Kristin James hadn’t enjoyed her day.
It started with the five pages of notes she’d received from her editor, Dalton, on the preliminary work she’d turned in on the exposé. Then she’d received a call from her landlord that he wouldn’t be fixing the dishwasher that continued to leak water onto the kitchen floor of her rental house, followed by the embarrassing exchange at the Lavender Room with that press-release-CEO of all people. But the fact that her Honda Civic wouldn’t start once she’d made it to the parking lot of the bar was just about all she could handle.
Instead of curling into the fetal position and surrendering to the universe, a course of action that she had first considered, Kristin sat on the curb outside the bar, waiting on the cab she’d called. That’s when she saw the blonde Lucy had been chatting with make her way to a Jaguar convertible and pull out of the parking lot. A girlfriend, perhaps? They were at a lesbian bar. The two of them would certainly make a striking couple. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, interrupting her thoughts. Anticipating the cab company, she was surprised to see the readout.
“Hiya, Mom.”
“I haven’t heard from you in two days.”
She smiled and relaxed back onto her hand. “Which isn’t a lot of time.”
“You’ve never been a mother.”
“True. But I’ll try to remember if I ever am one that two days is minimal.”
She heard her mother sigh. “How are you doing? Ready to move home yet?”
“Nah, I’m doing okay.”
Quite honestly, the “move home” didn’t sound like such a crazy suggestion anymore. She missed San Francisco, having lived there her entire life. Her friends, her family, a dating scene she was familiar with. The job at the Union-Trib had sounded like an adventure, a chance to do the kind of investigative journalism she wasn’t finding at her desk job at The Chronicle. But the transition had been hard. She’d met some people at an environmental activist meeting, but they were just acquaintances at this point. A couple of people at work had been friendly enough, but quite honestly, Kristin was lonely and beginning to really feel it.
“And the house? Are you all settled in?”
She took a deep breath and brightened for her mother’s benefit. “The house is wonderful.” Yep, no puddles of water on the kitchen floor at all. Apparently, she’d need to go dishwasher shopping over the weekend. She pushed forward. “I bought the cutest little curtain for the kitchen window. It looks out over this little side yard.” She left out the part about her next-door neighbor leaving his spare car parts all over the ground.
“And you’ve made friends in the city?”
She nodded to sell herself the lie. “I have. We just met for drinks actually. It’s a fun little group. We might be getting together for a movie night this weekend and I was thinking I could pop my special popcorn for them.” Tears welled in her eyes at the dishonesty, but she couldn’t bear to upset her mother, who worried about her incessantly.
“That sounds like so much fun, sweet girl. You don’t know how relieved I am that you’re doing so well, and I won’t keep you anymore as you’re probably with friends. I love you and will talk to you soon.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
She hung up the phone and sighed, wishing half of what she’d reported to her mother were true. But there was a bright spot in her world—her work. Her mind was already firing after the conversation with Lucy earlier. Kristin believed in her story and was excited to get up each day and work on it. Not to mention, it was a topic that had her captivated. There was certainly a lot of gray underneath the umbrella of truth, to the point that she wasn’t sure where the line became firm. In fact, it now had her examining her own avoidance of the truth in the conversation she’d just had with her mother. It was something to think about and maybe include—lying for the greater good. She did, however, want to examine the topic from all sides. That’s the part that got her blood going, as there was something enthralling about compiling information, connecting the dots, and figuring out how it all went together in order to tell the best possible story.
Kristin checked her watch. The cab that was supposed to have picked her up twenty minutes ago was nowhere in sight. She stared across the parking lot and watched as the cars on the exterior street hugged the bend in the road, their headlights sharpening then blurring on the curve.
“Stargazing?” a voice behind her asked.
She glanced over her shoulder and saw Lucy watching her from a few yards away. Perfect, just what she needed. Of course the high-powered CEO who looked like she walked out of a fashion magazine was here to observe her down-and-out moment. “Something like that.”
Lucy closed the distance between them until she stood next to Kristin’s spot on the curb, peering down at her curiously. “Seriously though, what are you doing sitting on the sidewalk at night?”
Kristin blew out a breath. While she’d really rather not involve Lucy Danaher in the details of her mid-evening plight, there didn’t seem to be a way to get her to move on without first supplying her with an explanation. “Because my car won’t start and I’m waiting on a cab.”
Lucy scratched the spot just above her lip as she thought. It was quirky and cute. Kristin brushed that thought aside as aggressively as it had come on. “This is quite tragic,” Lucy said. “I’d be happy to give you a ride. Where do you live?”
