Page 43 of That Secret Something

She crushed me into another hug. “Yes, Jess! I knew I could count on you. You’re the bestest friend ever!”

I tried to push away the guilt swimming up my oesophagus. “I’ll…see if I can give her a call.”

“That would be amazing. Thank you!”

I nipped out of the room to make the call and headed into the downstairs bathroom. This was the smallest of their three, but it made mine look like a Portaloo. After rehearsing what I was going to say in my head four times, I dialled the number.

Harriet answered and, with a little bit of sweet-talking, agreed to come over and take our measurements.

I sucked in three deep breaths, trying to calm my thundering pulse. Those calls never got easier. Or were my nerves to do with a certain brunette due to arrive any minute? Or her sister, who I could barely look in the eye?

Relax, Jess. She doesn’t know anything.

I had a nervous wee, washed my hands, and then went out into the hallway. Voices caught my ear, chatting away in the living room. A certain baritone jolted my heart and squeezed. I’d know that voice anywhere.

Rebecca, Shay, and Amy were gathered around the coffee table, holding the dresses up to themselves. Their heads snapped towards me when I entered, and I didn’t miss the way Rebecca’s face lit up. I forced my gaze away, and instead focused my energy on greeting the two teens.

Lily watched me expectantly, her eyes bulging and wide. “How’d it go?”

“She’s on her way.”

Lily shrieked, pulling me into our third hug that evening. Any more and I was going to sue her for whiplash. “You’re amazing, Jess. Thank you!”

“It’s no problem. Just doing my job.”

“You hear that, Rebecca? You should be taking notes.” Lily released me and shot a playful look at her sister.

She shrugged. “What? I sorted the venue for you, didn’t I?”

Lily harrumphed. “Yes, and every time you remind me, I get less impressed.”

Ouch. Lily was in full bridal mode. I shared a worried glance with Shay and Amy, then smiled to lessen the tension.

“Have you had a drink recently?” I placed a cautious hand on my best friend’s shoulder. “Wine? Water? Cup of tea?”

She released a breath. “Cup of tea sounds good.”

“On it,” Rebecca said, meeting my eye.

Nerves twisted in my belly before I looked away. The last thing I needed was to start blushing around her.

Lily grabbed a dress from the pile and held it up to Shay, the peach colour beautiful against their ochre brown skin. Rebecca took the drinks order: two lemonades for the teens and cups of tea for the adults.

As she brushed past me to the door, she whispered, “Don’t get confused with the rules though, Grant. This is only a one-off.”

The mention of the rules snapped my spine straight, but before I could comment, she’d already left. I blinked, trying to shake it off. The ‘I always have to make the tea’ rule hardly applied here. I was ninety percent sure she was pulling my leg. It was Rebecca, after all.

As she returned with the drinks, Harriet knocked at the door. Now in her mid-sixties, Harriet had worked as a seamstress for most of her life, only taking on odd jobs since her retirement. She’d saved me multiple times with my business, including two last-minute adjustments on party dresses. She was a no-nonsense kind of lady, and always wore grey, even though the colour did nothing for her. Her greying hair gave off quiet, sad vibes, but she had a sharp tongue that could sting if you weren’t careful. Thick circular glasses rested on the bridge of her nose, which were so dirty and covered in fingerprints it was a wonder she could see out of them at all.

I showed Harriet into the room, and after brief introductions and a handful of thank yous from Lily, she got to work taking measurements, starting with Shay and Amy.

I sank down into the comfy armchair, taking relief in watching the events unfold around me. My tea was perfectly sugared, reminding me of my exciting weekend with Rebecca. A woman that made me orgasm so good and made the perfect cup of tea? What more could you want?

I chastised myself for giving into those thoughts so easily. I was young, single, and ready to explore, goddammit! Penning myself into a future with Rebecca was only going to grant me a one-way ticket down heartbreak lane. This was temporary. A mutual arrangement of sorts. That was why I’d agreed to meet up with Jade this weekend.

But I just couldn’t help myself, and our eyes met across the room. Everything else faded to a blur as I locked on to those luscious greens, slowly being sucked in, like a vortex. Is she thinking about me, too? The corners of her mouth curved upwards, and I glanced away, already feeling warmth stir in my chest.

Dangerous. Very dangerous.

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