet and placed them into Spencer’s waiting lap, her eyes dancing in amusement.
“Are you really about to do this for me?” she asked, in excitement.
“I really am.”
Spencer got to work, starting with the right foot, pushing her thumbs along the bottom, back and forth.
“Oh, my dear goodness,” Hadley said, which pulled a chuckle from Spencer.
She was expecting some sort of reaction, but “Oh, my dear goodness” had not been it. “That’s a new phrase.”
“It’s mine. You can’t have it. Well, maybe I’d share if you keep doing that. Lord help us all. Sweet mercy in heaven above. Yes. I approve. Right there is amazing.” Spencer pushed firmly on what she knew were the sensitive pressure points on the ball of the foot, which prompted a loud moan from Hadley. At the sound, every part of Spencer went into hyperalert. Blood rushed from her head, her limbs, to…other parts. But the sounds didn’t stop there. As Spencer massaged her feet, her ankles, her calves, Hadley continued to gift her with little noises of pleasure that did powerful things to Spencer’s mind and body. Wicked things. And they made her want to do a few corrupt things to Hadley in return. She reached the top of Hadley’s calf with its expanse of smooth skin while the soft music played and her blood pressure climbed. Her fingers itched for more, and not in any capacity to resist, she slid her hand beneath the fabric of the blue dress and boldly caressed Hadley’s lower thigh. Their eyes connected as the massage continued. Hadley’s lips parted and she drew in a shaky breath, making Spencer aware of the fact that she wasn’t alone in her growing arousal. They were off the rails now, and Spencer was okay with that. Keeping her eyes on Hadley, she slid her hands up another inch. Hadley’s eyes fluttered closed just in time for the loud beeping of the egg timer.
“Dinner is ready,” Spencer said quietly, withdrawing her hands from Hadley’s leg reluctantly.
Hadley nodded wordlessly, as if back from a dream, and accepted Spencer’s offered hand to help her up from the couch. When they stood face-to-face, a hint of a smile hit. “That was quite a massage.”
“Wasn’t it?” Spencer said, still shocked at herself for having gone there, but a little proud at the same time.
Hadley nodded. “I can’t say I’ve had one like that. Disneyland on fire, that was good.”
“Glad to hear it. Why is Disneyland on fire?”
“It’s an expression.”
Spencer laughed. “Can’t say I’ve heard it.”
“That’s because I made it up. Just something you wouldn’t expect. Disneyland is a happy place. There would be no fire. Why would there be?” Hadley pointed at the couch. “That massage was just as rare.”
“Okay,” Spencer said, smiling at the random parallel. “Maybe we can do it again sometime soon. I’ve been told I have good hands.”
Hadley swallowed noticeably.
“Let me guess? Tiny oceans of wonder? Is that a relevant phrase here?”
“More like kittens marching into battle.”
Spencer chuckled. “There’s so much to learn. In the meantime, how about dinner?” Spencer headed to the kitchen and took stock. What she found there deflated her recent confidence. The hens looked dry and a tad overcooked. The potatoes had lost their shape and perhaps she’d taken the salad out too early because the leaves had a slight wilt. “Damn it.”
“What’s wrong?” Hadley said, coming up behind her. She placed her hand on the small of Spencer’s back again, which helped almost immediately. She softened into the touch like magic. She could use a Hadley with her at all times. What an incredibly useful skill.
“Apparently, I’m no Rachael Ray. I clung to that delusion earlier as I made dinner preparations. It’s proven false.”
Hadley scoffed. “I’m sure what you’ve made for us will be wonderful. The fact that you went to the trouble at all goes a long way in my book.” She glanced around suspiciously. “Music, candles, a massage, and a home-cooked meal. Hmm. Am I being romanced right now?”
Spencer considered her answer and went for it. “Yes. Yes, you most certainly are. Is it working?”
“Uh-huh,” Hadley said, then scooped up the serving bowl of potatoes and carried it to the table. Spencer dimmed the lights to better accentuate the candles and carried the rest of the food to her small dining area, now clad with a tablecloth, of all things.
“Wine?”
“Yes, please!”
Spencer took a look at the options she’d picked up at Kendra’s suggestion. “White or red?”
