Page 16 of She’s a Big Deal

They stopped three-quarters of the way there for a cup of coffee and a stretch, after which Grace let Olivia behind the wheel.

“We’ll keep stunt driving for when we get back on US soil, okay?”

“Sure thing,” Olivia laughed.

She was easy and interesting to talk to. Smart. She asked good questions and did not make them overly personal, which Grace appreciated. When a text from Chloe landed on her phone to say that the family had all had a think, and decided to accept her business offer, she felt comfortable enough to share the news with Olivia.

“I didn’t think they’d go for it, to be honest.”

“The stubborn kind, are they?”

“Yeah. But good for them, putting business ahead of pride for once.”

“Does that mean you’ll be spending a bit more time in our neck of the woods?”

“I’ll put people I trust on the job, so I don’t have to.” Though when she remembered the wistful look in Charlie’s eyes when she had mentioned Christmas, Grace was moved to temper that reply. “Maybe just a bit more time until the end of the year.”

“Right. It would make sense.”

“What are you doing for Christmas?”

“I’ll be on my own. So, just doing a bit of work and chilling in front of the TV with my puppy.”

“No family? Or are you not close to them?”

“It’s just my dad at this point. Last I heard, he lived in New York. We’re not close.”

“I get that.” Grace nodded and moved off the topic.

A full hour and a good laugh later, because Olivia insisted on observing the speed limit that Grace told her she considered as a recommended starting point, they reached their destination and signed in at the Cassidy property.

“The house is fully open to you and your guest for the next two hours, Ms. Michaels,” a security guard informed them. “No other visitors allowed in during your slot.”

“That’s correct,” Grace approved.

“Nice.” Olivia grinned as soon as they were out of earshot. “Private viewing, uh?”

“Insider’s privilege. Janis and I might collaborate at some point, so this is a professional perk.”

“Can I take pictures? For private use only.”

“Alright, yes.”

“Thanks!”

Olivia’s excitement was palpable, and Grace found herself observing her more than she paid attention to the glamorous interiors. Cassidy’s talent was reflected in every lavish detail: rich colors, expensive fabrics, dark polished woods. She made clever use of glass, smooth curves, and elegant shapes. Grace studied the way Olivia moved through the space with her camera. She was interested to see which angles she selected and took pleasure in discovering the mansion through her eyes.

“God! Will you look at this?”

Olivia stopped in the kitchen in front of the main counter, shaped from a large slab of charcoal grey granite. Deep sinuous grooves carved into the top gave it the appearance of a wind-swept sandy beach.

“It reminds me of a river delta,” Grace remarked.

“Yeah!” Olivia nodded in enthusiastic approval. “Exactly like that, you’re right.”

Tiny shards of crystal embedded into the textured grooves glinted like stars under the overhead spotlights. Grace observed pleasure and emotion reflected across her face as Olivia took it all in, and traced her fingers along the outline of a groove. Long, strong, agile fingers. How would they feel caressing her skin? As Grace wondered, Olivia just happened to glance up. Meeting her eyes, she flashed an intent smile.

“Thank you so much for letting me accompany you today, Grace. Being able to see all this with my own eyes instead of on the web or in a magazine is making me feel incredibly inspired and fired up.”

“It’s a pleasure, Olivia. If you ever come down to Miami, I’ll introduce you to Janis. Your own work would fit perfectly in this kind of space.”

“Thank you.” Olivia looked a little startled at this, a bit shy, and incredibly beautiful. “Wow. That would be great. I’m very… It means a lot that you think this about my work.”

In two quick steps, Grace could be over there if she chose to. To plant a hard kiss over these gorgeous lips, feel the heat of the attractive flush across her cheeks, and add some more of her own… She gestured to the rest of the house instead.

“We’ll sort something out. Where to next, Ms. Bianchi?”

Olivia beamed. “Let’s go see what Janis did upstairs.”

The two hours went by in a flash. As they were leaving, Grace was taken aback to find that the previously limpid blue sky had turned a frigid gray. A fierce biting wind made her eyes water.

“Looks like snow,” Olivia remarked. “Not forecast, was it?”

“No. I’ll drive,” Grace decided. “Let’s beat this storm.”

◆◆◆

It was as if the storm heard her and decided not to play ball. By two P.M, the sky had darkened even more. First, there was sleet. Then, it began to snow. The wind strengthened to gale force, and an excited news radio guy warned anyone currently listening that a magnificent freak storm was about to slam into them, ‘Damn good and hard’, according to him. Back on the US side of the border, it was the same. Drivers were advised to get off the roads and indoors ASAP.

“Why do they always say that,” Grace muttered. “Make it sound worse than it is.”

Olivia peered through the windshield at a thickening wall of fat white flakes. “I don’t suppose you get this sort of thing often in Miami.”

“No.” Grace smirked. “We get hurricanes.”

“Sure. I just meant this is different. So—”

“So, is this a roundabout way of telling me you think I don’t know what I’m talking about, Ms. Bianchi?”

“It was. But that’s okay. I’m enjoying it.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah.” Olivia chuckled. “Stubborn looks sexy on you.”

After the amazing property tour, she felt relaxed. It was nice and cozy inside the Mustang, and the whiteout added a touch of romance to the whole situation. Her comment earned her a stern look, but Grace soon flicked her eyes back to the road when the vehicle in front fishtailed almost out of control.

