Page 55 of When You Smile

“It’s a tough one. But I have a win-win idea.”

“I’m intrigued.”

Taryn expertly scooped the cake, a strawberry sliver, and the last bit of vanilla ice cream onto the fork and glided it toward Charlie, who understood the mission. She accepted the bite and made happy eye contact with Taryn as the decadent flavors melted over her. “That one was my favorite,” she said, dabbing her mouth.

“Oh, mine, too,” Taryn said and grinned. “By far.” They shared a smile and Taryn softened. “Seriously, though.” She lifted a shoulder. Charlie was learning that when lighthearted exchanges moved into sincerity, Taryn was less comfortable. “This was really nice.” Her gaze that generally carried self-assuredness brushed the table before she pulled it back to Charlie. It was a glimpse behind the curtain. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I have a confession. This was exactly what I needed.” She glanced toward the kitchen. “And I would happily pay the check, but it appears there won’t be one.”

“We made a splash.”

Charlie laughed. “We did. Let’s get outta here and make more.”

Chapter Twelve

The walk to the car from the restaurant was quiet. The buzz from the cocktail was all but gone, and that was okay. Taryn was in a good mood and knew this was a night she’d always look back on in wonder, making her excited for whatever might be ahead for them. Life had a way of truly delivering on surprises. She squeezed her shoulders together against the cold. The sky was clear, showing off how many stars it claimed, making it easy for her to see her own breath as they moved, hands shoved into pockets. She’d scarcely thought of much else for days. It was true that listening to Charlie talk, laughing with her, exploring a new place like this was amazing, but the elevated tension that came with not knowing when they’d get to touch, kiss, and explore was never far away in her mind. There was this constant physical draw that Taryn was finding harder and harder to ignore.

As Charlie pressed the ignition, bringing the car’s engine to life, her hand went still on the gearshift. She turned to Taryn, pressing her cheek to the seat. Taryn’s stomach tightened because though they were still early, she was already learning Charlie’s looks. This one, eyes laced with hints of desire, was her absolute favorite.

“What if we just stopped the world for a moment?”

Taryn nodded, unable to fully come up with interesting words to speak while also being lost in those eyes. Her heart rate increased, her stomach went tight, and an infusion of warmth rushed from her shoulders to her fingertips and downward. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

The seconds that ticked by as they watched each other only seemed to drizzle gasoline on the fire that licked and danced between them. Charlie made the move before she could, placing a hand on Taryn’s cheek and pressing her mouth firmly to Taryn’s. It felt like a claim, like a burst of action that could not be held back a moment longer, and God, did Taryn identify.

Lips began to move. Arms reached. There was a quiet desperation now that they took what they wanted. Charlie’s skin was warm as Taryn slipped her hands beneath the back of her sweater, a startling contrast to the crisp air pressed to the car windows. A roaring sprang up in Taryn’s ears as they kissed, signaling the overwhelming need she wrestled with. It rushed rapidly south, blazing a trail of heat. This was beyond good, and Taryn warred between wanting to savor every second and driving them forward, forward, forward. Slanting her mouth over Charlie’s for better access, she took everything Charlie offered, desiring more still. She longed to know what it was like to have Charlie beneath her, whispering her name, parting her legs, skin on skin. What an addictive dance they were.

“Too much,” Charlie whispered, going in for another kiss, her tongue exploring Taryn’s mouth. Her voice was different, and there was something mind-bogglingly sexy about that, the knowledge that Taryn had turned her on and sent her to somewhere affected and new. It fueled her determination.

The hands that had been at the small of Charlie’s back began to wander, ambitious and without Taryn’s total intention. Somehow she’d gained the upper hand and found herself leaning over the center console. She placed her palms flat against Charlie’s ribcage, sliding them up more and more until her thumbs ran into the underside of Charlie’s breasts, which just about short-circuited the remaining portion of Taryn’s brain, power. Charlie nodded, her hands in Taryn’s hair holding her in place.

That’s when the laughter floated in the air, which was puzzling. As much as Taryn tried to ignore the now loud combination of overlapping voices, it oriented her and she remembered their surroundings.

“Dammit, I think they’re parked next to us,” Charlie said with wide eyes.

Taryn mimicked her expression and they sat up, righting themselves and adjusting their clothing like two fourteen-year-olds caught behind the movie theater. Laughter came next because the situation was harmless enough that they could see the humor and make fun of themselves.

“I think they stole our moment,” Taryn said, as the intruding group of diners drove away.

“Temporarily,” Charlie said, but there was a shy undercurrent to the way she carried herself that meant the spell had been broken. That was okay. They were early in this thing and still maneuvering the important details. Sex was certainly one of them. “We should probably get back.”

“Fiiiine,” Taryn said, drawing out the word like a petulant teenager. “Let’s return to our regular boring lives when this parking lot was actually the nicest place I’ve visited in years.” She folded her arms to demonstrate her feigned dismay.

“Don’t be cute when I’m trying to do the responsible thing.”

Taryn unfolded her arms automatically. “But only because you called me cute.”

Charlie reached over and touched her chin affectionately before firing up the ignition and whisking them back to the Hillspoint bubble. They lingered and chatted and shared a brief kiss in front of Alexander, their first public show of affection that left Taryn feeling like the luckiest girl ever. True, the area had been mostly deserted, but she wasn’t going to be choosy. She spent the rest of the night studying for the final she had in two days, in between drifting back to the memory of their evening together. When she finally closed her textbook, just shy of two a.m., she found a message waiting for her on her phone.

Off to bed. I will think about our night till sleep comes. And those thumbs. Night, Taryn.

Like a princess in a cartoon, Taryn’s jaw dropped, she crushed the phone to her chest, and she fell back onto her bed, starry-eyed and smiley. When she’d arrived at Hillspoint that first day, she’d never once imagined that she’d run into her childhood crush and then fall down the rabbit hole of an actual burgeoning romance with her. Yet, somehow, here she sat. What was this life and how did she make sure she lived in it forever?

* * *

“’Tis the season to be flunked out, fa-la-la-la, la-la-la. Send us straight to a nice pour house, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la.”

Charlie smiled at the band of fraternity brothers standing in a line, wearing overly large mutton chops, known for their less-than-traditional caroling year after year. It was a Hillspoint tradition that she enjoyed—this year even more than others. Probably because everything just felt lighter. Charlie had a spring in her step, feeling more alive, hopeful, and like a truer version of herself than she had in years. And she knew why. She’d likely been doing it wrong all this time, forcing herself into relationships that looked good on paper rather than allowing herself to feel. Growing up with a man like her father taught her not to hope for too much and to shove down dreams and desires so there would be no chance for disappointment. If Taryn hadn’t stepped back into her life, how would she ever have corrected her path? She imagined herself married to Danny and mildly content, wondering why nothing ever seemed to click into place for her the way it did other people.

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