When All Else Fails (2 page)

She shrugged. “I admit I was a bit of a player in my younger days.”

“Uh-huh, a bit. That’s not what Smarties told me.”

“Oh, you’re talking to your sister about me. Should I be flattered or paranoid?” Another slight blush highlighted Eva’s cheekbones, and she averted her gaze before meeting Andrea’s again.

Eva was a beautiful woman. She took pleasure in flirting with her assistant and friend when they met in personal situations. Nothing would ever happen. Her rule was never to mix business with pleasure. It was a sure way of losing the best assistant she’d ever had.

“This is where you’ve been hiding!” Smarties stumbled over, knocking into the table while she balanced precariously on too-high stilettos. She reached out and steadied Artie before she toppled over.

“Your beautiful sister was keeping me company.” A strange grin and gleam in her bright eyes lit up Smarties’ face. “Who’s the preferred dish tonight, Georgia or the cute little pixie whose name you can never remember?”

“The pixie, and her name is, um….” Andrea leaned her head against the booth seat and let out a laugh. “Monica. See, I knew it. It just took me a minute.”

“I’m sure she would feel very special.” Eva’s amused tone made Andrea laugh harder.

Smarties glared at her sister. “It slipped my mind for a fucking second.”

Eva remained silent, which served to make Smarties fume even more, and she sipped her beer, enjoying the show. “Again, I’m sure she would feel so special at being so forgettable.”

She applauded Eva’s ability to keep a straight face while her sister flipped her off and stormed away the best she could on those ridiculous heels.

“That’s one pissed-off woman.”

“She can’t stay mad at me for more than a few days. I do believe I’ll need a ride home, though.”

“I have you covered, but I doubt she’ll leave you.” An auburn brow rose again, and she followed her gaze. “Wow. Went from zero to indecent in nothing flat.”

Andrea shook her head and brought her attention away from the extreme make-out session to the irresistible woman beside her.

“Yes, I don’t believe you can accuse her of being a woman with patience or much moral standing.” Eva sighed and frowned. “I doubt my sister will ever settle on any one woman.”

“She’s still young. Artie has plenty of time to settle down, and if not, well, at least, let’s hope she’s happy.”

Turning slightly, she leaned against Eva. Soft, springy curls tickled her cheek as Eva rested her head on Andrea’s shoulder. Something strange tightened her stomach—it wasn’t the first time. They had an easy camaraderie inside and outside work. It seemed more hands-on outside, though. The boundaries of professionalism didn’t apply. She also had less than friend-like feelings about Eva.

“I was always jealous of Artie.”

“Why?” Her gaze fell to Eva’s mouth. The woman worried the corner of her lower lip between her teeth, and the urge to replace them with her own strengthened.

Nibbling the pout of her full bottom lip before drawing it into her mouth to entice the woman into a deeper kiss became an irresistible lure. She brought her focus back to her shining emerald eyes and pulled her mind away from dangerous thoughts.

“She’s always known who and what she wants to be, and has always been fearless. I graduated, married, and became a mom. I love my babies, but I’m not great at being single. Everyone says it’s time for me to get back out there, but I wouldn’t even know where to start. It’s been five years. Shouldn’t I be ready by now?”

“Quit worrying about what the rest of them say. You hop back on the horse when you’re ready. I, for one, know there are quite a few ladies out there seeing you as quite a catch.” The thought of someone else touching her woman’s curves, taking her home, and loving her into breathlessness made a fist clamp around her heart. It was impossible. She had nothing to offer the sweet, loving woman who had forever shining in her green gaze.

All of a sudden, Eva wrapped her arms around her and squeezed tight. “You are here to protect me. My virtue is in great peril.”

Andrea laughed. “Dramatic much, Ms. Lange?”

“It’s true. Look at them out there, their gazes moving over me, God, I feel dirty at the lust shining on their hungry faces. What am I to do? How will I protect myself?” She peered into deep-emerald eyes and long, darkened lashes batted. “You must save me from their rapaciousness. I must not succumb to the debauchery they would force upon me.”

Andrea snorted. “Are you secretly writing cheesy Victorian romance novels in your spare time?”

Eva gave an offended gasp, which made Andrea almost spew beer from her nose. “They aren’t cheesy, they’re romantic.” The too-serious expression on her face and the tone of her voice caused Andrea’s jaw to drop. They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before erupting into laughter.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Andrea asked.