Uh-uh. No. “That’s a very nice offer, but my cab will be here any minute.”
A pause. “Okay, then I’ll wait with you.” Lucy took a seat on the curb.
“What are you doing?” Kristin asked, eyeing Lucy and her newfound proximity.
“Waiting with you.” Lucy glanced around. “I just said that, no?”
“Not necessary.”
“It is so. You’re an attractive woman alone in a parking lot at night. No good-hearted human would leave you here. Someone could Kristin-nap you.”
She studied Lucy. “I see. And that’s you? A good-hearted human?” She hadn’t meant it as a dig but realized that’s how it had sounded by the overly wounded look on Lucy’s face.
“You may not realize this, Ms. James, because for whatever reason you’ve decided you hate me, but I am, in fact, a good person.”
She held up a finger. “For the record, I do not hate you.”
Lucy scrunched an eye. “Feels like you hate me.”
She couldn’t help but smile. Lucy, was…amusing, even when she didn’t want to find her amusing. And attractive, and she certainly didn’t want to find her that. Kristin held up one finger. “Just because we see things differently in regard to the press release doesn’t mean I hate you. In fact, it’s nothing personal at all. I’m sure you’re quite lovely.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere. Except you did just storm out of the bar an hour ago. We haven’t quite dealt with that yet.”
Kristin nodded, as she had done that. Her feelings had been hurt and she’d been embarrassed. She now realized that she could have handled it all more in stride. “I apologize for the storming. It’s been a long day.”
“You can say that again.”
“I apologize. It’s been a long day.”
Lucy stared at her, mystified. “Pause the world. Did you just make a joke?”
Kristin felt the corners of her mouth tug. “A little one.”
“Well, color me impressed and willing to admit it. The crackerjack reporter has a humorous side. Who knew?” Kristin raised her hand. “Aha. And confident too.”
“That’s me.”
They stared out at the stationary cars in the parking lot for a few moments, the silence palpable before Lucy finally turned to her. “Okay. We should go now, yeah?”
“Go?”
“Your cab clearly stood you up and I’m going to drive you home.” Lucy stood and headed into the parking lot.
Staring after her, Kristin sighed in surrender. “Fine, but your good deed is not going to get me to kill the story.”
“Not at all shocking,” Lucy said without turning around. “You’re rather stubborn.”
“Hey! I have conviction. There’s a difference.”
Lucy passed her an overly sweet smile over the top of a silver Aston Martin. “Sure there is.”
Eight minutes later they turned into the Verde Oaks subdivision. Kristin pointed ahead of them. “Take the second right, and it’s the second to last house on the left.” Lucy pulled into the drive and ducked her head, peering up at the home.
“This is a very cute place with a lovely green door.”
Kristin cringed. “Thanks, but don’t look too closely. The green door is the best part.” Lucy raised a questioning eyebrow. “I was a bit misled in the rental process.”
“That should go in your article,” Lucy said. “Someone didn’t tell the truth.”
“You have a point,” Kristin said, laughing. She then took in the fact that Lucy was watching her with a curious expression, and she was instantly self-conscious. “What? Do I have something on my face?”
Lucy shook her head almost imperceptibly. “No. It’s just, you have a nice laugh is all.”
She nodded, meeting Lucy’s eyes. “Thanks.” Was it just her or had the mood just shifted completely? Because unless she was imagining it, there seemed to be a snap-crackle-pop thing in the air that didn’t have much to do with her news article. She opened the door, moving them out of it, focusing on her words and not the flip-flop her traitorous stomach was doing. “I appreciate the ride.”
“Anytime,” Lucy said. “You’d do it for me, right? You know what? Don’t answer that.”
Kristin shook her head and smiled. “Good night, Ms. Danaher.”
“Ms. James.”
Kristin headed into the darkened house and all but collapsed on her sofa, also known as the snuggliest sofa known to man. Big and tan and amazing with navy blue and white striped accent pillows, a gift from her mom.
In the midst of her snuggle, she ruminated over the day’s happenings, a practice that was part of her nightly decompressing ritual. There had been the meeting with Dalton, which reminded her she still needed to go over his notes for the story again. Then the less than thrilling conversation with her deadbeat landlord, resulting in four hundred dollars for a new dishwasher. Then there had been her frustrating interactions with Lucy Danaher along with the not so frustrating save-and-rescue. She turned onto her back and stared up at the popcorn ceiling.
