Skye tried not to be too smug when she said, “Uno.”
She was answered by a collective groan from Natasha, Mama, and Babulya. She’d failed at not being smug, but she liked to win. Even more than she liked to win, she hated to lose. She could see in the looks they were giving each other that they were trying to conspire against her and figure out what her last card might be.
But she’d known this was coming. They had to be getting tired of her winning nearly every hand, and as their aggravation grew, they became more cutthroat, even allying against her. So on this, the last hand of the evening, she had a little trick up her sleeve so they couldn’t thwart her.
Natasha sighed exasperatedly. “Don’t you ever get tired of winning?” She shook her head before placing a red four down with enough force that their wineglasses sloshed on the tiny kitchen table.
“The thing about winning…” Skye pursed her lips, paused for effect. “Is that it really never gets old.” Okay, that definitely sounded smug. So much for trying to be on her best behavior.
The notion made her think of Bailey; she certainly wasn’t winning anything there. She hadn’t been able to get Bailey or that dance or that kiss out of her mind in the weeks since and had been wondering if they’d made a mistake in nipping anything between them in the bud. Dating a colleague wasn’t ideal, but Skye had been suffering from a severe lack of focus lately because of Bailey. She brought her fingers to her lips and could still feel Bailey’s against them.
Mama’s cackle brought her out of her reminiscence. “So full of herself, my little hotsy-totsy Skye.” She placed a green four, changing the suit. Her eyes drilled into Skye as she set the card down, a sly smile bordering on a sneer across her mouth.
Green definitely wouldn’t stop Skye from winning. Only one more card between her and her victorious Wild card. One she’d drawn several cards in order to protect a few turns ago while looking for a green or a seven. She would have drawn up to four in an effort to preserve her Wild card, but that third one had been green.
She watched Babulya’s face as she selected a card from her hand and could feel the evil plan unwinding from the glint in Babulya’s eye before she even threw down her Wild Draw Four.
“Shit.” Skye hated being outmaneuvered. She prided herself on playing the long game and reached for the draw pile, disgusted, when a thought dawned. “Wait a second, you still have quite a few cards there, Babulya. I don’t believe there’s not another card that you could play.” She prided herself on knowing every rule. If she was right, Babulya would be the one drawing four.
“Are you sure you want to do that, bunny?”
“Absolutely.”
Skye was so certain that when Babulya flipped her hand around to show no green cards or fours, her jaw nearly hit the table. “Fine,” she said through clenched teeth as she now drew six cards rather than four, more cards than anyone at the table. She also noticed the secret smiles between all three of them. She had been played. Mama knew Babulya didn’t have anything green, which was why she’d changed the suit.
For frick’s sake.
Frustration burned hot in Skye’s veins. However, she wasn’t going to take this one lying down. She ordered and then reordered her cards.
“Skye, are you still free Friday night?” Mama asked, distracting her from her plotting.
“We’re having dinner, right?”
“Yes, but a slight change of location. Babulya and I made plans with a new friend, and we’re hoping you could drive us and have dinner out in Jefferson Park.”
“Jefferson Park? Why? That’s almost the suburbs.” Skye suppressed a frustrated sigh and smoothed two fingers between her brows in an attempt to iron away the wrinkle that always appeared when she was annoyed.
“Your snobbery is showing, Skye.” Natasha laughed, her eyes daring her to disagree.
Skye gritted her teeth more.
“We have friends. They invite us to dinner party. We go together,” Babulya said, effectively closing the matter.
“Well, okay, then. What time should I pick you up? And don’t think you’re getting out of this, Tash. Number one, we’re being dragged to a dinner with strangers, and number two, my car only seats two, so I’ll have to drive yours.”
* * *
Bailey was running late. Again. Even though it was just a family dinner, she still didn’t like it. Unfortunately, she ran late more often than she liked to these days as it seemed like there was always something that held her up at work. This afternoon, it was a minor injury on a construction site late in the day due to a distracted carpenter.
He had apparently been texting while walking and had tripped over an extension cord, landing on an open toolbox. He’d needed six stitches in his right leg and wouldn’t have any true lost time, so it wasn’t major, but Bailey was irritated because it could have been much worse. There was no room for distraction on an active construction site. Period.
