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Fiona was the head of lifeguard operations at the Oceanside beach. Becca had known her for a while, actually. They had met back in 2019, pre-pandemic, when the Carlsbad and Oceanside fire departments jointly worked together on a campaign about water safety. Fiona had presented a talk to a classroom full of eighth-graders about staying safe in the surf on the beach, while Becca had presented a talk about the fire department’s role in beach and pool safety. Following that, they had worked together in a similar fashion for other safety-related campaigns.

The two of them had hit it off but nothing ever developed back then because at the time, both of them were seeing other women.

On Monday, while Becca was at Fire Station 3 on her shift, Fiona had reached out to her on social media, asking how Becca was holding up due to all the attention she was getting because of the office tower fire.

I know you tend to be a bit modest about how awesome you are, so I’m sure all of this attention is driving you batty. LOL!

Reading that message on Facebook Messenger, Becca had smiled. She had also started thinking quite a bit about Fiona. The lifeguard was beautiful and close to Becca’s age. Blonde, with a swimmer’s physique of long legs, small boobs and somewhat broad shoulders, she was also charming, funny and, like Becca, impatient with those who held overly conservative ideas.

And, as Becca learned after a few messages had been exchanged, Fiona was also single now.

Thus, the idea had been born that perhaps if she went out a few times with Fiona, maybe she could finally stop obsessing about Krissy.

So, last night, she and Fiona had met for dinner and drinks in Carlsbad. She had lied to Krissy, telling her best friend that she was going to just stay in and enjoy being by herself. Why she had done that, rather than admit she was meeting another woman, Becca didn’t quite know. For some reason, it had felt wrong though. It had almost felt like…admitting that she was cheating on Krissy.

After their night out was done, Becca and Fiona had hugged goodbye in the restaurant’s parking lot; just two women parting pleasantly before going their separate ways. But the hug had been a bit charged and had lasted just a tad longer than what would occur between two women who weren’t attracted to one another.

Today, when Krissy had texted, asking if Becca wanted to go out for dinner, Becca—still feeling a little guilty about lying last night—had instead offered up a watered-down version of the truth: meeting up with an old friend. Technically, it was true, even if it could be called out as a lie of omission.

But Becca had determined not to worry about it. If certain things developed between she and Fiona, then she’d tell Krissy. Unlike her best friend, Becca was not in the habit of informing Krissy about every single encounter she had with another woman.

“It’s a lovely night,” Fiona was now saying. The waiter at the seafood restaurant they had just eaten at had just returned their two debit cards after they split the check. “How about we walk down to the beach?”

Becca smirked.

“Isn’t that like spending time at the office for you?” she quipped.

Fiona laughed.

“Yeah, I guess it is,” she said. She then sighed dramatically. “But I’m willing to put up with such hardship if I’m with the right person.”

Now, Becca laughed.

This could work, she thought. She enjoyed spending time with this woman. Besides, Fiona was looking rather nice tonight. Of course, last night, she hadn’t exactly turned up looking like a bum; but tonight, Becca could tell that Fiona had put in that little bit of extra effort in her appearance. Her blonde hair had been blown-out, a little more eyeshadow had been applied and the dress she was wearing was casual but also date-worthy.

Becca, too, had put in some extra effort in her appearance. She was wearing her dark-brown/almost-black hair down after adding some waviness to it with her curling iron and had on a cute button-down skater dress which flattered her figure and which Fiona certainly seemed to admire on her.

Upon leaving the restaurant, they found themselves on the beach in a few minutes, both of them carrying their shoes as they walked barefoot in the sand. Becca couldn’t help but wonder what Krissy had gotten up to tonight. She also hoped her friend hadn’t started the new season of Grace and Frankie without her last night because she was looking forward to watching that with her.

But why I am thinking about Krissy now? I’m on what’s clearly a date…

It was frustrating! Especially because this hadn’t been the first time she had thought about Krissy during her night with Fiona.

Was this how it was going to be from now on? Whether with Fiona or any other woman? Was she going to constantly be thinking about Krissy—even while on moonlit walks on the beach with a stunning woman like the one she was with now?

Becca was starting to get angry with herself. She needed to end this…thing with Krissy once and for all, one way or the other. But how?

Just talk to her.

That was the most logical answer. It needn’t even be awkward if she broached it the right way. All she really needed to do was to cleverly find out if Krissy—probably the most confirmed bachelorette in Southern California—was interested in being in a relationship with her.

Becca rolled her eyes.

When she put it that way…

“Hey, you okay?”

Becca blinked. She looked over at Fiona walking next to her.