Lucy was a puzzling person. That was for sure.
A puzzling person with thick dark hair and Bambi eyes, her brain amended. She smiled at the description, because there didn’t seem to be much that was innocent about Lucy Danaher.
*
The newsroom at the Union-Trib was a flurry of activity the following morning as San Diego was in the midst of a pretty big news week. A money-laundering politician, a local and well-liked weatherman caught with a prostitute, and a series of convenience-store robberies had all hit in just the past twenty-four hours. The buzz of chatter infiltrated the room as reporters called to verify facts and secure sources, and editors rushed to fill the news hole. The paper was put to bed at six p.m., which was an earlier deadline than Kristin was used to.
“Hey, James, you have the copy ready from the third Valero knock over?”
Kristin glanced up at Dalton and checked her watch. “I have five minutes.”
“Make that three.”
She kept her eyes on her monitor and focused on the words, rather than the gray-haired man with the crease between his eyes staring down at her. “I can have it for you in two if you give me a little breathing room. So how ’bout it, huh?”
He held up his hands and backed away. That was the thing about Dalton. He was gruff, but he was good at his job, which meant the notes he’d given her about her story the day prior had been good ones. Streamline. Narrow the focus and keep it simple. They were journalistic basics, but sometimes she needed to hear them.
After a quick proof of the robbery story, she hit the send button and fell dramatically backward into her chair. “Kristin James, out.”
Marissa, her colleague one desk over, shook her head. “Now you’re just showing off.”
Kristin passed her a smile. “A little. You almost done?” She glanced at the clock, noting how little time was left to hit their deadline.
“Watch this.” Marissa leaned her head very close to her monitor and made a show of hitting the send button. “I like to make them sweat.”
Marissa Cruz covered city politics for the paper and Kristin really liked her. They were similar in age and did pretty well together at the inner-office banter. Kristin had her pegged as a potential friend, though it was still a bit early to tell.
“I don’t know about you,” Kristin said, “but I could use a cocktail. Happy hour?” It was the first time she’d invited Marissa anywhere socially, but today seemed like a good enough time for it, as the day literally had not stopped since the moment they’d arrived at work.
“I would love to and we should very soon, but it’s my anniversary and my husband is taking me out. Sitter and everything.”
Kristin smiled. “Aww. Happy anniversary. How many years?”
“Seven, which makes it our wool anniversary. How in the world do you satisfy the wool category when it’s ninety degrees outside?” Marissa shrugged. “So I got him the DVD of Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch.”
“Clever.”
“I thought so. At least I’ll get a laugh out of it.” Marissa slipped her bag onto her shoulder and powered down her computer. “But we’ll get that drink soon, okay?”
“Holding you to it,” Kristin said and watched her coworker head to the elevator.
So she was on her own again tonight. What else was new?
She drove home exhausted, but not exactly looking forward to another night of her, a frozen dinner, and Ryan Seacrest. Not that they weren’t a great trio, but tonight the idea was barely tolerable. She could do some work, but honestly, her brain was fried from the crazy demanding news day. So last minute, Kristin made an executive decision and turned the car around.
The Lavender Room was fairly quiet when she arrived, but then it always seemed to be on weeknights. A small group of women sat around a circular booth directly across from the bar, laughing and seeming to have a good time. She nodded at them as she passed, took a seat at the bar, and smiled at the spiky-haired bartender as she approached.
“Let me guess? A pinot grigio?”
Kristin thought on this briefly. “I think I’m gonna branch out tonight. A glass of the Sterling cab, please.”
“Good choice.” The bartender nodded and poured, doing that little turn of her wrist that Kristin could never seem to master.
“Very impressive,” she said, moving her finger in a circular motion. “The twist at the end.”
“It was,” said a voice from behind her. “I’ll have a glass of the same, extra twist, please.” Kristin turned to find Lucy standing there, who held up her hands in defense. “I’m not stalking you, I promise.”
She sent her a sideways glance. “Jury is still out on that one.”
Lucy took the stool next to Kristin’s. “Well, let me know when they decide my fate. Jail’s not sounding so bad right now.”
“Rough day?”
“You could say that. I really shouldn’t even be here. I have contracts to peruse, presentations to prepare, and about fifteen managers who need to meet with me on various topics. But I think I just need a moment to catch my breath. Do you ever have that?”