Despite her irritation, she still ran to the urgent care clinic so she could see the carpenter for herself and have a chat with the site supervisor to make sure he would run a tighter ship in the future.
And she still had to stop to pick up Patsy before heading to her parents’ house.
To make matters worse, there was an unfamiliar car sitting in the little driveway next to her parents’ garage. Shit. That almost certainly meant her mom had some new setup waiting for her. That was not what she needed, but she clipped the leash on Patsy’s collar, and they walked in the back door to face the music.
They were greeted by a blast of heat, delicious smells, and her mother’s booming voice. “Where the hell is that girl?”
“Who, Mom?” Bailey asked, knowing that she was the girl in question. “And why are you yelling?”
Before Bailey had a chance to let Patsy off her leash, her mom pulled her into a tight hug. “You’re so late. I thought we might have to send out a search party. You get later and later every week. You’re working too hard.” Her mom grabbed her chin and shook her head.
“Sorry, Mom. It really wasn’t my fault today. Where’s Dad and Gammy? Who else is here?”
“They’re in the living room with Roxy and a few friends. Everyone else was busy tonight. Brian is in the Dells with the kids. Jessica and Ed are out to dinner, and Dave is working late.”
Shit. The caginess with “friends” and slipping that in before she detailed where everyone else was? It was definitely another setup. But did her mom really think she was going to ignore it?
“What friends, Mom?”
“Oh, just some women I met at the market a day or two ago. Mine was out of ground pork, so I went to one closer into the city. I met a mother and daughter who were also getting pork, so we talked about what we were both making, and apparently, we make very similar dishes. I make Polish golumpki, and they make Ukrainian holubtsi, so we decided to try each other’s. I’m cooking today, and then Anastasia and her daughter Yulia are going to cook their holubtsi next time for us.”
Yulia was a pretty uncommon name. Though Bailey wondered how old she was if she could be at the market in the middle of the day when other people were at work. Her mom grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into the living room.
As Bailey stepped into the room, she was taken aback at the number of people. The small area was standing room only. Gammy and a petite, gray-haired woman who had to be the matriarch of the guests sat in the wingback chairs in front of the window, laughing as they chatted.
Her dad was sitting on the love seat across from a young blonde with a large smile who looked vaguely familiar and another woman who had to be her mother, the resemblance was so keen. Bailey’s attention, however, was drawn to the final blonde standing in the corner next to Roxy.
By the small shakes of her shoulders, she was laughing quietly at something Roxy had said. Her hair was twisted up and secured with a clip. The line of her neck was regal in its length, ending at the top of a lithe torso that was comfortably clad in a flowing, long-sleeved cream-colored blouse and tight, dark jeans.
Bailey’s body had a visceral reaction to the woman’s silhouette, and she was pulled toward her. She mentally chastised herself for objectifying this woman. It had to be her lingering confusion from the gala a few weeks ago that had her stomach stirring in response to a woman whose face she hadn’t yet seen. And who was another setup by her mother. Or was it the woman on the couch that was supposed to be her “date”?
Bailey reluctantly looked back to her mother, who softly cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention and started the introductions. First, the petite matriarch, Anastasia Melnyk, who preferred Ana to Mrs. Melnyk or Anastasia. Then Ana’s daughter, Yulia, and Yulia’s younger daughter, Natasha.
When Bailey shifted her gaze back to the remaining stranger, Yulia’s other daughter, her brain finally registered who it was, and her mouth fell open. Standing next to Roxy with an expression that was a mix of chagrin and suppressed smirk was none other than Skye Kohl.
And, dear God, no, she appeared to be holding the much-hated picture of Bailey from middle school. Her hair was in frizzy pigtails, and she was wearing her Sally Jessy Raphael glasses. She had gigantic braces and was holding her first-place Mathletes trophy. Could she look any nerdier?
And now, Skye, the woman who had been bouncing in her thoughts for weeks—especially since the night of the gala—was standing in front of her, in her childhood living room, in front of half her family, holding a photo that, in vivid color, showed exactly what a dork Bailey had been as a child.
Jesus.