“What about Artie?”

Arching a brow, she reached over to pinch the woman’s cute, rounded chin, angling the other woman’s gaze to the spectacle on the other side of the crowded room. “I think she’s covered.”

She shot Eva a smirk when the woman shook her head on seeing Smarties standing between two studs.

“She’s incredible.” Eva nodded at the statement. Artie was one of the least discriminating women she’d ever met. She recognized a lot of herself in the younger woman.

“Yes, she is. How about some dinner?” Andrea asked. Changing the subject seemed the best course of action. She guessed with age came wisdom, but it might be a lesson learned too late.

“Dinner sounds great. The idea of going out seemed more appealing than reality. Besides, I’ll give my love-deprived sister my share of the lovely ladies.”

“That’s incredibly generous of you.” Sliding from the semicircle bench seat, she straightened and held her hand out. Once again, the soft look from under the thick fringe of lashes and her smile caused a tug in the pit of her stomach She laced their fingers together and led Eva toward the front exit.

Eva inhaled the humid night air as Andrea and she walked out of Sappho’s Kiss. Her tense muscles relaxed. She hated feeling like the prize of a hunt. The taller woman turned and stepped backward, shooting her a grin while picking apart the sloppy bun she’d twisted her hair into earlier. “I thought you’d be home, working the weekend away.”

A strange, fleeting glimmer flitted through Andrea’s shadowed eyes. “The whole weekend waits for work and pouring over files filled with details of another failed marriage.”

“Wow, is that the bitterness of a former romantic?” Eva joked.

“I’m not bitter, just a realist.”

She chuckled. “Uh-huh, tell me another one.”

Andrea snorted and stopped to lean back against a closed storefront. “My father is on his sixth wife. I myself am the product of him shagging his secretary irresponsibly. She quit, I popped out some seven months later, and she dropped me on his doorstep.”

Regret for her joking words hit her at the sadness darkening the woman’s gaze and the lost edge to her tone. “Oh, Andrea, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

Her friend held up her hand. “No, it’s fine. I’ve met my mother. She’s no more settled than my father, and neither possess parenting skills. Joy is on her fifth husband, each wealthier than the one before.”

She couldn’t imagine what the jaded brunette had gone through for decades—four, to be exact. Eva’s mother and father were crazy in love even after decades of marriage. For almost thirteen years, she’d thought she would be exactly like them, but her marriage hadn’t been meant to be. That being said, she loved her life now. A little lonely, but she had her family and her babies. They were all she needed.

“You’re not them. You know that, right? If I were, I’d still be blissfully married to my high school sweetheart. You’ve met the parents. They’re so happy and lovey, the sweetness makes you nauseous.”

“Yes, I noticed the high-level of sugary goodness.” Eva relaxed at Andrea’s normal, carefree tone.

“I would have to agree. Why aren’t you thinking of settling down with your current ladylove?”

A loud, heavy sigh took Eva by surprise.

“What?”

“It’s complicated. We have fun, but she’s only around maybe the total of a week a month. Actually, I might be thinking about settling down into one of those normal, committed relationships.”

She gasped playfully and staggered a bit as she caught herself against the wall beside Andrea’s shoulder. “Who are you, and what happened to my confirmed bachelorette? Tell me you’re not thinking about a wife and kids. I don’t think Armani makes maternity wear, but I’ll look into it for you.”

“Oh, hell no. I won’t say no to a nice little lady to come home to, but I won’t be grunting out any kids. The thought of birthing babies made my Stud Card shudder in fear of revocation. Although, with that said, I’m not averse to having a few rug rats running around.”

“Don’t be silly, I’m sure your Stud Card’s very safe. I’ve known you for years, and you’ve never mentioned wanting to settle down. What’s going on in your beautiful head?” Her heart stuttered a few times, as she realized what she’d said. But when Andrea gave no sign of noticing anything unusual, she relaxed.

Andrea pushed away from the wall and started walking again. She followed with quickened steps until she caught up.

“I’m a divorce attorney. I deal in failed relationships every day. How would I even know where to start?”

“Maybe you could start with dating someone more than six months at a time, or maybe find a woman who doesn’t travel 90 percent of the year. Find a nice girl, go out on some dates, and get to know someone outside the bedroom.”