“Always white. It’s just so much more fun. Wouldn’t you say? I feel like it has more friends, too. It gets along with so many of the foods.”
“Interesting. All right. All right. Fun and friendly wine coming up.” She poured two glasses of a moderately priced Sauvignon Blanc into a pair of wineglasses and carried them to the table.
“To keeping an open mind,” Spencer said, holding out her glass in a toast.
“And to changing the minds of others,” Hadley said, with a triumphant smile.
Spencer shook her head and sipped her wine, which was surprisingly refreshing. Maybe white really did have some fun points on red.
As they ate, she had trouble keeping her eyes off Hadley, who, whether it was good or not, seemed to be enjoying her food. She really was an easy person to please, and you didn’t run into too many people with that descriptor in Spencer’s line of work.
“What attracted you to fashion?” Spencer asked, dabbing her mouth with her napkin. “I can’t believe we haven’t covered that.”
“I can tell you that easily.” Hadley didn’t hesitate. In fact, her whole face lit up at the subject matter. “I love the effect the right combination of clothes can have on someone. It gives me the biggest rush when people find their meant-to-be clothes. I leave at the end of the day thrilled with my job.” She sat taller in her chair. “Have you ever noticed? I’m not talking about how they look either. That part is sheer cherry-on-top-of-the-sundae. It’s more about how the clothing makes them feel. When a woman, or anyone for that matter, wears something she feels attractive in, it can change her whole outlook on life, or more importantly, on herself. Make her day better. I love helping with that process.”
Spencer was intrigued by that answer, because in her years in school, it was always about the designer. Their vision, their perspective, their art, and the stamp they wanted to leave on the fashion world. She’d embraced that ideology but hadn’t really considered the end result and the effect her designs might have on a customer. On how they’d feel.
“We’re so different,” she marveled, though it was more of a confession. Because Hadley left her humbled. Not at all a bad thing, just…eye-opening. Like the fun aspect of white wine.
Hadley took a bite of chicken and considered the statement. “How so? You disagree?”
“I don’t. I’m just a selfish asshole, apparently. I see my job and evaluate my success based on my role in the process. It’s all about me. You’re looking at it through the lens of how others feel. The result that fashion has on the world, which is a much more noble stance. I suck.”
“You don’t either. It’s your job to focus on your designs, making you not at all selfish. Stop that. As someone who handles the retail side of things, I’m customer focused. More salad, please. This dressing is from the angels.”
“Also known as my mother. Her recipe.” Spencer passed the salad bowl.
“Don’t lose it. It’s a keeper. You’ll want to pass it down to your own children one day.” Hadley paused. “Do you want children?”
“Yes,” Spencer said. “Does that surprise you?”
Hadley poured a good amount of dressing onto her salad and then added some more. And then a little more. Spencer smothered a smile at her pile of dressing with a little bit of salad. “It does, actually, given what I know.”
“I mean, I don’t want them today. But in the scheme of life, I would definitely like one, maybe two rugrats if we’re talking about best case scenario.”
“So, you’re not afraid of long-term commitment when it comes to children?” Hadley ate a forkful of salad.
Touché. “I’m not afraid of long-term commitment, Hadley.” She gestured with her fork in a circle. “I’m just not going to stress out about forcing it with one person my entire life when I’m not sure humans are made for it.”
Hadley leaned in, dipped her head, and caught Spencer’s gaze. “Trust me. They are.”
Spencer laughed. She should have seen that coming. “Your thoughts are noted for the record. But let’s say it doesn’t work out after ten, fifteen wonderful years with someone. Without the messy piece of paper binding two people together, they can disentangle their lives and move forward.”
“That is the most unromantic sentiment, Spencer. Does your mother know you feel this way?”
“I think so.”
“You should make sure she does. If not, maybe she’ll give you a talkin’-to.”
Spencer nearly spat out her food. “A talkin’-to?”
“Yes, a stern one. You need it.” Hadley stood and placed a hand on Spencer’s shoulder. “You sit and finish your wine and let me get these dishes.”
“Absolutely not. You’re my guest. I’ll do the dishes.”
“You prepared a wonderful meal for me and I’m doing them and that’s final. If you say no again, I’m going to throw a fit and leave. Do you want me to leave?”
