Page 26 of January (New Orleans #1)

“H ey, are you ready?” Bridgette asked as she walked into the office.

“Yeah, I just need to change. Want to come up?”

“Sure. Wait. Is Kyle up there naked, waiting for you?”

“If she were, would I be inviting you up?”

“I don’t know. You two might be into that,” Bridgette teased.

“We’re not.” Melinda glared playfully at her.

“Bummer. She’s hot.”

“Hey, that’s my–” Melinda stopped. “Well, I don’t know what she is because we haven’t had that talk yet, but we’re dating, at least.”

“Will you have that talk before she leaves?” Bridgette asked as they walked up the back stairs to Melinda’s place.

“I’m sure we will. I think I have a while before that, but I don’t know.” She let out an exasperated sigh.

“What does that mean, exactly? That sigh makes it more than obvious that you want to tell me more.”

“Her mom is in town,” Melinda replied, unlocking her door.

“Why?”

“To cause trouble,” she stated through gritted teeth. “They have a complicated relationship.”

“But why is she in New Orleans?”

“Because Kyle’s grandma left Kyle and her sister money and the two houses, and her mother wants all of it. She’s awful, Bridge. Had I been there, I would’ve punched her.”

Bridgette laughed and said, “Yeah, because you ’re a violent person.”

“The things she said to her…” Melinda tossed her keys onto the table and climbed the other set of stairs with Bridgette close behind. “I shouldn’t say anything more, but she pissed me off, and I hate that she’s doing this stuff to Kyle, who doesn’t deserve it.”

“Then, a night out will take her mind off it, maybe. Just promise me that you two won’t be all over each other, making me the unwanted third wheel.”

“Jill’s coming,” she replied.

“She is?” Bridgette asked.

“Is that okay?” Melinda disappeared into her bedroom, tossing her shirt onto the bed and looking for something to wear in her closet. “I already invited her.”

“Yeah, it’s fine. Maybe we can find her someone since my person doesn’t seem to be showing up anytime soon.”

Melinda peeked out the door and said, “She will.”

Bridgette flopped onto the sofa, which made Melinda think about Kyle’s comment that morning and the sex they’d had on that very surface the night before. She smiled and must have given her thought away.

“No… On this sofa? Mel! I just sat down here.”

Melinda laughed and returned her attention to changing.

“Gross!” Bridgette added.

“There was nothing gross about what we did last night.”

“But I don’t need to sit down where it happened.”

“Well, don’t sit on the chair, the floor, the coffee table, the bed, the counter, the–”

“Are you fucking serious?! I hate you right now. You had that much sex last night?”

Melinda laughed and said, “No. I’m joking. However, if things keep going how they are with us, you might have to sit out on the balcony.”

“God, I wish I had a new girlfriend.”

Melinda’s smile widened as she thought about Kyle being her girlfriend one day soon. It was true that they hadn’t had that specific conversation yet, but things just felt like they were clearly headed that way. As she pulled on a shirt and found a nice pair of jeans and some short heels, she considered their possible future. There was a lot to work out, but the images that entered her mind were all good. Kyle lying on the sofa in the morning, waiting for Melinda to wake up. They’d have coffee together. They’d go for walks in the city. She’d watch Kyle work and get her to speak French to her. They’d make love. They’d fight. They’d make up. All of it sounded like what she wanted, even the fighting part, because that was real. It would never be perfect, and it wouldn’t all be good, but she wanted real, not perfect, anyway.

“Mel, someone’s knocking.”

“Probably Jill. Can you let her in?”

Melinda went to pull on her jeans when she heard the footsteps.

“Not Jill!” Bridgette said loudly. “She’s changing.”

A second later, Kyle was standing in her bedroom doorway.

“Hey, babe,” Melinda greeted, smiling at her. “Are you always early? Is this something I just need to be aware of?”

“Probably, yeah,” Kyle replied, looking down at Melinda’s bare legs. “You don’t have pants on.”

“Like I said, you’re early.” Melinda walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek. “Get in here.”

“Don’t have sex!” Bridgette said loudly.

“Feel free to wait for Jill downstairs !” Melinda replied.

“Please, if I go, you’ll definitely have sex, and we’ll never leave. I’m hungry, Mel.”

Kyle laughed and closed the door behind them.

“Hi,” Melinda said again, wrapping her arms around Kyle’s neck and pulling her in for a real kiss.

“Hi,” Kyle said softly against her lips. “I like you in no pants, but I’d like it even more if I’m the only one who gets to see you in no pants.”

