Page 37 of Hot Tea & Bird Calls (Kissing At Work #2)

Celene – 6:41 pm

Send me a picture of you.

The three dots bounced and bounced for over a minute. Ending in:

Skye – 6:44 pm

You first.

Celene rolled onto her stomach, gasping. The pushback wasn’t entirely unexpected, but she couldn’t help kicking her legs, supremely giddy. Wasting no time, she woke up her hair with some tossing and rid herself of the cardigan. Sorry, Mom. Time to look sexy.

After straightening her blouse, she captured six photos of herself. Half of them straight-faced with a hint of seduction. The other half with a small smile. A difficult choice on what to send until Ajay knocked on the door, asking if she liked jalapenos.

“Ugh. Yes,” she answered. Nothing hot and heavy could happen with these people interrupting. Skye was probably in the same boat in a house full of family friends.

Celene couldn’t wipe the grin off her face when she attached a smiling selfie. Her irritation evaporated in minutes. She even left her watch at home on purpose; another method of disconnecting. Contrary to her family’s opinions, she liked being happy.

Skye – 6:55 pm

Damn

I keep staring like it’s going to disappear.

Celene – 6:56 pm

It might. Don’t look away.

And before Celene had to ask, an incoming image loaded in the app.

Celene held her breath and exhaled out of pure obligation.

She swiveled over her sheets, barely noticing the pillow she hugged as she gazed at a close-up similar to hers.

Upon the loft bed, Skye’s chin demurely leaned into her hand, a closed-mouth smile on her lips that teased, and Celene swore it was purposeful.

Spoiled again, Celene feasted on the visual of her uncovered arms in a camisole.

And this time, her top gaped enough to show cleavage.

Like a girlfriend who’d woken from a long, satisfying dream, toasty and maybe a little turned on.

Celene – 6:59 pm

Saving this immediately.

Skye – 7:02 pm

What for?

Celene cushioned her cheek to the pillow, entranced. Skye baited her with these questions; the lady lived to hold her interest. Just her type.

Celene – 7:04 pm

To always remember you this way.

Soon, her phone brightened with a call. Breathless and not knowing why she fixed her hair again, Celene answered, “Want more photos?”

Skye spoke with nothing but softness. “Celene, do you have plans tonight with Elise?”

“You should assume that’s a no.” She crisscrossed her legs and watched two does feed outside her room’s sliding doors, their stilt-like limbs gracefully navigating the rocks. “Why?”

“I want to take you out.”

Apprehension eclipsed the excitement she wanted to relish. “Tell me more. Who are we putting on a show for? Luce and her friends?”

“Oh. Well...” Some movement came through, followed by a definitely faked cough. “No audience. I realize this may cross some boundaries. Are private outings out of the question?”

“You want to date me.”

Skye’s laugh rang out unsure, a little dry. “I figured after you dropped by with handcrafted gifts and we kissed for twenty minutes, we reached a new level.”

“Those twenty minutes got me through the rest of the week.” Celene walked to the doors for a clearer look at the deer.

The sky beyond their backyard’s wall of trees glowed in a pastel smudge of blues and orange, edible to the eyes.

She couldn’t come up with a stronger desire than Skye in this lighting. “What should I bring?”

“Nothing. You’ve given me enough.” Palpable nerves chipped at Skye’s voice at the two vowel sounds, much too adorable to bring up. “I’ll pick you up. It’s fairly warm today, but the weather forecast says it’ll be windy after sundown. When can you be ready?”

Celene already unzipped two of the packing cubes in her suitcase, stroking the back of her hand on clothes she’d chosen with more intention. She welcomed this switch, to be the one not calling the shots. “Can I kiss you when I see you?”

“Dragonfruit?”

Her fingers stilled. “Dragonfruit.”

“I can’t think of anything but kissing you. It’s almost a burden.”

God. Celene peeled her shirt off and, for a sec, considered sending a selfie like that. That’d be pushing it, unfortunately. “I’ll be ready for you in half an hour.”

“Nice. Dress comfortably.”

The Florentines hadn’t raised Skye to be rude.

Her brother Cosmo would be on her ass about not walking to the Vale house door to properly retrieve a date, no matter the orientation or genders involved.

However, she heeded Celene’s advice—she’d instructed Skye to stay outside or else “Elise and her husband will derail our night.”

Our . Ownership by the two of them.

Warmer at no fault of the temperature, Skye found a good middle ground. She wouldn’t ring the camera doorbell. Instead, she’d stand outside the SUV and wave if she caught any family peeking through the drawn curtains.

Gratefully, Celene surfaced from the house on her own, locking the door behind her.

That gratefulness took a turn, though, as her throat dried at her sort-of-pretend girlfriend in tailored shorts and the most revealing top she’d seen on her—snug and summer-forward.

