Page 2 of Bliss

Alex

The restaurant was busy, as was expected for a Friday night, but Alex didn’t mind the fifteen-minute wait, nor did it seem Callie minded either. While they stood against one of the walls in the foyer painted with an interesting geometric pattern in canary yellow, red clay, and lapis lazuli, Callie remained tucked against Alex’s side, arm looped with hers, and her hand had migrated to holding Alex’s bicep. Every time her fingers slightly gripped the firm muscle, it ignited a spark of arousal between Alex’s thighs.

“Your table is ready. Follow me.”

They followed the young man dressed in a beautifully embroidered blue silk Sherwani top and gold silk pants past the hostess booth and under an elegantly carved horseshoe arch to a brass-topped table in the back corner of one of several dining sections. The colorful velvet and satin pillows covering the sedari-style seating were large and plush and very comfortable.

As he set a menu down on their table, he asked, “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Water with lemon, please,” Callie said, and Alex nodded, and said, “Make that two.”

“Right away.” He bowed his head, then turned and left.

When Alex picked up the menu, Callie slid in closer to her so they could look at it together, bringing their hips and thighs together. As another spark of pleasure lit up her core, Alex had to hold her breath to stifle a sigh.

“Are we going to get individual meals, or get a few things to share?”

Alex grinned as she tilted her head to look at Callie, and asked, “Are you okay with eating off the same plate as me? You know, we might be swapping spit that way.”

As Alex playfully wiggled her eyebrows, Callie rolled her eyes and lightly slapped her arm, but the blush in her cheeks and the way she was trying to tug down a smile told Alex she’d struck a nerve.

Maybe I’m not the only one feeling sparks of desire. But we’ve been drinking. Too much. It’s just the alcohol. By the time we get done with dinner, and we sober up, there won’t be anything there. We’ll go our separate ways and probably never see or talk to each other again.

“Let’s share so we can have a better variety.”

Alex nodded, and by the time the nicely dressed waiter returned with their waters, they were ready to order, which Callie waited for Alex to do.

“We’re going to have the three-course dinner, starting with the three-salad plate, lemon chicken as our entrée, and baklava and mint tea for dessert. And can you please bring utensils?” She motioned to Callie, and added, “She’s a big-shot hand model, so we have to protect those pretty little fingers.”

The young man chuckled and nodded as he took the menu that she was holding outstretched to him. “Of course. No problem. Your salads will be right out.”

Callie waited until he’d walked away to laugh and lightly slapped her arm. “You think you’re funny, don’t you?”

Alex flashed a big, goofy grin, and Callie laughed again. Alex liked the sound of it, and she made it her mission to make her do it as much as possible for the duration of their non-date.

“Quick, put your hands out like this.” Alex daintily layered her own hands over each other on her own thigh to demonstrate, then whipped out her cellphone. “We need to do a photoshoot, just in case he asks to see some of your work.”

“Oh, my God.” Callie laughed that sweet, pleasant laugh again, and gently shoved Alex. “Stop it.”

Alex just grinned and opened her camera, holding the phone up to frame Callie’s beautiful, smiling face. “Are you really going to be a diva and refuse to work? Do you know how much it cost to reserve this studio last minute on a Friday night, Ms. Davenport?”

She was rewarded with another laugh. Then, with her tongue tucked into the left corner of her smile, Callie looked between Alex and the phone. “You’re not even pointing it at my hands.”

“Oh, right.”

Alex tilted the phone down, then fell back laughing hard at the obscene gesture her right hand was offering while her left shielded it from the table across from them. She quickly snapped the picture, then slid over to Callie, draping her arm over her shoulders, and held the phone between them so they could look at the picture together.

“Huh. You do have pretty fingers, even if they are telling me to fuck off.”

Callie gently elbowed her in the side. “Take a picture of us and send it to Joselynn so she knows we haven’t killed each other yet.”

“Yet?” Alex tilted her head to look at her. “Oh, come on, we are totally vibing. Yet doesn’t belong in that sentence.”

“Just take the picture.”