“I do. It’s totally necessary, and you did the right thing.” Lucy’s hair was pulled into a thick ponytail today, which swirled luxuriously against her white suit jacket. Kristin wondered how one accomplished such a swirl, as she wouldn’t have a clue. Her ponytails were much more straightforward. Perhaps boring was the better word.
Lucy turned to her. “I didn’t ask if I could join you.”
Kristin waited for Lucy to say more but she didn’t. “This is true.”
“I suppose I could leave you to your drink.”
“It’s an option,” Kristin said with a smile.
Lucy raised a shoulder. “I mean, for all I know, you’re waiting on someone. A hot date perhaps.”
Kristin nodded. “Yep. The hottest. She’ll be here any minute now.”
“She?”
Kristin glanced around. “Well, we are in a gay club.” And then apologetically to Lucy, “Did you miss that?”
“Touché. And no, I definitely didn’t miss that.” There it was again. That moment of sustained eye contact that sped up her heart rate and left her mouth dry.
“Want to get a table?” Kristin asked.
“So you’re asking me on a date already? Wow, you move a little fast for me.”
Kristin shook her head. “You’re infuriating, you know this?”
“So you don’t want to go on a date with me?” Lucy was smiling in a way that told Kristin she was enjoying every minute of this. But she was also moderately adorable alongside the infuriating, which was an interesting dynamic. With Lucy, it all blended together.
“Let’s start with the table,” Kristin said.
“Well, okay. I can get behind this plan.” They picked up their drinks and made their way to a nearby cocktail table with a small candle flickering from inside a glass holder. The lighting was dim away from the bar, which added a whole new, calming element to the atmosphere.
“So do you come here a lot?” Lucy asked.
Kristin laughed. “Cue the flirtatious pickup line.”
Lucy’s jaw dropped. “I would never. You hate me. Known fact.”
“See, there you go again. I told you last night. I do not hate you. As in, I don’t. There’s a lack of hatred at play. We just have a few differences of opinions.”
“Right,” Lucy said, pointing at her, “the whole journalistic holier-than-thou thing. There’s that.”
“Hey! Now who’s hating?”
“Valid point. Cease-fire?”
Kristin nodded. “Cease-fire.”
She studied her drinking companion with interest. “So what’s your story, Lucy Danaher?”
“CEO by day, professional Lavender Room stalker by night. Oh, and I adore smoothies and rock and roll.” She sipped her wine and met Kristin’s gaze. “And now you know everything.”
“Smoothies, huh?”
“Strawberry is my favorite. Tell me one thing about you.”
“Just one?”
“I figured we should pace ourselves. See how it goes. I’d rather we not break into an enormous fight in a public place, so I’m baby-stepping.”
Kristin thought on this. “I like to run. I only get the chance a couple of times a week, but it’s an outlet. Do you run?”
“Only if something is chasing me.”
Kristin laughed. “Well, it’s great for stress. You should try it sometime.”
“Okay,” Lucy said, nodding. “I’m putting it on the list right after my recreational root canal.” The smile relaxed from Lucy’s face and she swirled her wineglass.
“Can I ask you a serious question?”
“Fair enough.” And then Lucy looked away and smiled.
“What went on in your head just then?” Kristin asked.
“You’ll think it’s stupid. You’re the super-serious type.”
Kristin let her mouth fall open. “I am not. Tell me what was funny.”
“Fair enough is a great drag-queen name. I collect them. It’s a thing.”
Now it was Kristin’s turn to smile. “I’m sorry. You collect drag-queen names?”
“I do. It’s a hobby. You run. I collect drag-queen names. Both are perfectly acceptable pastimes. You had a question?”
“Yes,” Kristin said, noticing for the first time a tiny scar just below Lucy’s eyebrow. She wondered absently how it had gotten there before forcing herself to focus. “Do I seem unapproachable to you?”
“To me. Yes. You turned the screws on me without warning in our business meeting. I’m right to be a little wary of you.”
“No, I don’t mean you. I mean the collective you. The larger you. You as in anybody. Do I seem unapproachable to the average person?”
Lucy glanced around and understanding flickered. “You mean to women. Lesbians.”
Kristin thought on this, recalling the nights she’d spent alone at this very bar. “Yeah, I guess I do.”
Lucy sat back in her chair. “Then yes.”
“What? Really? Why?” This so wasn’t fair. “I’m friendly enough. I smile. And I’m a genuine person.”
“It’s none of that,” Lucy said, pointing her finger in a circular motion.
