Page 31 of Welcome to Ero-TEA-Ca: We’re Open!

Cassandra

E verything was prepped and ready. It was the only reason Cass was able to remain so calm and collected all day.

After leaving Harriet yesterday evening with a polite goodbye, Cass had spent the night shopping for supplies.

She already knew she wanted to have a serious talk with Harriet, who had given her the time she needed to process their kiss.

And process she had. After a night of discussing the situation with Kendal, Cass was ready to talk it through.

But the conversation was important, so stocking up on tea, coffee, beer, wine, and gin was a must. Plus, frozen pizza, Indian take-away from Marks & Spencer, and nibbles. Just in case Harriet wasn’t super hungry. It had to be perfect.

“Come in.” Cass ushered Harriet inside. Mr Whiskers ran at full speed down the hall until he was happily winding his way through their legs.

Knowing Harriet would spend a little time fussing over him, Cass headed for the kitchen.

“What would you like to drink?” She listed off the options and then proceeded to reel off their food options, too.

“I’ll take a beer and Indian, if you’re okay with that,” Harriet called.

With the food in the oven and two cold beers cracked open, Cass settled on the sofa. Harriet wandered in with Mr Whiskers cradled in her arms. “He’s got you twisted ’round his little paw. You know that, right?”

“Of course. But look at him. He’s just so gorgeous.”

They sat in comfortable silence until Mr Whiskers had his fill of human contact, leaving them alone. Well, it was now or never, Cass assumed. They were here for a reason. Might as well get on with it. The food still had twenty minutes, no point sitting in an atmosphere, waiting.

“So, shall we talk?” Cass put her beer on the coffee table and turned her entire body until she faced Harriet, who mirrored her.

“I’d like that.” Harriet looked nervous.

“First of all, I should tell you that Kendal knows about the kiss. I called her after you left, because I needed someone to talk to.”

Harriet nodded. “Okay. You should know I told Nabi, then.”

“I figured as much. She winked at me when I saw her earlier. It was odd.”

Biting her cheeks, Harriet winced. “Sorry about that. She…gets enthusiastic about things.”

“It’s fine.” Cass shuffled in her seat so she could sit a little taller. “Okay, can I just get out what I need to say? I’ve been rehearsing.” She wasn’t supposed to admit that part, was she?

Harriet gave her a heart-stopping smile and a little flourish of her hand. “By all means. I’m all ears.”

“I’m going to stand.” She didn’t need to announce that either, but her nerves were a little fried now they were here and getting to the nitty-gritty. “Okay. We kissed. It was a very good kiss—just fyi.”

“Noted.”

“As I’ve mentioned before, my interest wasn’t in dating.

The operative word being wasn’t. Past tense.

We’ve established I’m attracted to you, and for whatever reason, you get me to open up.

I still don’t understand it, but it is what it is!

Now, moving forward.” Cass was pacing now.

It helped organise her thoughts. “I shared my worries with Kendal. She’s my best friend.

It’s one facet of my life you’ll need to be okay with if we move our friendship to the next level.

” She sounded like a tech support worker, but stating facts was easier to get out.

“Kendal will always be in my life. We’ll always love each other. ”

Cass paused as Harriet raised her hand. “Just wanted to say, I’m completely okay with Kendal and your relationship.”

“Right. Okay.” Good start. “Next thing—you already know I’m grumpy. It’s something I’ll try and work on, but mostly, it’s just who I am.”

“Noted, and happy to continue.”

“Are you going to keep interrupting me?” The hands on hips were a bit much, but she supposed it proved the point she was naturally prickly.

Harriet silently zipped her lip, which was cute.

“Putting aside the…issue with sex, there are other things you need to be made aware of: My quirks, mainly. I spoke to Kendal, and she told me I should just put it all out there. Let you see the real me and then you can decide if you still want to date me. That way I won’t be waiting for you to figure them all out and worrying you’ll have had enough and break up with me. ”

Harriet looked like she was bursting to speak, but instead of saying a word, she took a healthy swig of her beer.

“I don’t like cuddling when I sleep. I can deal with it for the first five or ten minutes, but after, I feel restricted.

And I can’t sleep face to face, because inhaling another person’s carbon dioxide makes me feel like I can’t breathe properly.

I rotate in bed, like a rotisserie chicken.

