Page 32 of Welcome to Ero-TEA-Ca: We’re Open!

Harriet

T he new three-tiered cake and sandwich stands were superb.

Harriet placed the last one on the only unfinished table.

The rest of Ero-Tea-Ca was decked out, ready for Tori’s coming out party, which was due to start in ten minutes, meaning the first guests were imminent.

Nabi buzzed around, adjusting teacups, cutlery, and napkins.

“I think we’re ready,” she announced.

Harriet looked around. Yeah, they were ready. “Okay. I’ll make sure Cass is okay in the kitchen.”

There’d been no more kisses, but things had changed.

Cass found every opportunity to touch Harriet.

Just little touches. A brush of hands, or a graze of fingertips as she passed by.

It was like the slowest, sweetest foreplay Harriet had ever experienced, and she was convinced Cass had no idea what she was doing to her.

“How’s my kitchen wench?”

Cass whirled ’round with her signature scowl. “I am not a wench! And everything’s fine. We have extra sandwiches in the fridge. An emergency flask of coffee for those who have a better sense of taste, and several boxes of the new cake stands.”

“I’ll bypass the whole coffee thing and stick to the new cake stands. Do you like them?”

Cass blushed slightly but nodded. “They’re beautifully painted. The…the scenes are interesting.”

Raine, the artist who painted Ero-Tea-Ca’s teapots and cups, came up with the idea a few days ago. Harriet and Nabi pounced on the idea, especially when Raine wanted to paint food play scenes on each tier.

“Any particular part of them grab your attention?” Challenging Cass’s comfort level was a delicate game. She didn’t want to go too far, but Cass definitely seemed open to more and Harriet wanted to encourage that.

Leaning against the kitchen worktop, she waited as Cass fiddled with a plate of sandwiches. It was all about patience. Cass would talk when she was ready. It’s not like waiting was a hardship. Harriet got to gawk at Cass’s fabulous backside while she did.

“I…uh, quite like the, um…whipped cream depiction.”

Interesting. “I see. I’m rather partial to strawberries, so…”

Cass’s eyes sparkled ever so slightly. Harriet’s breath came a little faster as she watched Cass’s subtle reactions to their conversation: The small flush that wasn’t embarrassment, the widening of her pupils, and the glint in her eye.

Harriet was witnessing a rather turned-on Cass, and she had to admit it was a powerful sight.

Clearing her throat, Cass began gathering up the leftover plated sandwiches. “They go together well.”

If Harriet hadn’t been listening so intensely, she would’ve missed Cass’s reply. But she didn’t and filed that little titbit away for later.

“Tori and Ronnie are here,” Nabi shouted through the kitchen door. “And Ronnie has gone all out!” Snapping back into work mode, Harriet left Cass with a small smile and a brush of fingertips against her lower back. She loved the frisson of electricity their proximity conjured.

Ronnie had, indeed, gone all out. She looked like an extra off a Pride float. But she was beaming with happiness, and Tori clearly found her grandmother’s outfit entertaining.

“The place looks great!” Ronnie pulled Harriet, and then Nabi, into a tight hug.

“It really does,” Tori added. “Thank you so much.” Watching her grandmother shuffle off to inspect the nearest table, Tori leaned in and dropped her voice, “I know it’s a bit silly to have a coming out party at my age…but it’s really lovely.”

Nabi shook her head. “Nothing silly about it. You should celebrate.”

“She’s right. Embrace it. And I love that Ero-Tea-Ca gets to play a part.”

“Well, I couldn’t think of a better place. Having a place like this is a godsend.”

Harriet’s face warmed with pride. “So, has Ronnie set you up yet?”

Tori laughed. “She’s relentless. I’ve told her I’m not in a rush to date. It’s been a journey getting to this point, you know?” Harriet and Nabi understood. No matter what the age, coming to terms with that part of yourself was a journey, some more turbulent than others.

“Who has Ronnie deemed good enough for her favourite grandkid then?” Nabi asked, unwrapping a lolly.

Tori sighed. “Seems the old bird isn’t picky. I think she’s shifted her goals now. Instead of being content with me coming out before she ‘kicks the bucket’ as she so eloquently puts it, now I think she wants me married and settled. I mean, those are some lofty goals.”

The three of them stood laughing. Ronnie absolutely would move the goalposts. Poor Tori. “She’s ambitious, all right.” Harriet laughed.

“Oh, who’s that?” Tori’s eyes strayed over Harriet’s shoulder. There was only one person it could be. Turning to look, Harriet subconsciously licked her lips as she watched Cass pour hot water in the pre-prepared teapots.

“That’s Cass. She owns the café next door,” Nabi supplied. “She’s helping for a few days.”

