She was teasing, but Jess’s body hadn’t gotten the memo. A simmering heat burned in her middle that had nothing to do with the sunny afternoon and everything to do with the woman who walked away with gently swaying hips. It looked nothing like the high-heeled walk previous dates had used to gain her attention. No, Lena was absolutely more attractive because she moved her curves in a natural and unpretentious way.
Jess tore her gaze away and stood. She needed to get ready too, preferably with a cold shower.
Lena licked the last of the raspberry sorbet from her spoon and gazed at the empty bowl with regret. Sharing the dessert had sounded like a great idea when Tyler, their waiter with a man bun, had suggested it. She could have devoured twice as much and was more than happy to admit Jess had been right; she loved the restaurant. Not only was the food amazing, but the wine was so good she had a hard time deciding if it was better than the one they’d had at the beach house. And the atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed. Yes, the table had a finer white cloth than she’d ever eaten from, and all the guests and staff were dressed up, but a colorful mixture of wildflowers and herbs in intentionally mismatched tiny glass vases brightened up the otherwise minimalistic decor.
“Thank you for the invitation. But how will we get home now? I’m so stuffed.” Lena patted her belly. Fortunately, her dress was loose enough that she didn’t feel restricted after the three-course meal.
Jess laughed. “You know, I’m so happy you came with me. This is the first time on a date I didn’t feel like a pig because I wanted to have an appetizer and dessert too.” Her smile faltered. “Um…not that we’re on a date, but…”
Lena loved it when Jess got flustered, but the evening had been so amazing she decided to let her off the hook. “Don’t worry. I know what you mean.” She grinned. “You need better dates. Or to go out with friends instead.”
“You can say that again. Apart from the food issue, you’re much better company in all respects. Intelligent conversation, no whining about unimportant details, and best of all, no selfies.” She put down her spoon and pushed the bowl to the side. “But I don’t want to talk about former dates. Have I told you that you look lovely? And I mean that in a totally non-datey way.”
A tingle spread through Lena’s chest. The dress, Jess’s attentiveness, the excellent restaurant—the evening did feel too much like a date. At first, the admiration in Jess’s eyes when they’d met at the car had reassured her she wasn’t underdressed in her teal sundress and dark-brown leather sandals that had way too many tiny straps to be called practical. But now it confused the hell out of her.
“Are you flirting?” Lena batted her eyelashes exaggeratedly. “Is flirting allowed when two friends go out to collect a bet on a non-date?” Light teasing and humor was always a good shield to hide behind.
“Don’t we make our own rules?” Jess sipped from her wine glass, and a lovely drop of red stained her lips.
“Good question. I have another one: Do we even need rules?” She reached for her own glass, only to find it empty.
Jess held up the bottle, but Lena placed her open hand over the glass.
“I’m already a little bit tipsy. And I need my wits if we’re negotiating rules of conduct.”
“No.” Jess put down the wine and played with the saltshaker.
“No?” Maybe she was more than tipsy because Lena didn’t follow.
“No, you don’t need your wits. I wouldn’t want to take advantage of you. But I also don’t think we need rules. We’re both adults and can have a little fun flirting.” Jess raised her eyebrows and flashed a smile that made sure Lena would agree to anything she asked. “Don’t you think?”
“Okay.” Lena placed a finger on Jess’s hand, drawing spirals outward and inward and back again. Two could play this game.
The goosebumps on Jess’s skin could be because Lena’s finger was cool from holding the bowl of sorbet. Lena grinned. Or maybe she was enjoying their evening as much as Lena was. The twinkling in her gaze suggested the latter, and Lena couldn’t look away as the cornflower blue of her eyes slowly darkened to the color of a summer evening sky.
“More wine?” Tyler appeared out of nowhere and picked up the bottle without waiting for a reply. With an exaggerated flourish, he poured in a wide arc into Jess’s glass.
Just as the glass was full, the bottle slipped from his grip and hit the rim of the wine glass. It swayed precariously.
Jess reached out to steady it at the same moment as he tried to grab it.
Their hands met, and the glass toppled over. Dark-red wine splashed over Jess’s shirt and face, then spilled all over the table cloth like an angry modern painting.
For a moment, nobody moved until Jess picked up her napkin and wiped her face. She lowered the linen and studied the stains for a second with a frown.
Tyler stared at her, open-mouthed, his face almost as white as the tablecloth. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I’ll get you another napkin, and…I’m so sorry I ruined your evening.”
“I’m fine. We were about to leave anyway.” Jess’s voice was calmer than Lena had expected. “Could you bring us the check please?”
“Check?” Tyler swallowed visibly. “Um…the meal is on the house.”
Oh no. Lena had waited in enough cafés and restaurants to know on the house meant it would probably be deducted from his pay. And by the glimpse on the prices, it was quite possibly more than he would make this evening. If Jess accepted his offer,
