She could be vague, or coy, but she decided to be honest. “It wasworth the wait.”
“Worth it as in the sex was good or as in you’re falling for thiswoman?”
A loaded question to be sure. One she wasn’t ready to answer,even to herself. “I’m going to say the former, but that still doesn’t mean I’mgiving you the details.”
Kiera’s gaze narrowed. “You say that, but there’s something inyour eyes that has nothing to do with being a prude. You’ve got feelings.”
She shook her head, as though doing so would somehow prevent itfrom being too real. “I think that’s a bit premature.”
“Maybe, but it doesn’t make it not true.” Kiera twisted a pieceof hair around her finger, her signature fidget when she was worried aboutsomething. “How far gone are you?” Kiera’s reaction did more to stress her outthan her feelings. Well, maybe not more, but as much as, at least.
“Not that far.”
“We need to meet her. Stat.”
Quinn lifted her hands, as though the gesture might defend heragainst the demand. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. We are not there yet. Two dates,remember?”
“But pseudo dates before. You said as much. And you slepttogether. You don’t do that lightly.”
She could pretend or say otherwise, but it would be a lie. “Ilike her. We click better than I’ve clicked with anyone in a long time. Itdoesn’t mean we’re in serious relationship territory.”
“You don’t have to be engaged to let your sisters meet thewoman.”
Quinn raised a brow.
“What? We wouldn’t give her the third degree.”
“No. We wouldn’t.” Quinn put extra emphasis on the “we” becauseit wasn’t Alana she worried about. Or Xinxin or Gary, for that matter.
Kiera frowned. “I see what you’re doing there.”
“I wasn’t trying to be subtle.”
“Do you really not want us to meet her?”
She’d been mostly teasing, so the look of genuine concern onKiera’s face gave her pause. “I’m sure you’d be gracious and lovely. If thingskeep going well, then soon. I promise.”
Like a switch being flipped, Kiera’s demeanor changed. Worried tovictorious in exactly two seconds. “Fantastic. You name the day. I’ll host.Ooh, or better. We can get a babysitter and do a triple date.”
Quinn shook her head. Kiera shouldn’t be able to play her soeasily at this point. Yet here they were. “One day, I’m not going to fall forit, you know.”
“Fall for what?” Her smile was all innocence.
“Don’t you need to get to work or something?”
“No, I’m killing time until the Chamber lunch at twelve.”
Quinn drained the rest of her coffee. She should start going tothose again. They were good for networking, which she didn’t mind whennetworking wasn’t code for speed dating. “Well, I should probably get to work.”
Kiera smirked. “That’s what she said.”
Quinn groaned on principle. “You’re impossible.”
“Give me a break. I spend most of my days tailoring my sense ofhumor to the under ten crowd.”
“Fair enough. I should get to the office, though. We’re pitchingfor the new Planned Parenthood annex.”
Her eyes lit up. “You are?”
“They’re far enough along in the capital campaign to take bids.It’ll be a while, but they’re getting there.”
“Day made. It almost makes up for you holding out on me.”
Quinn stood and slung her messenger bag over her shoulder. “I’mnot holding out.”
“I’ll concede the point when I meet her. What’s her name again?”
“Amanda.”
“And she’s divorced? With kids?”
She could literally see Kiera filing away the details. “Yes, onboth counts. College age, though, or one in and one starting.”
Kiera nodded slowly. “I like it.”
Quinn chuckled in spite of herself. “I’m so glad you approve.”
“Don’t be a jerk.” Even as she said it, she stood to give Quinn ahug. “Love you.”
“Love you back.”
“See you Sunday?”
“Yes. Solo, but yes.”
Kiera sighed. “Baby steps.”
Quinn left the café and headed to her office. It wasn’t hard toimagine Amanda at one of their big family dinners. Maybe after her parents wereback from their trip. Ironically, more people seemed to make for less pressureor, at least, less chance too much attention would end up focused on her.
Just as easily as she could imagine it, it struck her that sheknew virtually nothing about Amanda’s extended family. And hardly anythingabout her kids. Really, she and Amanda hadn’t spent all that much timetogether. Maybe it was a sign she should slow down. Well, if not her moves,then her imagination. Because no matter how timid she might still be in themoves department, it wouldn’t take much for her imagination to get the betterof her.
Chapter Seventeen
Amanda opened the back door of the bakery and found herselfface-to-face with a giant curtain of plastic sheeting. The banging she’d heardfrom the parking lot was even more pronounced inside. The whine of a saw—it wasa saw, right?—joined in. “Hello?”
No response. Not that she expected one. She didn’t know howanyone could hear anything over the racket.
She parted the curtain and stepped through. White dust filled theair like a fog, giving her new appreciation for why half her bakery was drapedin plastic. A couple of guys she didn’t recognize moved around the space,clearly the ones responsible for the sawing and banging. One of them looked herway.
“Are Quinn and Joss here?” she asked.
He angled his head toward the front of the bakery. “That way.”
“Thanks.”
He offered her a nod and resumed his work. Efficient. She likedit.
Even though it felt silly, she plopped the hard hat on her headand tiptoed her way through the construction, thinking maybe it would have beenbetter to go back the way she’d come and around to the front of the building.Too late now.
It took her a minute to find the opening in the plastic thistime. She felt around like a slapstick comedian who couldn’t make it through astage curtain. Unlike a comedian, she resisted the urge to flail her arms.
She found Quinn and Joss poring over blueprints spread out on amakeshift table made from sawhorses. “The brain trust is hard at work early, itseems.”
Both women looked her way and smiled. She’d already developed asoft spot for Joss. Between her butch contractor aesthetic and her keenattention to detail, it would be hard not to. Truth be told, though, she hadeyes only for