“Wow, she’s gorgeous,” Tori replied quietly. The look of lust was plain to see, and Harriet didn’t like it one bit. “Is she…on our team?”

Harriet chuckled, masking her discomfort. “She is.”

“And is she single?”

Hmm, how to answer that? Maybe she shouldn’t. It wasn’t Harriet’s place to make that statement and she guessed Cass wouldn’t appreciate someone answering personal questions like that on her behalf. “You’d have to ask her.” Nabi’s side-eye didn’t go amiss.

Tori smoothed down her strappy top. Harriet could admit she was a lovely-looking woman, and closer to Cass’s age. That gave her pause.

“Well, wish me luck,” Tori said with a wink. Hang on, was she going over to hit on Cass? Harriet suddenly felt panicked. Didn’t Tori just say she wasn’t ready to date?

Nabi and Harriet pivoted, following Tori’s advance. They watched her lean casually over the counter. Harriet watched Cass look up. She waited as they exchanged a few words. Cass’s gaze met her own with furrowed eyebrows.

Tori continued to talk until Cass shook her head, and with a confused look, pointed at Harriet. What was she saying? Harriet didn’t have to wait long. Cass rounded the serving area and, with Tori, walked over to her.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Tori laughed. Harriet didn’t know what she was supposed to say.

“We are dating, aren’t we?” Cass asked simultaneously, stealing Harriet’s remaining breath. She looked between the two women. Tori chuckled and winked.

“I should get back to my party and my grandmother who has invited as many single lesbians as possible. It was lovely to meet you, Cass. I’ll stop in The Beanery sometime.”

“Okay.” Cass hadn’t taken her eyes off Harriet.

“I’ll just…” Nabi didn’t finish her sentence.

“I thought you wanted to go on a date?” Cass asked as soon as they were alone. Harriet steered them to the corner.

“I do. We are.”

“Well, I’m confused then. Tori said she’d asked you if I was single.”

“Um…aren’t you?”

“Not to date. Not if we’re going out?”

“Oh.”

“Wait,” Cass shot, holding up a hand. “Are you dating other people?”

“No!” Harriet rushed to answer. “Only you. When we finally go out.”

Cass studied her face. “Okay. Do you want to date other people at the same time as me? It’s fine if that’s what you want. Um…I just don’t think I can do that.”

Harriet’s body answered before her mouth. Stepping forward, she placed a delicate kiss on Cass’s lips. “No, I don’t want that.”

Cass’s shoulders dropped from around her ears. “O-okay, then.”

“I just didn’t know if you were okay with people knowing about us?”

That earned another set of crinkled eyebrows. “Why wouldn’t I be? We’re not children, Harriet.” Wow, Harriet sure felt like one in that moment—a scolded child, at that. “Sorry, that came out harsher than I meant it to.”

“That’s okay. I’m just trying to go at your speed, Cass. I don’t know what your boundaries are yet.”

“How about you find out? Tonight.”

“Tonight? As in our first date?”

Cass nodded. “Yes. Why not?”

“Why not, indeed.” Harriet couldn’t stop the smile from forming, or the excitement from building. All she had to do was get through the party and then she’d be on a date with Cass.

A date!

Tori’s party was a smashing success. Not only did everyone have a wonderful time, but Harriet sold ten glass dildos and five gift sets, not to mention the three bespoke cake stand requests.

Cass seemed to have enjoyed herself too.

She’d effortlessly slipped into hostess mode, looking like she was a permanent fixture of Ero-Tea-Ca’s workforce. It was nice.

But now the party was over and the clean-up was done.

Harriet had finished putting away the last cake stand in the back when she heard Cass calling her name.

Wandering through to the tearoom, Harriet froze.

Standing by the most central table was Cass.

There was a candle softly dancing on the table, two glasses of wine, and a plate of leftover party sandwiches.

“I didn’t have time to plan our first date properly. And I wanted us to be alone, if that’s okay. So…um, this is what I came up with. Do you mind, or would you prefer to go to a restaurant or pub? Whatever you want.”

Harriet was getting tired of losing her ability to talk. But Cass just had this way of robbing her of cognitive thought when she did things that were sweet and surprisingly vulnerable. “It’s perfect.”

Looking away, Cass tried to hide her relief, but Harriet saw it. Had she been that worried Harriet wouldn’t love what she’d done? Was that because other women had scoffed at her efforts? There was still so much to learn.

Rounding the table, Cass pulled out a chair. “Sit, please.”

Taking a seat, Harriet took a closer look at the table and wanted to laugh. As well as the sandwiches, there was a small bowl of strawberries and cream. “Huh, I don’t remember having those in the fridge.”