Skye placed the photo back on the shelf and broke the awkward standoff when she walked over with her hand outstretched. “It’s nice to see you again, Bailey,” she said softer than Bailey had ever heard her speak. That sexy smirk was still there, but her ears had a tinge of pink that said she was a little embarrassed as well. Bailey wondered how long she had known that she’d been standing in Bailey’s family’s living room.
Bailey wrapped her fingers around Skye’s smooth hand—that lacked even the hint of a callous—and flashed back to holding Skye in her arms. Kissing her in the hidden alcove above the ballroom. Fuck. “Good to see you again too.” She congratulated herself on her ability to string that many words together.
“You two know each other?” Bailey’s mom asked.
Bailey stammered, “Uh, yes.” Dammit, brain, get your act together.
Luckily, Skye saved them. “We’re colleagues. Sort of. I lease one of the buildings that City Beautiful Construction is doing some work in, so our paths have been crossing quite a bit lately.” She rubbed at her neck, and Bailey had a hard time looking away from those long fingers brushing against the elegant column. She vividly remembered the feel of those fingers against her own neck, playing with her hair near the end of the gala.
“Oh, how nice. Is it the Maxwell Building? Bailey showed us pictures of the rooftop deck. Isn’t it gorgeous?”
“It absolutely is. I get wonderful feedback from every group I take up there.” Skye looked between them, and her smile turned devilish, sending another jolt of heat between Bailey’s thighs. Uh-oh. “Are you a workaholic, Bailey? Do you talk so much work with your family that you even pull photos out at family dinners?”
Bailey rolled her eyes, irritated at how sexy Skye was even when she was teasing. “The company has been in my family for three generations. Everyone gets curious about what’s going on, and that deck is a showpiece.” She shrugged.
Patsy, who was still attached to her left wrist, distracted everyone by barking. “Of course, my little Patsy girl, how could we forget to introduce you?” Bailey reached down and unclipped the leash.
“Patsy, this is everyone. Everyone, this is Patsy. She’s my sidekick and Mom’s favorite grandchild.”
Bailey’s mom swatted her arm. “Don’t say that. Everyone will believe you.”
“I believe it, so whatever.” Everyone laughed, but Bailey was confident that Patsy was, in fact, her mom’s favorite.
Patsy was sitting next to Bailey’s leg, quivering with excitement at so many new people to greet. “I hope everyone is okay with dogs,” Bailey said. “She’ll be unbearable if I keep her leashed up all night, but she doesn’t jump and will just sniff at your shoes unless you pet her.”
The corners of Skye’s lips turned down, and she stuck her hands into her pockets, but even she nodded. Typical snooty Skye. Probably doesn’t want a stray dog hair on her perfect pumps.
Everyone went back to chatting as Patsy made the rounds. Bailey was surprised that Ana, Yulia, and Natasha all seemed to be dog people and couldn’t help but wonder where Skye had developed her aversion.
To avoid any stilted conversations with Skye, and to give herself a few minutes to process the turn the evening had taken, Bailey went into the kitchen to help her mom finish the last bits of dinner.
“Isn’t she a looker?” her mom asked as soon as the kitchen door swung closed behind her.
“Jesus, Mother.” Bailey huffed and ran her fingers through her hair. “Haven’t I asked you to stop doing this? You never listen, and now you’ve brought in someone I already know. Can you say awkward? Or was it the other daughter you’re trying to pimp me out to?”
“Don’t be crass, Bailey.” Her mom threw two oven mitts at her. “Take the potatoes out of the oven.”
Bailey rolled her eyes. What was that? Twice in the last ten minutes? She didn’t think she’d rolled her eyes that many times since she’d been a teenager. However, she acquiesced.
“To your other point, yes, the one you’ve been making lust eyes at since the moment you saw her is the one. The other daughter, Natasha, is also single but straight.”
“How does that even come up in a casual conversation at the market?”
“A mother never reveals her secrets. Chalk it up to gay parent radar. Like gaydar, but I can sense the parents of gays. Get it?” Her mom chuckled, and Bailey rolled her eyes for the third time that evening. The muscles behind them were starting to ache.
“Yes, Mom, I get it.” Bailey laughed at the absurdity of this entire evening that was a long way from being over.