Page 25 of Hot Tea & Bird Calls (Kissing At Work #2)

Skye searched the festival grounds until she caught Thalia near a croissant booth with June, Zinnia, and their other friend, Larkin. This would be the first time they’d see Skye with a girlfriend in a while. “My friends are over there. You ready?”

“Lead the way.” Celene had been people watching, fingers never leaving Skye’s hair. “I want one of those breads on a stick.”

“I believe they cost three tickets.”

“Then, I’ll get you one, too. Whose are the best?”

They headed toward Skye’s friend group; their excitement couldn’t be contained. Skye shook her head. “You don’t have to spend your tickets on me. Enjoy yourself.”

Celene responded directly, even insulted. “I don’t care what the arrangement is; I’ll buy anything for my girlfriend.”

“Okay, sorry.”

After introductions and the anticipated squealing at a living, breathing real woman hooked onto Skye’s arm, they strolled past booth after booth. They browsed thematically breadish goods and initiated an indecisive conversation about where to spend their tickets.

Miraculously calm, considering the circumstances. That’s what she loved about her friends. They welcomed anybody.

Larkin, Thalia’s older cousin, hadn’t been bitten by the old soul bug.

She captured and edited tons of videos for her social media presence.

In fact, Skye’s parents lent Larkin ongoing tips on staying consistent.

In her expensive untucked button-down, straight slacks, and braids bandied back, her quest for androgynous techie chic had been achieved.

This also set up Larkin to snap pictures of Skye and Celene in their couple-y rouse.

That would be a funny outing to look back at years from now.

Or would it? Skye eyed the toast pun t-shirt stand, rerouting her disappointment for later.

Her new girlfriend’s impression on the group started fairly shaky.

They reached the carnival game section, the closest booth stuffed with rows of glittery plastic trophies in primary colors.

June went full exuberant puppy, naming which activities she’d beat everyone in.

She threw an invitation to Celene, an opportunity to participate in the milk bottle knockdown.

Celene cast a critical eye on the bulky prizes, aloof as she’d carried herself at Luce’s shop. Channeling her frostbite setting, she muttered, “Superfluous, disposable clutter. Pass.”

Her influence had them mumble they’d play it later, maybe. Zinnia, who’d speak her dissent any other day, kept her cool. She was in on this charade. Charades didn’t involve going head-to-head with the snooty fake girlfriend.

Skye pondered if she could broach the reality word, dragging her feet. Her crew moved on to window shop in the artisan alley. The temperature of their outing had gone lukewarm, and that sank in the pit of Skye’s stomach. June met her eyes twice, offering a reassuring smile each time.

They soon gathered at Luce’s booth, a glimmer in the awkwardness for an energetic chat with Luce and Zander. Taking advantage of her friends huddled around, Skye drew Celene aside, lightly by the arm.

“How can I help you…have a better time?” Skye tried, hoping her face didn’t project her distress. “Everyone’s bummed out.”

“Those prizes were atrocious,” Celene replied steadily. It hinted some indignation, too. “I didn’t sign up to bring plastic garbage home. I’m selling, not accumulating.”

“If my friends speak badly about you, Luce will listen.”

Celene closed her eyes. Collecting herself? Staving anger? She blew out a breath in practiced slowness. “Fine. Can we eat something?”

“Sure. Makes no sense attending the Toast Festival without sampling our town’s bread.”

Everyone else at the booth contributed to a debate—about mortar, of all things—so Skye trotted off on her own.

The festival’s selection grew year after year, but she knew her way around for the most part.

She jogged to the bread-on-a-stick booth with the best branding and presentation; she sensed those things meant as much to Celene as the flavor.

Unshockingly, that was Yielding Bread, descended from their founder.

The line moved efficiently, meaning she came back without her friends noticing.

Skye offered two skewers. The bestseller, a freshly baked buttered ciabatta, and a spiraled French toast twinkling with sugar crystals. “Which one?”

Celene took two seconds to pluck the French toast from her hand. Before biting, she said, “Thank you. I’ll buy our next thing.”

