“It’s okay.” She smiled as she took a drink of juice. “We’ve beendoing that all morning.”
Dex picked up the coffee and continued to scoop it into the maker.After she flipped the switch on, she picked up the frying pan from the stove.“You want some eggs?”
“I already had breakfast.” Juni peered over her glass at her.
She scanned the kitchen. She hadn’t noticed the dirty dishesstrewn haphazardly across the counter. “You had sex in the kitchen?”
Juni nodded. “Breakfast was delightful.”
Dex dropped the frying pan back onto the stove and held up herhands in front of her. “Now I really need to go.”
“Oh, stop,” Juni said with a chuckle. “He’s in the shower. He’llbe down in a sec, so you can at least say hi.”
“Uh, not sure I want to.”
Juni tilted her head and frowned. “Dex, I really like him.”
“Apparently so.” She pointed to the dishes. “I am not cleaning upyour after-sex breakfast dishes.”
“During…” Juni lifted her shoulders and smiled.
She rolled her eyes. “Oh my God.”
The dishes rattled as Juni gathered and slid them into the sink.“I’ll fix you some eggs if you’re hungry.”
“No need. I had cheesecake.” She shrugged and raised an eyebrow.
“For breakfast?” Juni’s voice rose as she leaned against thecounter, crossed her arms, and waited for Dex to elaborate.
“Emma had to take something to work for a holiday lunch today.”Trying to avoid eye contact, Dex turned and took three cups from the cabinet.
“And you made it for her?”
“We made it together.” Dex filled two of the cups with coffee.
“This morning?” Juni moved next to her and stared at her. “You’reblushing.” She took the decanter from her and slid it into the coffeemaker.“What aren’t you telling me?”
“We made it at three a.m.” Dex’s cheeks warmed. It wasn’t likethey’d never discussed her sexual partners before. She’d had plenty ofone-nighters. But this felt weird because Emma was different.
Juni’s face split into a huge smile. “That’s awesome.” She pulledher into a hug.
“It was awesome.” She smiled, thinking of the note she’d found onthe counter after Emma had left.
Helpyourself to anything. Call me today…please. I need to see you again soon.
xoxo
Em
She’d already had the best-tasting item in the house, and shewasn’t talking about the cheesecake.
“You remember the morning after Grace’s wedding when I woke up tothose awesome notes from that awesome girl?”
“She can’t be.”
Dex raised her eyebrows and nodded. “She is.” The exhilaration ofthe whole situation washed over her, and she was sure the grin on her face wastotally goofy.
Quickly crossing the kitchen, Juni slapped her on the shoulder.“Get out.”
“I know. Serendipitous, right?”
“Wow. Just wow.” Juni blinked a couple of times. “That’s trulyawesome. Now you can stop catering to Grace.” Juni picked up the last empty mugand moved it from hand to hand.
“Yeah, well, she doesn’t know how I feel yet, and she probablywon’t be happy about it.” Breaking it to her would be difficult, but Dex feltsomething different with Emma than she ever had with Grace.
“Didn’t she and Brent set you two up in the first place?”
“Come to find out, it was allBrent’s idea. Grace was totally against it. She doesn’t really like Emma.”
“Fuck her.” Juni shook her head as she spouted her usual responsewhen it came to Grace. “She needs to stay out of your love life.” She reachedup into the cabinet, traded the empty cup for a thermal mug, and headed to thecoffeepot. “Don’t give her any details. She’ll just try to make you feel badabout the whole thing.” She swung back around. “But I’ll need the full rundown,of course.”
Dex smiled and went into the living room. “Of course.” Juni wouldexpect the play-by-play, but Dex wasn’t completely comfortable giving it.
Josh came rushing into the kitchen and planted a kiss on Juni’slips. Dex was a little embarrassed at first, but that feeling faded quicklywhen Josh turned and threw her a wave. She couldn’t hear the conversation fromwhere she was sitting on the couch, but it seemed like he was in a rush. Junipoured coffee into the thermal mug and handed it to him. She was rewarded withanother peck on the lips.
“Good to see you, Dex,” he said as he rushed through the livingroom. “Come by the shop anytime, and I’ll fix you and your crew up withcoffee.”
“Good to see you too.” She gave him a wave as he went out thedoor. “And thanks.”
Juni came back with the coffee carafe and set it on a trivet inthe middle of the table. “Now where were we?”
“I think you were going to tell me about your spectacular nightwith Josh.”
Juni filled her in on her evening and subsequent night with Josh,and then Dex told Juni about her overnighter with Emma and the familiarity ofEmma’s house she’d realized when she’d arrived there the night before.
“Wow. She’s the one who took care of you after Grace’s wedding.”Juni took a big gulp of coffee and remained silent for a moment. “And she’sokay with that?” She scrunched up her face.
“Seems to be. It was pretty embarrassing, but only for a minute ortwo. She didn’t make me feel awkward at all.”
“Are you all right with that? I mean, what are you going to doabout those feelings?”
“I don’t know, but I haven’t thought about Grace much in the pastfew weeks.”
“Sounds like you’re moving in the right direction.” Juni squeezedher knee. “I’m really happy for you.” She plucked the cup from Dex’s hand andwent into the kitchen. “Now go on, get out of here. You have work to do, and Ihave books to shelve.”
“What a life.” She gave her sister one last hug and headed out tofinish her day, hoping it would end as wonderfully as it had started.
* * *
On her drive in to the office, Emma had stopped to get coffee,successfully avoiding Brent when she’d arrived this morning by immediatelyclosing all the blinds facing internally and shutting the door to her office.She hadn’t cracked either of them since, except to sneak out and go to thebathroom. She’d tried to work, but she couldn’t keep her thoughts fromwandering to