Spencer stared at her wide-eyed, unable to tell if Hadley was bluffing or not. “I mean, no, I don’t.”
“Good, then sip that wine, and I’ll be with you shortly.” Luckily for Spencer, she had a dishwasher, which only required Hadley to load and not scrub. As she rinsed the dishes under the faucet and moved them to the dishwasher, she hummed softly to the music and swayed her hips. At one point, she pulled her hair out from the clasp that held it partially back, letting the strands of blond tumble down fully. If washing dishes had ever looked better, Spencer wouldn’t have believed it.
“You sure I can’t help?”
“Only if you want to see me break down, tears cascading from my face in failure.” Hadley passed her a preview of what that might look like.
Spencer held up her hands. “All you, then.” As she watched a calm, cool, and collected Hadley putting the finishing touches on her now clean kitchen, she couldn’t help imagining the kind of life where they’d trade off on those kinds of chores or take quiet dinners together. Way too early to be envisioning those kinds of evenings, but she found herself doing it anyway.
“What are you daydreaming about over there? Whatever it is, it looks pretty wonderful,” Hadley said. “I detect you’re a million miles from here.” She dried her hands on a dish towel and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“No, I was actually much closer.” She stood and walked slowly to Hadley. “Thank you for doing that.”
“I might have earned a little something,” Hadley said, looking skyward and pointing at her lips.
“More food?” Spencer asked playfully. “I have an apple pie we can pop in the oven for later, and it has the most interesting lattice design on the crust. I think you’ll like it. I didn’t make it, though. It’s one you buy and heat.”
“No. That’s not it,” Hadley said, holding her pose. There was nothing cuter, or hotter, than this woman standing in her kitchen.
“Lip gloss?” Spencer asked, loving the delayed gratification, and turned the hell on by it. “I could grab you some if—”
Hadley gasped in mock indignation, snapped her focus to Spencer just in time to be kissed. “Oh,” Hadley murmured. And kissed some more. Spencer could taste the sweetness of the wine still on her lips, and for good measure licked the bottom one. They were up against the counter, and then the refrigerator as their mouths danced and their hands explored. Both spots were good, but not enough. Yes, it was date three, but there was no way she was going to be presumptuous or expect anything beyond what they had going. Three was technically really early, and she was a practical-minded person. If anything, making out with Hadley would be blissful and torturous but she could handle—
“Where’s your bedroom?” Hadley asked in her ear, her hands tugging at the hem of Spencer’s top.
Kittens marching into battle.
“Down the hall. But fair warning, Minnie Mouse is in the bathroom. Door is open. She just prefers the tub when I have company, so I let her chill there and take everything in.”
“Pause. You have a cat named after a Disney character?”
“I do. Minnie for short.”
Hadley’s lips found hers again instantly and worked wonders the Magic Kingdom couldn’t keep up with. All hail Walt Disney. Hadley slid her hands into the backs of Spencer’s pockets as they walked, and kissed, and walked and kissed. She paused and pulled something from Spencer’s jeans. The crumpled Post-It from the fridge. Spencer rolled her lips in. Wonderful.
“What is this?” Hadley asked and unrumpled the paper. “Light candles before she arrives,” she read out loud. She shifted her gaze to Spencer, eyebrow arched like Sherlock Holmes hot on the trail.
No point trying to finesse her way around this one. “My best friend, Kendra, had a hand in helping me plan the details for tonight. She’s better at all of this than I am. A good portion of credit goes to her.”
“And what else did Kendra say you should do?” Hadley asked. She undid the top button of Spencer’s capris. Spencer’s eyes fluttered closed and she swallowed. How in the world was she supposed to answer a question like that when Hadley, the wide-eyed innocent, was slowly starting to undress her? How?
“She said something about the hens. Cook them, I think.”
Hadley tugged on Spencer’s open pants and pulled her into the bedroom. “What else?” She began kissing her neck slowly, seductively.
Spencer tried to think. “Um, she said I should probably play music.”
Hadley lifted her head and looked at Spencer with those perfect blue eyes. “You did an excellent job of that.”
