Page 65 of Love Is…?

Grace declaredthe night a complete success as everyone went their separate ways and Abby, Sam, Tessa, and Jayde joined her in the SUV.

“Michael’s lovely, isn’t he?” Grace’s question was directed at Tessa, who smiled and nodded, deciding to keep her thoughts to herself. Abby and Sam were smiling as well, obviously fine with Grace’s choice of companion. But Tessa frowned to herself. Perhaps she was being ridiculously overprotective. Michael might be perfectly harmless. She shrugged, her shoulder brushing against Jayde’s. Grace was right; apart from the Justin issue, the night had been a success, and that was all that mattered.

Chapter

Fourteen

Jayde contemplated her reflection.She’d kissed Tessa goodnight last Saturday after Grace’s bowling party. Perfectly chaste. Sinking into lips. Tongues touching. Sighs. Whimpers. Hands roaming a little. Clutching at hair. She rolled her eyes.

“Interesting definition of chaste.”

The kisses had left her hot and bothered and turned on and needing. Yet here she was heading off to meet Tessa atQueerBeersso that Tessa could flirt and thrill other women and perhaps be invited back to a woman’s place or hotel room. Jayde swallowed around the lump in her throat. They’d agreed to this. These not-pretend kisses while moving forward with the pretend lessons. The whole idea left a bitter taste in Jayde’s mouth.

“I’m jealous,” she said to the mirror. Her reflection nodded in agreement. “Which is stupid.” The reflection continued to nod.

Giving herself up as a lost cause, Jayde shrugged on her jacket, grabbed her wallet and keys, and made her way down the driveway to the tram stop.

After a fortifying breath,and an internal, “You can do this,” Tessa entered the bar and was instantly assaulted by noise, lights, and the sugary scent of alcohol. Two women paused in their conversation to rake their gazes up and down Tessa’s body, which was slightly invasive yet rather complimentary. Tessa had definitely gone for the wow factor tonight, seeing as the goal was to win someone over within a few hours. Faded jeans and her favourite t-shirt were not going to achieve that. So she’d pulled out her red, fringed, mid-thigh dress which she’d found in an op-shop last year. It reminded her of the dresses worn by the flapper girls in the 1920s. She’d decided on red, low heel slingbacks, her earring clip, smoky eyeshadow, and a teeny tiny handbag. She had somehow managed to straighten every strand of her French cut hair. Tessa felt confident in the outfit, despite not feeling confident in the location.

“I hope Jayde is already here,” she muttered, and wound her way through the occupied stools towards the bar.

Tessa’s wish was granted when she spotted Jayde, who had obviously seen her as well, slowly stepping off her stool, her eyes wide, lips parted. Tessa stopped and grinned.

“Bit busy, hey?”

Jayde stared.

“Jayde?”

“What? Oh!” Jayde waved her hand up and down Tessa’s torso. “God, Tess. You look stunning!”

They held eye contact as, all about them, the noise from the ocean of people reduced to a low hum. Jayde’s gaze became heated, eyes darkening, seemingly drinking Tessa in, which sent a sizzle of arousal throughout Tessa’s body.

“You…” She smiled. “You look fab as well.” It wasn’t a lie. Dark jeans, boots, grey shirt, and that jacket again, the one that somehow promised all sorts of things.

Jayde’s cheeks pinked, which stunned Tessa. It was almost as if Jayde was shy. Or overwhelmed. Or something?

“What are you drinking?” Jayde tilted her head at the beer taps and the rows of bottles running along the shelves behind the bar.

“Ooh, we’re jumping right into the lesson. Okay. My name’s Tessa, and I’d like a Roy Rogers, please,” she replied, delivering a quick wink. She wasn’t game to order another Sex On The Beach mocktail. The last one had ended up being sprayed all over the floor like an effective garden sprinkler system.

A strange look flitted across Jayde’s face. It was so quick that Tessa wondered if she’d actually seen it, so she shrugged and smiled as Jayde ordered their drinks, which arrived in record time.

Jayde tapped her glass to Tessa’s. “That was a good start. So, who takes your fancy?” She swivelled on the stool and stared into the crowd.

Tessa swallowed, and looked at Jayde’s profile.You do, Jayde. You take my fancy. What a frustrating situation to be in. Her brain put up its hand to remind her that common sense had gone AWOL the last time she’d realised her frustration and therefore Tessa only had herself to blame. So she spun around on her stool to join Jayde in watching the crowd.

It was only a minute later when Jayde leaned over, and murmured, “Yellow shirt to your right. Short black hair. She’s not with anyone, I think.”

It was like Tessa had landed in some type of sapphic sitcom with Jayde appointed as wingwoman. Tessa snuck a glance at the tall woman who Jayde had suggested. Very tall. Very buff. Very much like the woman years ago who’d decided that Tessawasn’t worth the effort, all because Tessa wanted to just kiss and touch a few places.

Tessa could feel her nerves taking over.

“No. I don’t think—do you want to dance?” She raised her eyebrows at Jayde, hoping her voice didn’t sound like an anxiety attack was cresting the hill. It wasn’t that she hated the idea of hooking up. It would be lovely to have a night of anonymous sex. But not yet. The judgements from years ago had cut so deeply that it would take a while to soothe the sting. Even Olna’s words had hurt when she’d attempted to encourage Tessa to become more adventurous in the bedroom. Olna had said that there was only so much mundanity that she could handle. Ouch.

But with Jayde, the idea of a single night felt safe. Tessa laughed to herself. The irony. It was a bit hard to happily hook up with an anonymous person when the anonymous person was not anonymous. Tessa’s brain had found time in its busy schedule over the weeks to create visions of what sex between Jayde and Tessa would be like and gosh, her brain was a creative little thing.

Hence, dancing.

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