“Eva! You make me sound like a whore. I don’t hop from one bed to the next as I did in my younger days. With age comes a bit of maturity, I hope.”

“Is that what it’s called? Will Artie reach middle age before she finds some maturity?”

“Hey, baby, I’m not middle-aged.” Andrea scowled at her, and Eva laughed. “I’ve no idea what Smarties is going to do, but you think I should try this serious dating thing?”

“What could it hurt? We could set you up on some blind dates, maybe sign up on some websites. Oh, wait!” She wrapped her fingers around Andrea’s lean-muscled bicep and pulled her to a stop. She forced herself not to caress her fingers and thumbs over Andrea’s arm. “Speed dating!”

“No, no, and hell no!” The tone in the woman’s voice was clearly borne of insult.

She pouted and batted her lashes. “You’re no fun. Artie and I’d go with you to offer moral support.”

“No,
you’d
be there for moral support. Artie would be there to crack jokes and find a hook up for the night. I’ll think about the dating thing. I’m technically still seeing Natalia.”

Soft lips stroked over her cheek, and butterflies exploded in her stomach.

“You still hungry?”

“Yes!” The word came out too husky, but she covered it with a smiled. Andrea laced their fingers and darted through the late-night traffic to the diner across the street.

She could’ve said so much, maybe even asked her beautiful friend on one of those real dates they’d talked about. Inwardly, Eva sighed. No, it wouldn’t work. The woman beside her was sophisticated, successful. Harmless fantasies, that’s all they were. God knows she’d had plenty of them—five years’ worth to be precise.

The air-conditioned interior of the diner cooled her overheated cheeks. She’d die of embarrassment if the stunning woman ever learned her secret. Andrea kept their fingers laced. She led Eva through the crowded retro-style diner toward the front windows. Eva slid into a booth, her friend sat across from her, and their fingers seemed to linger. Eventually, they eased apart. She almost sighed at the loss of contact, not wanting to admit even to herself how much she’d enjoyed the simple act of the other woman holding her hand.

Andrea lifted two menus from the metal holder and passed one to her.

“Thank you.”

“What’ll be your poison, sweetheart?”

Chuckling, Eva scanned the menu as they chatted back and forth, joking and laughing until a perky blonde waitress in a ’50s style uniform stopped beside their table. The woman showed more cleavage than should be legal. She peeked at Andrea, but the other woman gave a pleasant smile, not even looking at the flesh on display. They ordered, and the waitress named Sara bounced away.

The evening went by with food, laughter, and too much coffee. She hadn’t thought it possible, but she liked Andrea more and more. Eva found the small lines beside her eyes attractive. They deepened when she laughed. Selfish, that’s how she felt. She wanted to keep the intriguing contradiction all to herself. Maybe she was a masochist, but she liked her friend more than she should. She’d fallen for Andrea long ago. A frown threatened to form, yet she pushed it away. She’d already passed the point of no return.

Dealing with Artie, after only a few hours of sleep, wasn’t on her morning to-do list.

“You left with Andrea last night. I’m impressed.”

Eva rolled her eyes at her sister over the rim of her coffee mug.

“I want details. Every nasty, sweaty detail.”

“We went to Ruth’s Diner across from Sappho’s Kiss. After we ate, I took a cab home.”

“You’ve been half in love with her since I introduced you two. When are you going to jump her like you’ve been dying to do? It’s not like you’re in the Bisexual Closet of Shame.”

“It’s complicated.”

Her sister scoffed and a brow rose. “That’s a Slade answer if I ever heard one. Now, tell me flat out, uncensored, why?”

“Have you looked at her? Tall, beautiful, successful. She’s right up there in the social food chain as the perfect catch. Half the lesbians and bisexuals in the city want her!” She gasped for breath then realized the words had rushed out.

Artie burst out with loud giggling snorts. “Eva, my gorgeous big sister, no one is perfect. Has she ever been a monogamous woman of virtue or a paragon of any kind?

“She just hasn’t met the right woman yet.”

“I think she has, but you’re too fucking terrified to claim what you want.” Artie reached out and grabbed Eva’s hands. “Sis, you might end up surprised. It’s been five long, very dry years. When you part your thighs, it probably sounds like the winds blowing across the Sahara. I think it is past time for you to let her flick the bean.” The giggle snorts began again and grew louder. Her brows lifted, disappearing behind her shaggy bangs.