“Thank you.” Her responses were slow because her brain was deprived. All the blood had gone elsewhere, and the dampness in her underwear had just graduated. How had that happened so quickly? The effect of Hadley. That’s how.
“Any other advice from Kendra?”
Spencer blinked. There had been so much, and now it all rolled together in a jumble, because she really just wanted to kiss Hadley some more, get her on that bed and…oh, that’s right. “She said date three could be an important date.”
Hadley nodded calmly. “Why is that, do you think?”
Spencer couldn’t make herself say the words. “It just meant that we were…progressing.”
“To right here in your bedroom?” Hadley asked, and lowered Spencer’s zipper.
“Something like that.”
She stroked the soft skin just above Spencer’s bikini line. “Kendra told you that if you played your cards right, you’d get lucky tonight?”
Spencer nodded. “But I’m not Kendra. I didn’t invite you over expecting anything other than dinner and—what do you call it? Fun wine?”
“It was fun. It might also be fun if you touched me now.”
Spencer nodded. She eased her hands under the back of Hadley’s top and slid them upward, reveling in the warmth of her skin, how soft it was beneath her fingertips. Hadley inhaled at her touch, and even that slight reaction sent Spencer places. The music from the living room drifted in, and she wondered if the significance of Hadley’s desire mirrored her own. They kissed and walked their way toward the bed. The room was almost dark. In a few more minutes, the sun would be down entirely.
When Hadley began to unbutton her blouse, Spencer interjected, “Let me. I want to undress you.”
Hadley stared at her, and slowly dropped her hands, a sultry smile on her lips. Spencer put the lights to low so they’d have something to see by, and returned to Hadley. She unzipped her dress slowly, taking in each tiny glimpse of skin revealed to her. God, this body. The gentle curve of Hadley’s breasts came into view as she turned, accentuated by a dark purple bra. She swallowed at the bolt of arousal. She’d hardly touched Hadley, yet her center, her thighs, her knees shook and ached. She wanted nothing more than to lick her way across that bra line and beneath. She’d take her time and acquaint herself with every inch of Hadley. She’d hoped to keep tonight light and playful, but this was feeling anything but. The tight gathering of lust that she’d carried with her the past few weeks had melted and spread to every part of her. She wanted Hadley so badly that it was hard to maintain control. She tried to take a breath to settle herself, but there was simply no air.
Hadley stepped into her space, and with one easy motion of her shoulders, her dress slid down her arms to the floor, leaving her standing there in the purple bra and matching bikinis. “My turn,” Hadley said. She slowly lifted Spencer’s shirt up and over her head. “Look at you,” she breathed, staring down at the expanse of cleavage now on display. Spencer’s breasts were fuller than Hadley’s. She’d never been hugely confident of them…until now, that is. The way Hadley stared down left Spencer breathless and aching for them to be touched. How quickly the tables had turned. As if reading her thoughts, Hadley traced along the top of her bra line, watching Spencer’s reaction with interest. “You’re so beautiful, Spencer,” she whispered, reaching behind Spencer with one hand and adeptly unclasping her bra. With gentle ease, she leaned down and captured a nipple in her mouth in a manner that could be described as anything but timid. Fuck. Pinpoints of pleasure hit hard and Spencer threaded her fingers into Hadley’s hair as Hadley pulled her in by her waist. If Spencer had any delusions about taking charge, she let them fly right out the window as Hadley angled her topless and hazy onto the bed. In a matter of seconds, her pants and thong had been removed from her body and discarded on the floor. “Oh wow,” Hadley said, running a hand from Spencer’s stomach down to her thigh, while Spencer concentrated on simply obtaining air.
“I love these sheets,” Hadley said, pulling back a fistful. Spencer couldn’t have told you where she’d purchased them or even what color they were in that moment, but leave it to Hadley to not miss the year they were made and the thread count. She was a details girl.
“I’ll send you a set.”
Hadley laughed and Spencer was topped before she knew it, and staring up into big, blue eyes that now carried a touch of fire. “I’m going to do things to you now,” Hadley said in her ear, “that I’ve wanted to do for a long time, if you’ll let me.”
Spencer nodded and pulled Hadley down for a heat-laden kiss.