“Bridgette couldn’t care less about me being in my underwear. She was staring at her phone. And besides, she’s seen me in less.”

“She has?” Kyle asked.

“Jealous?”

“Obviously,” Kyle replied, pulling Melinda into her.

“She’s my best friend, Kyle. ”

“I know. I was half-kidding.”

“Only half?” Melinda asked.

Kyle shrugged and said, “I like the idea of being the only one who gets to see you like this.”

“I like that, too,” Melinda smiled and kissed her again. “What’s in the bag?” she asked, noticing a bag on the floor of her bedroom for the first time.

“Oh, I got something for you today.”

“For me ?”

“I know we’re going out with Bridgette and Jill tonight, but maybe tomorrow night, we could use it.”

“It?” Melinda lifted an eyebrow. “Did you go to one of those stores?”

“Huh? Oh, no,” Kyle said, laughing. “Wait… Should I have?” She sobered instantly. “Is that something you want?”

Melinda laughed and asked, “What did you get, then?”

“Candles and bubble bath; stuff like that. I thought we could take a bath and relax. There’s massage oil in there, too. I was going to give you a massage.”

“Kyle, if there’s a massage to give, it’ll be me giving one to you. You obviously need one.”

“We can massage each other,” Kyle suggested, likely not meaning it how Melinda was taking it.

“I’d really like that.” Melinda sighed. “I wish I could skip tonight now. I just want you and me in this bed and in that tub.”

“We can’t skip out on your friends. Besides, I want to get to know them.”

“You do?”

“They’re your friends. Of course, I do,” Kyle replied. “Can I leave the stuff here?”

“Are you staying tonight?”

“I’d like to.”

“Then, leave whatever you want here,” she said, kissing Kyle on the tip of the nose. “And I need to put on pants so that we can go.”

“Jill’s here! Stop having sex! ”

“They’re having sex?” Jill asked on the other side of the door.

“We are not having sex!” Melinda replied loudly.

“Yet!” Bridgette added.

“I’ll go out there to stop the rumors,” Kyle offered and pecked Melinda on the lips.

Then, Kyle left the bedroom, giving her a minute alone to take a deep breath. Melinda was in trouble. She’d told herself a million times not to fall for someone so fast because it would never end well, yet here she was.

Having gathered herself and put on pants, she opened her bedroom door and saw Kyle and Bridgette sitting on the couch, talking. They looked like they might actually become friends. Jill was standing over by the window, looking down at her phone. When Melinda walked over to Kyle, ran her hand through Kyle’s ponytail, and left her hand on the back of her neck, Bridgette looked up at her and lifted an eyebrow before shaking her head. Her best friend knew it, too, now: Melinda was falling in love.

◆◆◆

Two hours later, they were walking down Bourbon Street after a nice dinner that Kyle insisted on paying for. Melinda wondered if she was trying to make a good impression on her friends, but they liked her whether she paid for their meal or not. Jill had said as much when she and Melinda had gone to the bathroom before they’d left. Bridgette had told her the same when they’d walked into the restaurant. Now, Melinda was holding Kyle’s hand, leaning into her as they wove their way through the crowd and toward their destination.

“Our people,” Jill said when they walked into one of the gay bars. “I’m getting a pitcher.”

“Sounds good,” Bridgette replied.

“Let’s get a table,” Melinda suggested and pulled Kyle over to one of the empty high-top tables, with Bridgette following behind .

It was a small table without a ton of room for them to congregate around, but it would hold their drinks while they stood there and talked, at least.

“So, it doesn’t look like Jill and I are together, does it?” Bridgette checked.

“Huh?” Melinda asked.

“You two are all over each other, but we’re not, obviously. I’m hoping that it doesn’t look like we’re on a double date.”

“Stand, like, six inches apart,” Kyle suggested.

“And lean away from her,” Melinda added.

“Yeah,” Bridgette said. “I’m not looking to hook up anymore, but if the love of my life is in this room, I don’t want her to think that Jill and I are together.”

“Okay. Beers for all,” Jill announced, placing a pitcher on the table along with four plastic cups.

Melinda grabbed a cup for herself and for Kyle, and a minute later, everyone had their drink, and the conversation continued flowing.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Jill, but can you stand, like, a foot away from me?” Bridgette requested. “There’s a woman over there who keeps looking my way.”

“No offense taken. The one she’s standing next to keeps looking at me .”

“This is good beer,” Kyle noted.