So, if you’re a cuddler, that’s going to get irritating, because I need space.

Shared showers are a big no. When I’m in the shower, it’s to get clean and warm.

I don’t want to share. Never liked it, never will.

On that note, shower sex is not what it’s cracked up to be.

I don’t enjoy it. Speaking of…sex…I…I don’t like spontaneous sex. ” Cass could feel her face heating.

Just say it.

“I have hypersensitivity. Which includes smell. I…I need to shower before, you know. And I need my partner to do the same. But I’m okay with doing it around the house.

I don’t need a bed, so there’s one tick in the ‘Do I want to date Cass’ pro column.

” It was supposed to lighten the mood, but Cass wasn’t sure it did the job.

Harriet was sitting with a blank look on her face.

“I can’t be around people eating bananas.

The sound makes me want to claw my ears off.

There are several sounds that make me feel the same way.

Mr Whiskers licking his paws is another example.

It makes me irrationally angry. I’m defensive.

It’s my go-to emotion, and it can take a while for me to think things through rationally.

That’s why I take longer than most to process things.

” Cass was breathing harder. Jesus, she had a lot of weird shit going on.

“Um…there are other things, but judging by your face, you’re probably ready to run out the door by now.

I can bag you some food if you like. And I’m okay with just staying friends.

No hard feelings.” Her confidence had officially left the building.

What had she been thinking, blurting all that out? No wonder she did better on her own.

Harriet raised her hand again. “Can I speak now?”

Cass ceased pacing and stood still. Her legs wouldn’t budge. “Of course.” Her voice was one crack away from breaking entirely.

“Right. Let’s see if I can cover everything,” Harriet began.

“I can deal with five to ten minutes worth of cuddling before sleep. I like to curl up on the side of the bed, so it doesn’t matter if you rotate all night, and I completely agree with the whole breathing in other people’s carbon dioxide. Makes me feel the same way.”

Cass was still frozen but a small part of her thawed as Harriet continued to tick off her issues one by one.

“Showering is my quiet time. No desire to share or have sex in one. Been there, done that, got the injury from slipping. As for no spontaneous love making, I think there is a workaround. Anticipation can be just as passion-filled as spontaneity. There’s a lot we have to learn about each other before we fall into bed.

And communicating is the key. So as long as we can talk about things, I’m not worried.

All your ‘quirks’ are what make you, you, Cass.

And I like who you are. I’m excited to learn all your oddities.

But don’t think you’re the only one. I have my fair share of things that might drive you nuts. We won’t know unless we give it a try.”

“What about eating bananas?” It was the stupidest thing she could have responded with, but Cass’s brain was still in go-slow mode. She honestly never thought Harriet would still be sitting here, let alone working through everything Cass foresaw as an obstacle in their possible future relationship.

The little snort didn’t go unnoticed. Harriet’s eyes were full of mirth. “You’ll be happy to know I dislike bananas with a passion. Their texture makes me gag. And if there are other things that make your misophonia worse, all you have to do is tell me.”

Was it really that simple? Kendal had thought so.

She’d practically bent Cass’s ear off until Cass agreed to talk to Harriet about the list of things she worried would put Harriet off dating her.

Kendal had been certain none of Cass’s “quirks” would scare Harriet off.

Huh, it looked like she’d been right. Crap, now she was going to have a smug ex-wife to deal with, too.

“What…what about the age gap? I know it’s only eleven years.”

Harriet held up her hand. “That’s what the getting-to-know-you period is all about, Cass. How about we start with one date? If it’s a success, we shoot for a second. None of this has to be rushed. We can go at a pace that suits us both.”

Cass found herself nodding. It sounded like a reasonable plan.

There was still one thing, though, she absolutely had to be clear about.

“Okay. One last thing. My experience in the bedroom…is limited. Extremely…vanilla. I think that’s what the kids say nowadays.

I’m guessing, with your profession, you’ve had a lot more experience than me. ”

Harriet’s raised eyebrows made Cass re-evaluate that last statement.

Shit, had she just inadvertently suggested Harriet was a prostitute?

“Not that owning a tea shop that sells sex toys makes you a slapper or anything. Not that sleeping with lots of people is wrong, if that’s your thing.

Oh, Jesus Fucking Christ, I’m just going to stop talking now. ”

In a moment of mercy, the universe deigned to offer Cass a break by setting the oven alarm off. Practically running out of the room, Cass cursed herself the entire time she served up their food.