Hadley spent the next few minutes bathing Spencer’s breasts with an amount of attention they’d never received, and just when Spencer thought she was done, Hadley pinned her hands above her head to start again. She heard herself making soft humming sounds of pleasure, which would apparently serve as their soundtrack because every kiss, lick, or suck brought her closer to the brink. Her body quaked noticeably beneath Hadley’s fingertips, her mouth. She was distantly aware of her rolling hips, pushing against Hadley for friction, anything, and coming up empty. It was torment, but the memorable kind, and worth every second.
“Your bra,” Spencer whispered. She so badly wanted to see Hadley’s breasts. Without a word, Hadley adjusted to a seated position and removed her bra slowly. With her hands now free, Spencer was able to reach up and cup the breasts she’d been dying to greet, perfect in every way, just like the rest of Hadley. She sat up and, with Hadley straddling her lap, went to work with her mouth, showing Hadley’s perfect breasts the same kind of attention, sucking a nipple, biting it softly.
In response, Hadley dropped her head back, exposing the long column of her neck. Spencer didn’t hesitate to lick her way up from Hadley’s collarbone to just below her chin, holding her tight, lost in the warmth of her skin. It was Hadley’s turn to rock her hips, and Spencer was certainly willing to help her with the endeavor. In a quick move, she deposited Hadley onto her back on the bed. Spencer parted her legs and kissed her thighs one at a time, making her way slowly to Hadley’s center, eager to taste her, but also wanting to take her time. Both were achievable goals. The matching purple underwear shouldn’t go unappreciated, so she kissed Hadley through them thoroughly, loving the way it made her squirm and whimper. She slipped the rectangular piece of fabric to the side and tasted her full on. Holding her legs in place, she kissed her open mouthed as Hadley moaned above. It wasn’t enough. She slipped her tongue inside and then out again, repeating the action until the sounds Hadley made reached a fantastic crescendo. Her hips bucked, increasing rhythm, begging Spencer for more. Slow and steady, she removed the bikinis altogether. “Thank God,” Hadley said, to a smile from Spencer. That’s when she went to work with her tongue, tracing one intricate pattern after another, never giving too much attention to any one spot. Hadley shook her head as the attention continued. “Please, Spencer,” she breathed, clenching the sheets with her fist. She raised her gaze to study Hadley who looked down at her with flushed cheeks and parted lips. Gorgeous. With a final well-placed kiss, followed by direct pressure from her tongue, she simultaneously pushed inside Hadley with her fingers, slow and deep. She wasn’t prepared for the immediate reaction. With an inarticulate moan, Hadley threw her head back as she rode Spencer’s hand, legs trembling. She murmured Spencer’s name over and over again, grasping Spencer’s head gently to hold her right where she needed it. Then, with a twist and a cry, Hadley was gone. She arched into Spencer and shattered, clenching around her hand gloriously.
That did it. Spencer, in an uncharacteristic turn, felt her own orgasm approach. Desperately, she straddled Hadley’s thigh and pressed against it. Hadley was too quick. Before Spencer knew what happened, she was on her back with Hadley’s tongue intimately swirling her center. Her eyes slammed closed and she gasped in shock as the pressure, accompanied by hits of pleasure, steadily grew until she thought Hadley would drive her out of her ever-loving mind. Damn, this woman knew how to use her mouth. Hadley sucked and nibbled until there was nothing but light behind her eyes. A cry tore from Spencer’s lips, unexpected and loud. She swore in the midst of it all because what should have been merely a physical act had stirred up a myriad of emotions that bubbled to the surface. The physical payout was never-ending as it washed over her, sweet and insistent. The emotional one was nearly as powerful. She held Hadley to her as she struggled to right herself. She couldn’t quite wrap her mind around the very powerful event. She knew for sure there was something different about what she’d experienced tonight. She also knew that she was likely in a lot of trouble.
“I love seeing you let go like that,” Hadley mused, snuggling into Spencer’s side. “You are easily the sexiest human alive when you’re turned on. Do you know that?”
Spencer chuckled and kissed Hadley’s lips as she looked up at her. “Impossible. You’re here.”
“We have to get you to let go more often.”