She was on her third drink now, which was odd for her because she didn’t usually drink all that much, according to what she’d told Melinda before. When she finished her third beer, Kyle dismissed herself and went to the bar to get them another pitcher. After she returned, she poured herself and Melinda another drink, leaving the rest of the pitcher for Jill and Bridgette, who continued to talk about the two women who had, apparently, caught their eyes.

“We should go over there, right?” Jill asked.

“What would we even say? We caught you staring at us?”

“Why not?” Jill asked. “It’s the truth.”

“Okay, I’ll go,” Bridgette agreed reluctantly. “But you have to lead because I’m clearly shit at this. Just look at Kyle and Mel over there. I saw Kyle first and couldn’t say a damn word. Now, Melinda is all over her.”

“Hey!” Melinda laughed before she took a drink.

“We’ll be right back. Wish us luck,” Jill said, nodding for Bridgette to start walking that way.

“Hey, how are you?” Melinda checked on Kyle once they were alone.

“Good. I’m having a great time,” Kyle told her.

“Me too,” Melinda replied. “Don’t take this the wrong way, okay?”

“There’s not really anything you could say after that that’s good, is there?” Kyle turned to her.

“It’s more a question.”

“Okay.”

“You kind of led me to believe that you normally don’t drink that much, but you’ve had several drinks tonight. I’m not the alcohol police – if you want to get wasted tonight and tumble into my bed later, I’m fine holding your hair and making sure you drink water – but I wanted to make sure you were okay. If you’re just having fun hanging out with my friends, great. If there’s something bothering you, though, and you’re–”

“Mel?”

“Yeah?”

“My mom solves her problems with alcohol. I don’t,” Kyle replied. “I’m having fun tonight, and this is good beer. It’s local, right?”

“A brewery just outside the city,” Melinda said, placing a hand on the side of Kyle’s neck. “And I just wanted to be sure.”

“I’m okay. Tonight has been really good. And I like your friends. They’ve helped me take my mind off everything that’s going on.”

“How did it go with the lawyer today?”

“He said everything is airtight, but we set up a meeting. We’ll go over options and everything then. ”

“Options?”

“If she tries to fight,” Kyle explained.

“Do you think she will?”

“I have no idea,” Kyle replied. “But can we talk about something else?”

“Want to watch Bridge and Jill try to hit on women?”

Kyle laughed and said, “Absolutely.”

An hour later, Jill had a new phone number in her contacts, but Bridgette wasn’t into the woman who had been into her, so that hadn’t worked out. They’d gone to a new bar. Kyle had gotten a tourist drink at Tropical Isle and now held a Hand Grenade to her lips, which made Melinda laugh. That drink was all ice and sugar but was deceptively strong. Kyle was about to be on her ass if her flushed cheeks and loud laugh were any indication.

“Okay, baby. I think it’s time to go home,” Melinda said, wrapping her arm around Kyle’s waist.

“Why didn’t I party in the Quarter before this? It’s so much fun.”

Bridgette and Jill laughed at Kyle.

“Need help getting her back to your place?” Jill asked.

“No, I’ve got her. You two have fun, though.”

They left them in the middle of the street, and Melinda took Kyle by the hand to help her make her way through the crowd. Kyle still had half the drink left by the time they rounded the corner into the alley, and when they arrived, Melinda stood behind Kyle on the stairs to make sure she didn’t fall as she let them into the apartment.

“This thing is delicious. Have you had one?”

“About a thousand,” Melinda replied and locked the door behind them.

“Want a sip?” Kyle held it out for her.

“No, babe. How about you finish that while I get you a bottle of water and start a hot shower?”

“I like showers.”

“I’m glad.” Melinda laughed.

“No, I mean, I like showers with you. ”

“I like them with you, too.”

“It’s different,” Kyle insisted as she sat down on the chair at the kitchen island and placed her drink on the counter.

“Why?”

“Because I’ve never showered with a girlfriend before. And you and I did that last night. I liked it.”

Melinda’s eyebrow lifted at the use of the word ‘girlfriend,’ and she said, “I liked it, too, babe.”

She found a bottle of water in the fridge, opened it, and set it down in front of Kyle.

“I never got to take long showers. We had one shower for all three of us, so I had to be quick,” Kyle shared. “And I didn’t have to be quick with you. I could hold you. I could touch you. You didn’t rush me out or tell me we didn’t have enough hot water. You didn’t tell me I was selfish.”

Melinda’s face fell. She walked over to Kyle, wrapped her arms around her neck from behind, and kissed her by the ear.

“You are anything but selfish. Do you want to take a shower with me now?”

Kyle nodded.

“Drink that bottle of water for me, okay? Then, we can take the longest shower you want.”