“You don’t have to,” Skye mumbled, relieved to earn a smile. “Want to try this one, too?”

They took turns biting into both breads, marveling at the flavors until their friends waved Skye’s grandmother goodbye. As they walked on, Luce gave Skye an OK sign—an endorsement.

Skye hadn’t been putting on a show for her sake, yet it pleased her all the same.

Forty minutes later, they’d regained their groove, stopping for avocado crostini and fizzy drinks between chats over artsy trinkets. Larkin had swiped her card for a mosaic grilled cheese combination from Luce’s and spent time shooting angles of it until she caught up with them.

Pearls -N- Promises Jewelry, their current stop, was a community fixture, never mind that Pearl Hammond and Luce were once rivals.

Years of competing acclaim later, Luce certainly won the overall war between them, and now, they tolerated each other.

And with their beef squashed, Skye could skim the handcrafted products without Luce complaining.

“Remember these, Skye?” Thalia summoned her, eagerly waving. She wore a pastel blue wig today; it swished as she tapped one of the spinning glass displays on the hexagonal tables.

Skye smiled, though she had to force it for her friend. A small bread slice pendant hung from a display hook, in white gold. As precious as all her crafts, Pearl fused a swirled purple stone upon it, fashioned like a spread of jelly.

Pearl made these pendants every few years, priding herself a ‘mood creator.’ Skye’s last girlfriend had joined them for a past Toast Festival, and Skye had been set on buying one, but that was a year Pearl skipped.

Just as well, since that partnership didn’t last. It would’ve tarnished the memory and the accessory itself.

“That’s sugilite,” Thalia whispered of the stone, like anyone could overhear and trample them for it. “I almost never see it. Its transformative energy boosts emotional healing and protects you from, um, negativity in relationships.”

Skye listened, conscious not to react too strongly.

Thalia’s voice fell so low, Skye had to lean in. “It’s called a love stone. I’m talking intuitive, spiritual love. Soulmate connections.” Her dark eyebrows lifted to a blue hairline. “Pair sugilite with your labradorite and hot damn, you’re manifesting deep, unconditional love.”

All based on falsities. Skye didn’t need to convince Thalia to move on, as its price tag couldn’t be overlooked. Saved by inflation. Leaving Skye behind with a soft hand pat, Thalia crept off to dig through the jars of tumbled stones.

The pendant was delicate and beautiful, a feat for something bread-shaped. Skye released a long breath. Letting Thalia in on their fake dating would’ve spared her that hopeful speech.

And she let her mind drift for a minute or two. Nothing too much. Alas, when she smelled that distinct, stinging perfume, she knew who’d shown up.

“Which charm are you fawning over?” Celene asked, propping her hands on the table, pinky barely resting against Skye’s. Regardless, it did a lot of heavy lifting in stealing Skye’s breath all over again.

“This one.” Skye indicated, reluctantly. She had no bandwidth for judgment.

Yet, Celene merely nodded. “Jelly. Cute. And what’s the one next to it?”

Skye hadn’t even noticed it. The same bread motif, but with a whirly tan and brown pattern—peanut butter.

Pearl, her hair electric yellow in teeny spikes, had been hovering, boxing up another person’s gift. “Peanut butter and jelly pendants. Peanut butter is picture jasper, jelly is sugilite.”

To Skye’s surprise, Celene wanted to know more. “What does picture jasper do?”

“It’s protective. For comfort and aiding inner silence,” Pearl detailed, unfurling a black paper bag with her store name on it. “Its properties encourage belonging, ya know, for a home. Communication, too, if that’s what you seek.”

Celene pursed her lips. It wasn’t a bad purse, more so fascinated. “And with the sugilite?”

Pearl made change and passed the purchase off before replying. “What doesn’t that pair do? Spiritual and physical connection. Healing, security. Nothin’ surface-level about those two, assuming your heart’s in the right place.”

“I like that.” Then, Celene’s arm joined in the light touch, her and Skye’s skin meeting. And it came in second to her sudden eye contact. “I could use some good energy. Should I buy us these? I promised the next purchase.”