Alex chuckled as she flipped to the forward-facing camera and held her phone out in front of them. Her breath caught in her chest when she saw Callie’s beautiful smile lighting up her face. More than just being beautiful, she looked happy and comfortable snuggled up against Alex.

What a transformation from not even an hour ago.

With a little giggle, Callie prompted, “Take the picture, will you?”

“Oh, right.”

Alex snapped a few pictures, then they looked at them together, and Callie pointed out the best one. “Send that one. And send it to me too.”

She wants my phone number?

“Wow, that was really smooth.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Uh huh. That little minxish smile is throwing down quite the counter argument. The jury and judge are going to have you convicted and locked up. You’re guilty as charged, Ms. Davenport.”

Callie laughed and licked her grinning lips. “Are you going to be my prison warden and keep me in line?”

The words alone were enough to incite a barrage of naughty mental images, but it was Callie’s flirtatious tone and the twinkle in her eyes that caused Alex’s chest to rise with a deep, heated breath, which made Callie’s already tempting smile all the more appealing and harder to stop staring at.

“Send the picture, Alex.”

Definitely the alcohol.

Alex mentally shook herself to dispel the haze of desire and sent the picture to Joselynn.

Alex: Back in the ring for round two.

“Cute. Now, send it to me.”

“You’re so bossy.”

“I think you like it.”

“I think someone’s flirting.”

Callie just smiled and gently elbowed her in the ribs. After Alex added the picture to a new message, Callie reached over to type in her phone number, then added herself to Alex’s contacts.

They barely noticed and quickly thanked the waiter as he set their salad course and a basket of steaming pita bread on the table with some napkins and utensils. He nodded, and after he walked away, Callie tapped on Alex’s phone to go back to her list of text conversations and tapped on Joselynn’s name.

“So invasive,” Alex drawled, without really meaning it.

“You like it.”

Alex shrugged, and Callie smiled and leaned in as if she was going to kiss her, then abruptly pulled back, blushing and her smile slipped some. She cleared her throat and quickly looked down at the phone that Alex was still holding between them.

Joselynn: That’s more like it! I want to hear about everything tomorrow. Have fun!

Alex: I’ll let you know if we swap spit.

Alex laughed when Joselynn sent a laughing, crying emoji, and Callie gasped and lightly slapped her arm. Surprisingly, she didn’t say it wouldn’t happen, nor did she declare this wasn’t a date for the umpteenth time.

After pocketing her phone, Alex leaned forward for the napkins. She shook them out, draping one over Callie’s lap to protect her cute little black dress and the few inches of her exposed thighs and knees, then draped one over her own lap.

“Thank you.”

Alex nodded, then handed her a fork and offered her the basket of pita bread.

They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, only offering brief comments of how good the salads were. The marinated cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers was their favorite, and the roasted and spiced eggplant and tomatoes was their second. The pitas were warm and pillowy and addictive. Alex had to stop herself when she was about to eat a third, not wanting to fill up on bread.

They left only a few pieces of the carrot salad and leaned back, shoulders pressed together, and hands over their own bellies. They tilted their heads to look at each other and laughed, but when Callie’s eyes drifted to Alex’s mouth, she quickly sat up and reached for her water.

The waiter returned and swapped out the salad plate with a platter of a whole chicken that had been slow cooked with lemons and olives and herbs. It fell off the bones, melted in the mouth, and was mouth-wateringly delicious.

“Joselynn said you’re a personal trainer. Do you enjoy doing that?”

Alex nodded while she chewed a bite, and after swallowing, she answered, “Most days.”

“What makes you not like a particular day of work?”

“Oh, man, that’s a loaded question.” Alex laughed and took a sip of water, before answering, “I split my time between a gym I have a contract with, and in-home training for half a dozen wealthier clients. There are countless things that can happen in the gym that turn a good day into a shitty one. Mostly people being rude and inconsiderate, not putting equipment away properly, or getting injured or causing injury because they either don’t know what they’re doing or they don’t follow the rules. And between the traveling and their antics, the in-home clients can be a real pain in the ass some days.”