Now Kristin was lost. “Well, what is it then? Just tell me what you think it is. Outside of the whole news story disagreement, I mean, that you find off-putting.”
Lucy bit her lower lip and seemed to consider how to proceed. It looked really good on her, the lip-biting thing. Kristin wouldn’t mind taking in that visual for a little while longer. “It’s not off-putting,” Lucy finally said. “It’s intimidating.”
“What is?”
“Well, have you looked in a mirror lately?” Lucy asked and calmly sipped her wine.
Kristin struggled to follow the logic. “Not since this afternoon. Why?”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “Come on. You must know you’re gorgeous, and that can be intimidating to…What should we call them? Interested parties of the lesbian variety.”
Kristin felt the blush hit her cheeks. “No. That’s not it.”
“I mean it is. Objectively. And if the two women at the bar who keep glancing over here every few minutes thought you would be halfway interested in them, they’d be over here buying you a drink.”
Kristin had never considered such a theory. She knew she was decent enough looking, but the fact that Lucy thought so was new and interesting information. “You think I’m attractive?”
“I didn’t exactly say I thought that. We were talking about the collective, remember?”
“Oh.”
A pause. “Of course I think you’re attractive,” Lucy said, relenting in a semifrustrated huff. “I have a pulse. God.”
Something warmed in Kristin and she smiled. The wine gave her an extra shot of courage. “Do you have a crush on me, Ms. Danaher?”
Lucy shook her head and smiled widely. “No way. You’re the one who asked me on the table date, remember? I think it’s the other way around. You don’t ask people to tables unless you’re crushing.”
“I did do that, and I’m thinking right about now that it was a good decision.”
At Kristin’s words, Lucy’s smile dimmed and her lips parted. What was it about this woman who could frustrate her one minute and charm her the next? Kristin wasn’t sure, but she knew one thing. She wanted to find out.
They killed a second glass and argued over the benefits of the impending warmer weather. “It’s awesome,” Lucy said. “Pool time, suntans, and barbecues.”
Kristin accepted the bill and her credit card from the waiter. “Sunburns, sweat, and tourist season.”
“The Fourth of July,” Lucy countered.
“Ohh, I do love the Fourth. I can concede on that count. There’s something about the fireworks bursting and filling the sky that makes my heart stop.”
“Mine too,” Lucy said quietly. They smiled at one another. “Thanks for the drinks.”
Kristin closed the leather portfolio that contained her credit card slip. “Don’t thank me. You’re getting it next time.”
“Next time?” Lucy asked.
“Yeah, I mean, if there is one then—”
“There will be.”
Kristin wasn’t sure exactly what was bubbling between them, but whatever it was had her complete and undivided attention. The give and take, the challenges and yields all kept Kristin on her toes, and she loved that.
They walked together to the parking lot and Lucy followed Kristin to her rental car. She’d had her own car towed and would pick it up the following week, once the obscure part it needed arrived at the garage.
“Just want to make sure it starts,” Lucy said, smiling from a few feet away. She was partially illuminated by the glow of a nearby street lamp and looking more beautiful than Kristin had ever seen her.
“And if it doesn’t?”
“Then I suppose I’ll have to rescue you again. Can you believe that?”
“Two rescues? That’s a lot.”
Lucy shrugged. “Guess I’m just that kind of girl.”
Kristin shook her head in wonder. She’d had a fantastic time that night. Probably the best since she’d moved to San Diego. Whether it was the wine or the ups and downs of the conversation, she didn’t know, but in that moment, she found herself overwhelmingly attracted to Lucy Danaher. The kind of attraction that made her mouth go dry and her stomach flutter and more than anything she wanted to act on it. “I’ve never met anyone like you, you know that?”
“I can safely say the same to you,” Lucy said, meeting her gaze. Her eyes shone brightly, the blue more deep and intense now. Resisting the pull for reasons she’d examine later, Kristin started her car successfully and Lucy held up a hand in farewell. “Until next time, Ms. James. I had fun with you tonight.”
“Me too,” Kristin said. “Good night.” She offered Lucy a last smile before closing the door and pulling away. Alone in her car, she admitted to herself how desperately she’d wanted to kiss Lucy in that parking lot. Just close the distance between them and do it. The thought alone sent a delicious shiver through her body. But that’s when reality flashed. She shouldn’t make out with one of her sources. Journalism 101.
But how long had it been since anyone had sparked that kind of reaction in her? She closed her eyes at the red light and took a deep breath. It was probably for the best.
It turned out she was excellent at self-delusion.