Skye swore she’d slipped into a dream.

What? How?

Like, technically, Skye had the funds herself to buy them.

With her income, Luce’s fame, and the sponsorships done by her influencer parents, it wouldn’t be an issue.

Except the hatred of wealth hoarding had been strongly ingrained.

A weighty percentage of their money went to charity, maintaining comfortable means.

Skye could get this all on her own. It just didn’t feel deserved.

To potentially possess this necklace she once mooned over, Skye sweated. “Celene, no. That’s too much.”

“It’s a tad steep, true.” Rather than concede, Celene hailed Pearl with, “If someone buys both, do you offer a discount?”

This intrigued Pearl. She sauntered over and turned the display toward herself, as if she needed to see her jewelry with fresh eyes. “You trying to haggle down my prices, young lady?”

Thalia and June’s heads rose in interest. Celene shrugged, more nonchalantly than anyone could. “I want to commemorate Yielding and your little Toast Day. They’ve been sitting here all day, so...”

“Huh. Mouthy.” Pearl popped her lips. Some sort of thinking habit, probably, but Skye could only speculate briefly because Pearl eagle-eyed Skye, from her gemstone necklace to her nervous smile.

“I watched this one grow up. I don’t know many homosexuals and the whole alphabet, but Skye’s always been a sweetheart. Never caused any trouble.”

Celene couldn’t hide her laugh. Very entertained by the senior crowd. “Isn’t she the sweetest homosexual?”

Skye started babbling to diffuse the situation, and Pearl waved her off, taking out a key to unlock the glass case. “Tell you what, stranger. I’ll knock off ten percent ‘cause you’re booed up with my colleague’s granddaughter.”

“Fifteen.”

The fluorite around Pearl’s neck swung with her head shake. “Twelve percent. I’ll throw in a white gold necklace if you take a picture for my photo wall.”

Skye gawked. A real couple might fall in love with these, and here they were, getting them on a markdown. Her friend group murmured, enthused spectators.

Should she be more guilty?

Needing not to be too swept in by the moment, she leaned close to Celene’s hair, smelling shampoo as she breathed, “Dragonfruit. You don’t have to do this.”

Celene whispered in response, breath brushing Skye’s ear. “Dragonfruit. This is fun for me. Let me spoil you.”

Spending money made Celene enjoy herself more ? Skye raised a skeptical brow. “You think you can impress me with expensive gifts?”

Shamelessly, Celene nodded. In her deep smile, one tip of her lip peaked higher, and Skye melted despite herself. “I do. Is it working?”

Skye looked away, recovering, as Pearl charged Celene with a mobile reader like Luce’s. Her friends noticed Skye’s panic, though.

Chin on her clutching hands, Zinnia was on cloud nine. “That’s...wow. That’s kind of her.”

“It is,” June added, as reasonably bewildered as Skye.

Thalia billowed over to them in her tulip-like skirt, attached Celene’s necklace, and added the pendant to Skye’s. An appreciated action, since Celene, looking into her eyes, reattaching her chain would’ve ended her.

Skye should’ve vetted her fake girlfriend; this was too convincing. Tonight was about appeasing Luce and having a good time, not swooning.

What else could she do, then, when Celene slipped her arm around her waist, posing for Pearl’s camera?

From it, two Polaroid-like copies were printed.

One for them and the other for Pearl’s wall of couple photos.

The marquee read, ‘Bready for Love.’ Celene scoffed at its cheesiness, but nobody else heard.

The new photo in Skye’s bag begged for her to stare at it. Picture proof of them happy as hell, bodies merged close, beaming.

Skye glanced after Celene, who’d opened the floodgates.

Now, her friends orbited her “girlfriend” to whatever lay next, no longer too terrified to speak to her.

Celene would be inundated with stories and jokes for the rest of the night.

Through the chorus of attention, Celene met Skye’s eyes and winked.

Flicking hair from her blazing face, Skye only wobbled out a smile she hoped didn’t set off blaring signals.

Because Celene, in particular...

Was too damn hot.