With a casual shrug, Cass placed a sandwich on her plate. “They came from my fridge next door. I wanted you to have something you liked.”

Harriet let out a chuckle that sounded more like a whimper. “You make it quite hard to go slow, Cassandra Beaufort.”

“Do I?” she answered with false innocence.

“Mmm. You do. I think I’ve underestimated you.”

“People tend to do that when they pigeonhole me.” There was a hint of frustration in Cass’s voice.

“Well, I’ve certainly learned my lesson.”

They each took a sip of their drink. “Are you sure this is okay?”

“Cass.” Harriet waited until they were looking into each other’s eyes. “It’s perfect.”

“I…um, I was thinking.”

“About what?”

“About what you said…or more like offered.” The air seemed to grow heady, and Harriet wasn’t sure why. What had she offered? “When you offered to be my…teacher.”

With uncertainty on the tip of her tongue, clarity suddenly slammed into Harriet’s chest. Cass wanted Harriet to teach her. In the bedroom. Oh, wow.

“So I fully understand…you mean—”

“Sex,” Cass barked rather aggressively. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to…” Cass’s eyes closed as she took a fortifying breath. “Yes. I meant sex. I’d like for us to explore…a little.”

Twirling the wineglass between her fingers, Harriet let Cass’s words sink in. She’d love nothing more than to be a sexual sherpa to Cass, but a seed of insecurity sprouted low in her belly. “Cass…” Shit, how did she ask this without sounding offensive?

“Please just ask,” Cass said softly.

“I need to know I’m more than just a means to an end.”

Cass cocked her head. “What do you mean?”

Sighing, Harriet placed both hands on the table to steady her. “I mean, I need to know I’m not being used to help you advance your sexual experience and that’s it. I mean, I want to help you. But is that all I am?”

Fuck. Cass’s hurt and clear offence rippled across every inch of her body. “You think I’d do that?” Her voice was tight, as if it would crack any second.

Well, wasn’t this going fantastically? “I…no, I don’t, but I had to verbalise it, okay?”

Throwing back the entire glass of wine, Cass looked at the tablecloth for an uncomfortably long time. When Harriet saw her eyes swimming with unshed tears, she cracked. “Shit, I’m sorry, Cass.”

Holding up a hand, Cass swiped at her eyes. “No, it’s fine. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

No, no, no. This couldn’t be the end. Harriet had to fix it. Pushing back her chair, she rounded the table and dropped to her knees in front of Cass. “No, please don’t say that. I’m sorry.”

“I’d never use someone like that,” Cass whispered through a tight throat.

Grabbing her hand, Harriet moved until Cass had to look at her. “There. That’s one of my quirks,” she began. “I voice my unfounded worries, even when they hurt other people. I don’t mean to. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m sorry.”

“Okay. It’s okay. I guess I can understand where you’re coming from. I mean, all we seem to do is worry about my stupid insecurities and anxieties.”

“They’re not stupid.” Harriet tried to argue, but Cass carried on.

“But I promise you, Harriet, I’d never do that to you. I couldn’t. I simply couldn’t let myself be with someone like that if I didn’t feel a connection. I certainly couldn’t explore things that make me want to curl up in a ball and hide.”

Cupping Cass’s face, Harriet drew her down into a deep kiss. She needed to transmit her regret at her careless words, and also the need for Cass’s closeness. Above all, she wanted Cass to know that she, too, felt their connection.

Being with Cass was nothing like any relationship Harriet had ever known.

It required her to be thoughtful of so many things.

Cass was barbs and razor blades on the outside, but stuffed full of vulnerability and emotion on the inside.

That was how she knew Cass was worth it, though.

Harriet wanted to tackle the hard parts.

She wanted to be the special person Cass deserved.

The kiss transformed from a statement to a declaration.

Harriet wanted Cass, badly. She’d happily strip her in the middle of the shop and show her all the ways Harriet could make her scream.

As she went to pull back—because the realistic part of her brain had kicked in—she was surprised that Cass kept her in place by wrapping a strong hand around her neck.

Their tongues glided against each other, exploring. A pressure built in Harriet’s centre. She was already pulsing. Just from a kiss, Cass rendered her a quivering wreck. Happy to follow Cass’s lead, she groaned as Cass pulled her up, guiding her to straddle the chair.

Harriet was lost in Cass’s heat, a heat that projected Cass’s need with startling clarity. Had she really come so far in her journey already, she was about to take Harriet in the middle of Ero-Tea-Ca? It would be the sweetest irony if this is where they made love for the first time.

Instead of following that train of thought, Harriet surrendered to Cass’s kisses and wandering hands.