“I think I want to try. We’ll need to go slow—at least on the dating part. I’m certainly not walking things back as far as the sex is concerned.”
“You’ll have no arguments from me there. I don’t want this to affect our professional relationship, though. I think we’ll make a good team, both inside and outside the office, but if one doesn’t work out…”
“We won’t let it affect us,” Genevieve promised. “That’s something I can guarantee. I always put my business first, and no matter what happens between us personally, you’re a good investment. I’m certainly not going to let go of you if I have any choice in the matter.”
“Then I guess we have a deal. There’s just one more thing to arrange.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“Where do you want to go on our first date?”
Genevieve didn’t remember the last time she felt so excited about arranging anything.
6
Mia
Mia hadn’t been this nervous for a date in a long while. She hadn’t liked anyone as much as she liked Genevieve… well, ever. She looked at herself in the mirror, reminding herself that Genevieve was already attracted to her and that wasn’t going to change based on whether she wore the red halter neck or the navy blue cocktail dress.
Genevieve hadn’t told her where they were going, but she had told Mia to dress fancy, which limited her choices. Genevieve probably had a whole wardrobe of fancy evening clothes, but Mia seldom went to such events, and had only these two choices.
She eventually decided to go with the red—who didn’t look good in red?
Genevieve was picking her up, wanting to keep the location a surprise.
Mia was just starting with her makeup when the doorbell rang. She glanced at her watch in panic. It was still quarter to seven. She had fifteen minutes left to get ready—or so she had thought.
She dashed to the door, her lipstick still clutched in her hand, and pulled it open.
There was Genevieve, holding a bunch of red roses that were a near-perfect match for Mia’s dress.
“Oh,” Mia said stupidly. “You’re early.”
“Sorry—I guess I was a bit over-eager. I can wait in the car if you’re not ready for me?”
“No, please, come inside. I just need to finish my makeup, and then we can go.”
“I’ll put these in water. You go do your thing.”
As frazzled as she had been when she opened the door, Genevieve’s easy manner quickly put Mia at ease.
She went back to her room and put on her makeup, trying not to hurry too much to avoid making mistakes. When she was done, she found Genevieve putting the flowers in vase for her.
Mia wanted to kiss her, but she was afraid of getting her bright red lipstick on Genevieve’s lips, which looked utterly luscious in a pale pink lip gloss that matched her light pink dress perfectly.
“You look beautiful.”
“So do you. I’d kiss you, but I don’t think red lipstick would look very good with this dress.”
Mia chuckled. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
She loved how she and Genevieve always seemed to be on the same wavelength. Instead of kissing her, Mia leaned in and pulled Genevieve into a hug. They stayed there for several moments, enjoying the simple feeling of being in each other’s arms.
“Shall we go?” Genevieve asked after a minute.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Genevieve drove for twenty minutes, slightly out of the main bustle of the city, to a fancy Italian place with fairy lights wrapped around the trees in their expansive garden.