Spencer smiled. “When you’re around, I’m not thinking that’s going to be a problem. I’ve never…” She trailed off and laughed instead, covering her eyes with her forearm.
“What?” Hadley asked, laughing along with her, pulling her forearm away. “Tell me. You’ve never what?”
She met Hadley’s gaze. “Come that fast before. It hit me out of nowhere. I promise I’m not a lightweight usually.”
“I happen to love how into it you were. It was hot.”
Spencer raised her head. “Yeah?”
“Definitely.”
She dropped back onto the pillow. “I’m not sure I have any brain capacity left after that.”
“Good thing I don’t need your brain,” Hadley said with a grin and crawled down Spencer’s body, sending every nerve ending into high alert.
They fell asleep wrapped in each other somewhere after three a.m. At least, that was the last time Spencer caught sight of the clock. Her mind was scrambled with the best sex she’d ever had and the emergence of powerful feelings she didn’t know how to categorize or what to do with.
When it came to Hadley Cooper and the newfound hold she had on Spencer’s heart, all bets were off. Tonight had been a game changer. It would easily go down as the best damn date she’d ever been on. It was becoming clear to Spencer that she was simply along for the ride, hoping against hope that they weren’t careening for heartbreak.
Making love to Hadley should have been simple, basic even. This kind of thing happened all the time in life: Two people who were attracted to each other enjoyed a night in each other’s company. Only it wasn’t basic. It came with layers of sensations, and feelings, and complexities that Spencer hadn’t planned on. It would take some time and processing for her to fully understand what was happening between them. For now, she planned to simply bask in the enjoyment, and there was a lot of that.
“I think we’re good at this together,” Hadley said, an arm thrown over her head as she stared up at the ceiling.
Spencer laughed. If it had been any better they’d have gone up in flames. “I thought we might be. We crushed those expectations, though.”
“I like to be naked,” Hadley said, turning onto her side to better see Spencer. “You should know that about me. Not many people do.”
“I can definitely find a way to cope if you plan to strip down in the middle of a conversation.” Spencer mirrored Hadley’s position and faced her. “You’re loud in bed. I love that.”
“Too loud?” Hadley asked, blinking at her with concern.
“Not in the slightest. You’re so…”
“What?” Hadley asked, enjoying this now. She propped the side of her head on her hand and waited for more details. “What am I? I need to know what you’re thinking.”
She circled before finding the right descriptor. “Free. That’s the word. In everything you do, you know how to let go. I need to work on that.”
“Well, listen,” Hadley said, inching closer. “You were pretty free just a few minutes ago. I have nothing but compliments for that kind of freedom and think you should embrace it any time you feel compelled.”
Spencer closed one eye and admitted something to herself and to Hadley. “You coax it out of me. Lately, I’m appreciating details more, and I think it’s your influence.”
Hadley didn’t say anything. Instead she grinned a beautiful, luminous smile that made Spencer long for a camera to capture it forever.
“Why are you smiling? Not that I mind a bit.” She brushed a strand of hair back from Hadley’s face. “Tell me.”
“Because you just paid me the highest form of compliment. If I make the world seem more beautiful to you, then I’ve done a good thing.”
“A very good thing,” Spencer said, with a nod. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Hadley.”
“Well, there can’t be two of us! I’d have to look her up, have it out.” She raised a finger. “With words, of course. I’m strictly anti-violence. Another thing to know about me.”
“Naked and passive. Got it.” Spencer chuckled. “Now I’m imagining two Hadleys battling it out for the sweetest person award. Hurling compliments and cupcakes at the other.”
Hadley looked so wistful. “I’d work so hard to win if that were real.”
Spencer pulled Hadley on top of her. “You wouldn’t have to.”
“Ohhh,” Hadley said, as they came together, skin on skin. Hadley rolled her hips against Spencer, almost as if testing the waters of her interest. Spencer reached between them and touched her intimately, watching as Hadley’s eyes darkened. A ripple of excitement shimmered through her. “Spencer, I’m not feeling exactly tired. You tired? Because I seem to have energy.”
“Do you know what I say to that?” Spencer asked. “Who needs sleep? Not me.”
Hadley laughed. The night was young and full of so much opportunity.
Spencer smiled just as her mouth took Hadley’s.