By the time she returned to the living room, Harriet looked fit to burst. Upon seeing Cass’s red face and saucer-like eyes, Harriet broke. Loud belly laughs filled Cass’s room. It took a second, but suddenly, Cass felt her own laughter build. The whole situation seemed so silly.

Several gut-achingly funny moments passed before they got themselves together. Taking a swig of her beer, Cass took a deep breath. “I know I sound nuts, saying all this to you. But I can’t take another rejection, Harriet.”

Harriet sobered immediately. “For one, I don’t think anything you’ve said is nuts.

It’s refreshing to talk like this. Getting it all out there is nice.

But please don’t worry too much. There is nothing I think we can’t tackle, in time.

And I know sex is a barrier for you. But look how far you’ve already come.

And…well, I wouldn’t find it horrible to be your teacher.

” It was Harriet’s turn to look embarrassed now.

Cass chewed the inside of her cheek. She was going to make herself bleed if she kept it up.

“You…um, you’d like to teach me? Sex things?”

The nonchalant shrug did little to clarify exactly what Harriet meant. “Only what you’d feel comfortable with. I’m just saying that your…sexual repertoire isn’t fixed, Cass. If you were interested in trying new things, I’d be happy to help. When the time’s right.”

Well, okay then. “We could, um, talk about that later.”

“Of course. Now, shall we eat? I’m starving.”

Cass was hungry, but not for curry. What she wanted was to feast on the delectable woman sitting next to her. Once again, Harriet made her feel things she wasn’t accustomed to feeling.

Instead of voicing any of that, Cass ate her food. She’d need another couple of days to process tonight, which she instinctively knew Harriet would understand. But this time, Cass wouldn’t leave her in limbo. “So, would you like to go out with me? On a date?”

The fork which was about to enter Harriet’s mouth paused. Their eyes met, and Cass fought the urge to gasp. Those eyes. They slayed her every time.

“I’d love to go on a date with you.”

Cass bobbed her head. “Great. Um, I’ll figure something out and let you know.”

“I look forward to it.”

A tinge of awkwardness settled over them. “I sold a toy today,” she declared after several silent minutes.

“I saw. How did you feel? Talking to the customer?”

Cass smiled. “Nervous. But it wasn’t hard after a few seconds. After all, it was just another product to sell. No different to tea or coffee, really. I mean, obviously there’s a difference. You know what I mean.”

Harriet snaked a hand over Cass’s thigh and squeezed. “You’re very cute when you get flustered.” Cass scowled. “And when you scowl.” Harriet laughed.

“I’m not someone who usually gets called cute.”

“Well, I think you are, so be prepared to hear it more often.”

Cass’s scowl disappeared instantaneously, replaced by a small blush and a smile. “Thank you.”

The small wink Harriet afforded her was just another chunk carved from her walls. Harriet seemed to be the antithesis to Cass’s naturally crotchety disposition.

“So, do you think you’d feel confident enough to step up to a sales role? I mean, we all have to serve tea and whatnot, but if you wanted to take the lead on any gift sales, I’d be happy to step aside.”

Cass mulled it over. “I think I will. Now I’ve read up on the toys, and I know the background of the artist who paints the teapots, I think I could do it. There’s still a bit to catch up on where all the tea is concerned.”

“Don’t worry too much. The price tags have short descriptions on them. Enough for you to know if the tea is for relaxation, or stress, etcetera. Don’t forget I’ve been studying and learning about tea for years. Plus, you’ll only be in the shop a few more days.”

Cass’s heart sunk a little at the thought of leaving. But she did miss being surrounded by coffee. “I’d like to be up to snuff for the coming out party, though. That could be a real money maker.”

Harriet nodded through a mouthful of korma. “Absolutely. Be aware that it could get a little…rowdy? I don’t know if that’s the right word. I just mean, there may be more open discussions than you’ve experienced so far.”

Cass figured. She likened it to a Hen Do, or something. There would be crass language and dirty jokes. She couldn’t say it would be easy, but she’d do her best to stick it out. “I’m looking forward to it. And…well, with you there, it will be easier.”

Harriet reached for Cass’s hand. “I’ll be there every step of the way.”

“I believe you.” And she did, which was terrifying but wonderful.