It wasn’t scandalous at any stretch, just a lot for Celene.

Both relieving and a disappointment, Celene drew her arms into a lightweight cardigan.

“Look at you,” Celene purred, tracking her eyes over the simple mini dress Skye bought with today in mind. In heels, she trailed a semicircle around Skye. On the prowl, almost.

Skye nearly voiced that. Yet, she got no chance when Celene cupped her cheek, thumb caressing her in time with a warm, relaxed kiss that tasted of peppermint tea.

Not one to refrain from making Skye’s pulse race, Celene engaged her tongue, winding it deftly until they transported back to her bedroom days ago.

Slick and ravenous but controlled, holding back.

Skye indulged despite them in plain sight of neighboring homes, wrapping her arms around Celene’s neck.

This was a benefit of involving herself with an out-of-towner.

In the instances of June and other Poconos-based ex-girlfriends, they’d remained vigilant for busybodies, family members who’d dampen the mood, or the occasional homophobe à la closeted Mrs. Locke.

Skye rewarded that irreverence with an intentionally needy sigh whenever the lips strayed apart. She swore Celene shivered.

“This lighting is gorgeous on you,” Celene told her as she opened the door for Skye. There was a softness, an openness to her that rushed Skye’s blood hot.

“On you, too.” Skye had been coordinating for today since the night Celene stopped by for their first real kiss.

Now her hands pumped onto the steering wheel while Celene boarded, ravishing in the golden hour’s oranges and cosmic pinks.

There was something so radiant about the play of light upon their dark hair, their skin that married with the sun like soulmates.

“I packed us some nibbles. Thought we could go by Red Clover Lake and catch up?”

Celene drifted her gaze to Skye’s fingers that’d been drumming until they halted in a flinch. “Should I say Dragonfruit now? Is this a Dragonfruit moment?”

Skye drove them within their neighborhood’s speed limit, glad for the task to ground her. “What does that mean to you?”

“It means this is a real date.”

“Will Dragonfruit become obsolete?” She turned the wheel with both hands, hedging a glance at Celene, who hadn’t stopped staring at her. “I wouldn’t mind that.”

Celene took liberties to fiddle with Skye’s cupholder. She raised the reusable water bottle to her lips and took a sip. “Am I your type yet?”

Skye gasped out a laugh she definitely needed. “You are. Very much.”

“Full disclosure: our Dragonfruit reality word’s important to me. If this—” Celene pointed between the two of them with the bottle, “—continues to develop, I’d like to keep it. I’ll be real with you always, but I love the effect of pausing and assessing ourselves.”

“I can get on board with that. Our reality word evolves.” She gestured to the radio. “Any music?”

“No. I’m liking our ride without extra noise.”

“Agreed.” Skye waited for the community’s control gate’s bar to rise.

Two cottontail rabbits bounded into view, nibbling at the roadside grass, and Celene made a noise suspiciously close to a squeal.

A woman of many faces, Celene should stick around long enough for Skye to experience them all.

“You look nice today. You dressed perfectly for where we’re going. ”

Celene scrolled through photos she’d taken. Her friend Nadine would receive bunny pictures soon, more than likely. “Do I fit in with the Yielders?”

“You stand out no matter what you wear.”

That called for more staring from Celene, underscored by: “You’re wearing a dress today.”

Skye tugged at the hem at her thigh, a touch self-conscious. For her personal comfort and, of course, any critters that may land on her arms and hands, her long sleeves were a must, and shorts were usually more convenient. “Do you like me more in dresses?”

Celene’s hand found the back of Skye’s head in a soft stroke. “I enjoy any reason to see your legs. Your shorts, skirts, cut-offs, even pants. Variety is appreciated, that’s all.”

Great, because dresses didn’t always fit into Skye’s femininity.

She reached for her chest, thumbing at both stones.

The hair play zipped tingles down her neck and spine and wouldn’t cease, especially knowing Skye wore her peanut butter necklace.

“Any style fits you, but I won’t lie and say I don’t have a thing for you in leggings. Or those yoga shorts.”

“The more skin-tight, the better. I noticed.” Celene’s voice fell to a fake whisper. It dripped with conspiracy. “That’s why I wear them so often.”

Leaving Yielding, Skye gripped the steering wheel hard on the 9 and 3 position. Otherwise, they’d fly off the road. “I did not know that.”

“Oh, yes. You’re very obvious.”

“Stop, I can’t.”

“What? It’s okay to be an ass girl.”

“And you, Celene, are an ass, girl.”

Their laughter resounded in a mighty burst, as loudly as they’d laughed in their best moments, regardless of age.

They’d be okay. Regardless of Celene’s temporary status, they’d be alright.

She drove on, swallowing down remorse.