“Now this guy clearly can’t drive,” she pointed out. “He shouldn’t be out here in these conditions.”

Stubborn and arrogant, just the right amount. Olivia threw her a fond, probably overly mushy glance. The sort that would make Dana roll her eyes. Grace missed it, probably also for the best, but it was unavoidable for Olivia at this point. The kind of woman who looked like Grace, talked tough, and had the skills to back it up, always made her feel weak at the knees and her heart beat faster. Grace Michaels, for sure, was all manners of charming and wonderful.

“Snow’s getting worse,” she remarked.

“Hmm.” Grace rumbled as traffic, scarce as it was, slowed to a laborious crawl.

They passed a line of semi-trucks stopped on the side of the road; these guys must have decided to wait it out with a snooze in the back of their cab. Half a mile on, a farm tractor was trying to pull a pink VW Beetle from out of the ditch. A police cruiser coming the other way flashed his lights. The officer behind the wheel rolled his window down as he went past and passed his fingers in a slicing motion across his throat. Shaking his head. The message was clear, and Olivia agreed.

“Our best bet is going to be a Super 8 at the next exit,” she advised after consulting her phone. “In a town called Dodger.”

“Are you making this up?”

“Absolutely not.”

“You want me to stop at the Super 8 in Dodger?” Sarcasm, even when directed at her, also nicely suited Grace’s gorgeous lips.

“Better than spending the night in a freezing car in a ditch,” Olivia stated. “According to this, the weather is set for the next few hours. It’s only going to get worse.”

“Wouldn’t drive us into a ditch, would I?” Grace protested. Still, she must have seen the wisdom of the advice because she changed lanes and took the next exit. “Let’s just hope we don’t get murdered in Dodger. Sounds like a town from a horror movie.”

Olivia grinned. “I’m sure Dodger is delightful. Hey, look at this!” She brandished her phone in triumph. “There’s a vegan pizza place just across the road from the motel.”

“Must be my lucky night, then.” More sarcasm.

“Ever had vegan pizza before, Grace?”

“Nope.”

“Ever wanted to?”

“Negative.”

Olivia spied a faint smile, trying to escape on her lips. She liked to see Grace struggling a bit to hang on to her serious face and decided she would enjoy challenging her some more as the evening went on.

“I just hope they have rooms left. We’re obviously not the only ones who had the same idea.”

Indeed, the Super 8 was packed on account of the weather. They managed to snag the last room. Lucky again. The discovery that it only included one double bed had Olivia swallow a little hard. She glanced at Grace, whose first reaction was to pull off the sheets and inspect the mattress.

“What are you doing?”

“Making sure it’s clean. Yeah, that’ll do.” She turned to her, hands on hips, still in her jeans and leather jacket. Giving off big boss vibes and vibrant femininity at the same time, Olivia noted. The woman made her heart jolt with her next words. “So, Olivia. Wanna play?”

Olivia had a sudden vision of Grace pushing her against the desk, bending her over, and yanking her pants down. It literally took her breath away for a quick second. She blinked, swallowed again, then recognized a telling flicker in her eyes. Amusement, humor, a touch of wonder. She was being teased again. Tested? Challenged? The question was: did Grace mean some of it or not? Olivia cocked a hip, matching her swagger. And she jerked her chin.

“Why not? What have you got in mind?”

It must have been the correct answer and the right attitude because Grace flashed an approving smile and tossed her the keys to the Mustang.

“Going to make all your dreams come true, Ms. Bianchi.”

It turned out this meant teaching her stunt maneuvers in an empty parking lot instead of having heated sex in their shared bedroom. Though with Grace in full instructor mode, Olivia figured it was also stimulating foreplay for the mind. She did not tell her that.

“It’ll be even better sliding on snow,” Grace declared with a wicked smile. “Quick bit of theory first: it’s the rapid change in direction that’ll cause the rear wheels to lose grip. So you have to have decent speed and then induce weight transfer.”

“What the hell is that?”

“Well, you want the weight of the car on the outside of the turn, right?”

“Uh… Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Grace confirmed, frowning at her hesitation. “So if you intend to turn left, flick the steering wheel to the right. And vice versa the other way. Makes sense so far?”

“Yes, okay.”

“Good. Perfect timing is required to pull the handbrake. Now imagine a semi-circle representing your 180-degree turn. Your goal is to lock the rear wheels roughly forty-five degrees into the arc.”

“Got it.”

“Go too early, and the back end won’t get loose enough to slide; do it too late, and your turn will be pitiful.” Grace inflected enough disdain into the word to make Olivia dread the result. No way would she be pitiful during this exercise. “You have any questions?”

“Yes. When do I use the clutch?”

“You don’t need the clutch for this. Don’t touch the brakes either.”

“Uh… Are you sure?”

“Sure, I’m sure. We’ve got plenty of space over here; you’ll be fine.” Grace actually licked her top lip in anticipation. “Ready to practice?”

Olivia was dying to kiss her, actually. She chuckled, feeling nervous and excited at the same time. It was quite a while since she’d done something silly and spontaneous just for the sheer fun of it. And the woman who sat next to her made it all even more thrilling. If Dana could see me now…

“I am ready.” She shot Grace a grinning wink. “Buckle up, Ms. Michaels, and prepare to be dazzled.”