Alex has had to drop many in-home clients for wasting her time and refusing to pay their bills. She couldn’t count the number of times she’d arrived for an appointment and the client spent most of or all of it on a business call, or on the phone lecturing one of their grown-ass children, or bossing around their hired help, like maids, gardeners, private chefs, or event planners. Then they got huffy and rude because she wouldn’t stay beyond the scheduled hour and threatened not to pay her. But they had an iron-clad contract. She had set the time aside, and it was up to them to make sure they used it properly. Sometimes it took a while, but Alex always got her money. Alex had one of the brightest lawyers in the nation help her write up her contract, and her delinquent clients’ lawyers always made them pay up, rather than go to court to try to fight it.

Callie’s brows rose, and she asked, “Can I ask who the wealthier clients are? Anyone I would know of?”

Alex shrugged. “A couple of banking executives, a college professor, the owner of a high-end clothing line, and an heiress with a fortune to burn. No celebrities, if that’s what you’re wondering.” She pierced a piece of chicken with her fork, and before putting it in her mouth, she asked, “How do you like working at Vine Designs?”

Vine Designs was a major digital media and marketing company that worked with some of the biggest corporations in every industry, and even worked with some major firms in the entertainment industry. Joselynn had worked there for several years and was considered their top designer, and Callie was quickly making a name for herself within the company since being hired several months ago.

“Like you, I enjoy it most days, but some days are hell, and it’s usually because of clients changing their minds or forgetting what they asked for, then blowing up because they hate a design, or system issues cause me to lose a day’s worth of work and I have to start from scratch.”

While they finished dinner and dessert, they continued to talk about their jobs, sharing some funny and frustrating stories, laughing or shaking their heads in empathy. When the bill arrived, they both reached for their wallets, but Alex placed her hand over Callie’s.

“It’s on me.”

“What? No. I’m paying. With the way I…” She blushed and her eyes saddened. “Please, let me pay.”

“Nope. I already accepted your verbal apology; you don’t need to buy one too.”

“Alex…”

“Callie…”

“So very aggravating,” Callie mumbled, as Alex slid her credit card into the billfold.

“You like it.” Alex grinned, as Callie rolled her eyes at her for turning her earlier statement on her.

After Alex settled the bill, they started their walk back to their vehicles parked a block away. They’d started out nearly a foot apart, but after a dozen or so paces, their arms bumped, then Callie tentatively lifted her arm, looping it through Alex’s and lightly gripped her bicep. Neither of them said anything until they stopped at the corner.

“Where are you parked?” Alex asked, and Callie pointed to a black sedan two cars away. Alex walked her to the driver’s door, and started, “Well, uh, I guess this is…”

“Do you like coffee?”

“Only with my oxygen.”

Callie beamed, “I love that show!”

Alex scrunched her brow and played dumb. “What show?”

“Oh, stop it.” Callie lightly slapped the top of her chest, just above her right breast on her firm pectoral muscle, then blushed and quickly retracted her hand. “You threw that line out way too quickly to not know what show I’m talking about.”

Alex chuckled and nodded. “ Gilmore Girls . Yeah, I’ve seen the show a few times. But I do have to provide a disclaimer that may make you slap me again. Not that I’m complaining.” She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows, which deepened the rouge in Callie’s cheeks and she lightly bit her bottom lip. “Lorelai really drove me crazy sometimes.”

“Yes! Too much rambling and talking way too fast.” They just smiled at each other for a few moments, then Callie blinked hard, and asked, “Do you want to go get a coffee and maybe go for a walk and keep talking?” As Alex lifted her left wrist to check the time, Callie quickly backtracked. “Yeah, it’s getting late. I’ll just let you…”

“Callie, stop talking.” Callie immediately clamped her mouth shut, and those stunning caramel eyes held Alex’s, almost pleading with her to be kind and say yes. But Alex didn’t need her to plead, just needed her to be flexible. “Coffee sounds good, and I’d love to, if you don’t mind a change of venue or a quick detour at least.”

