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“Right. So we are the extremely overpaid babysitters.”

Cherish chuckled but managed to get the sound under control rather quickly. “In my hometown, we’d call them chaperones.”

“Chaperones?” Haylee pulled a face, a mix of disgust, curiosity, and disbelief. “Aren’t those people to watch for sinful behavior on dates?”

“Spot on.” Cherish sipped her wine again. “I grew up in a very small, conservative town. Very Christian. Dating unsupervised wasn’t welcome.”

“Do you come from an extremely religious family?”

Cherish swallowed the lump in her throat. That had always been a problem she’d gritted her teeth through. Stuart supported her and other gay people no matter what. Hell, he’d dated Febe in high school to protect her from all the homophobia in town. He was a true ally. And when Febe had offered Cherish the job, she’d jumped at it, hoping to find the same freedom.

“My family is religious, yes. Some more than others.”

“Would they…” Haylee paused, considering her words carefully. “I’m not sure there’s a delicate way to ask this.”

“There isn’t.” Cherish decided to give Haylee a break. “My immediate family is supportive. The rest don’t know.”

“They don’t know?” Haylee’s eyes were saucers.

“They don’t need to know.” Cherish shut down the conversation. “I assume your family is supportive?”

“In every way.”

Cherish envied that. She’d always wanted to live completely out, but it would be impossible in her hometown to do that. It had been the main reason why she’d wanted to escape. Febe had been the second reason on that list. “Why veterans? You’re not military.”

“Excuse me?” Haylee froze. It was a natural reaction to the sharp change in conversation. Cherish should have eased her into it a little more.

“Why are you so concerned about veterans and their families?” Cherish finished her first glass of wine just as their food was set in front of them. She ordered a second.

“Oh, um…I grew up in the nineties and early two-thousands. I was in middle school when the Iraq War started. I remember there being so much concern over drafts. It was a trying time. And our military deserves our best. They’re risking their lives for us.”

“So are a lot of people.” Cherish pushed slightly, but she could tell that Haylee was avoiding.

“Yes, they also deserve the best.”

Cherish hummed, recognizing a roadblock when she found one. For Febe to approve a focus and effort from Haylee on that, she was going to need to see that passion shine through. Cherish was only getting a hint of it now, and it wouldn’t be enough.

“So the gala, when we escort Ms. Aarts, what do we do when she’s busy?”

“Pay attention to every nuance of hers,” Cherish answered immediately. “We’re her protection against everything she doesn’t like that night.”

“I think you do that every day.”

“Perhaps.” Cherish finally started eating. Her stomach rumbled, and she realized she’d skipped lunch that day. She needed to pay better attention to that.

Haylee cocked her head to the side, her gaze dropping from Cherish’s eyes to her lips, down to her breasts. Cherish stayed still, allowing the appraisal of her body. It had been so long since someone had looked at her like that. As much as she’d always hoped Febe would, she never had. The crush Haylee had so astutely noticed was entirely one-sided. Haylee flicked her gaze back up to Cherish’s lips, lingering there.

“See something you like?” Cherish’s voice was huskier than she’d intended. Perhaps she was more affected than she’d initially thought.

Haylee’s cheeks were on fire. The kiss of red was adorable. Amused, Cherish held her gaze, a heat warming in her belly and moving farther down her body, settling between her legs. It was a nice warm arousal, one that wasn’t overwhelming but pleasant. It had been far too long since she’d allowed herself to feel that.

Tonight could be interesting. It was definitely more than a couple of coworkers sharing a meal, but Cherish wasn’t sure what other words she would use to describe it. Date? No, not at all. But they were getting to know each other better.

“Are you still sure you want to be my ally in this gala plan?” Cherish gave Haylee an out, not bringing up her observation again.

“Damn sure. We made a bet.” Haylee rested her forearms on the table and leaned in. “I never pull out of a bet.”

“I’ll have to remember that.” Cherish went back to her meal. Monday would be interesting for sure. But if Haylee kept looking at her like that, then Cherish would take it. It felt amazing to be appreciated by someone other than Febe, and especially in that way.