“I’m listening.”

“I need to go home to feed Daphne.”

“Daphne… Oh, your cat. Joselynn has mentioned her. Actually, she’s kind of a celebrity at work.”

Alex’s smile spread ear to ear. “Oh, yeah? Daphne will love to hear that. And she’d love to meet another fan. Interested?”

Callie’s beautiful mouth curled into that same minxish smile from earlier when she’d become flirty at the restaurant. “Talk about being smooth. Yes, I’ll go home with you. I’ll follow, but text me the address, just in case we get separated.”

“Hey,” Alex held up her hands, “I only plan on introducing you to one sweet and adorable pussycat tonight.”

With a snorting laugh, Callie lightly slapped her pectoral muscle again. “Shut up and go get in your car. I’ll wait to pull out until you’re ready.” Alex bit her lips to suppress her laugh, and Callie’s eyes shot wide open at the accidental double entendre. “I didn’t mean…” She shook her head, and unlocked her car. “Go get in your car, Alex.”

“Yes, Callie. I’ll text you in a minute.”

Alex took a few steps back to give her room to open her door and watched for on-coming traffic. Callie fluttered her fingers in an open-and-closed wave before closing the door, then Alex turned and leisurely jogged across the street and down the sidewalk to get to her car. After starting the engine and buckling her seat belt, she pulled out her phone and texted her address to Callie, who responded right away.

Callie: I’m still wearing your blazer.

Alex: I know.

Callie: I’ll give it to you when we get to your place.

Callie: The blazer … I’ll give you the blazer when we get to your place.

Alex: You’re adorable. See you soon.

After checking her mirrors and looking over her shoulder, Alex pulled away from the curb. She crawled by Callie’s vehicle, they waved at each other, then she led her into a left turn, heading for home.

“Shit. I’m taking Callie home. How did this happen?”

She looked in the rearview mirror to make sure the beautiful brunette was still following her, and she was.

“Am I crazy to think this could work? Am I crazy to want to see if it could work?”

She replayed the night over in her head, and her heart ached when she remembered the way Callie had received her outside of the restaurant. Why did she react like that? Is she genuinely not attracted to me, or did someone hurt her and she just wanted to drive me away? She knew from experience how much Joselynn could nag a person when she set her mind to something, so she knew it was possible that she accepted the date just to get Joselynn off her back, much like Alex had done. But the way Callie rejected Alex could have consequences for her at work and in her friendship with Joselynn — not because Alex would seek retribution, but because Joselynn was very protective of Alex. She should have just said something came up, or she wasn’t feeling well, or any one of a hundred other excuses that weren’t as blatantly rude but still would have told me she wasn’t interested.

Something had shifted when Alex wrapped her arm around Callie and led her out of the bar. Was it the alcohol? Was it because Alex accepted her apology and chose not to judge her for her earlier behavior? She didn’t know, and maybe it wasn’t important. Dinner was really enjoyable, and not just because of the delicious food. The conversation was interesting and flowed easily, and she definitely didn’t mind the flirting and closeness.

Alex sighed as she checked her mirror again, seeing Callie was still following close behind.

“Well, I’ve had worse first dates.”

When she pulled up the driveway of her house, she used the security app on her phone to open her garage door, and after lowering her window and waving for Callie to park in the driveway instead of on the street, she pulled her car into the garage. She was quick to park and hop out, and she made it to the side of Callie’s car just as she was opening her door. Alex grabbed the top of the door and held out her other hand. Callie smiled as she placed her hand in hers, allowing Alex to open the door further and help her out.

“So chivalrous.”

Grinning, Alex teased, “I thought I was aggravating?”

“You can be both.” Callie pushed the door closed and locked the car with a single beep. “You have a nice house. Mid-century modern?”

“The realtor called it a modern cape cod.”

Callie tilted her head as she studied the two-story house with large windows and two dormers in the attic. The first level had horizontal ebony-stained wood paneling with vertical natural cedar paneling on the second level. The front and garage doors were also cedar, as was the framing around all of the windows, even on the first level.