Page 38 of The Relationship Mechanic

“Works perfectly. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Vini didn’t stop to think as she made her way to Grace’s place. She had barely pulled into the driveway when Jessica appeared at the front door. She moved quickly, striding down the stairs and over to Vini’s car. She was in before Vini even had a moment to think about it, and she wondered if Jessica was as eager to get out of the town for a bit as Vini was. Vini looked back at the house and saw Grace looking out from the window. She wondered what that was all about but resolved herself to mind her business. That was what she said to Ava earlier, and it would be hypocritical for her to not do the same, no matter how curious she was.

“You are a cherry-flavored lifesaver,” Jessica said blowing out a heavy breath. “Grace was driving me to contemplating homicide with her ridiculous questions and wanting to talk about my feelings.”

Vini snorted softly. It seemed that they were both running, then. She could definitely work with that. “Well, glad that my chariot services came in useful.” Jessica’s laughter washed over her, and Vini bathed in the comfort of that sound as she turned toward the highway.

The car was quiet, both seemingly lost in their own thoughts. Vini wondered if Jessica and Grace were having the same conversation as she and Ava. Dani seemed to be the only one who knew how to mind her own business, and right now she was Vini’s favorite sister. Even more so because she hadn’t shown her face the past couple days outside of coming home to sleep before heading back out to work again.

“So tell me about this Mexican place,” Jessica said breaking the silence between them. She didn’t turn to look at Vini, instead looking straight ahead in the direction they were going. “When you say it’samazing, is it actually amazing or is it just the only option available?”

Vini laughed. “It’s definitely not the only one available, but it is still one of the best in the area. Trust me.”

Jessica nodded slowly and leaned her head back against the seat. She closed her eyes, and Vini had a tough time keeping her gaze on the road and not on the woman beside her. Still, the idea of getting to the restaurant in one piece won out, and she tightened her grip on the steering wheel as they continued down the highway. Twenty minutes later, they turned off the highway toward Valia City, a town even smaller than Peach Blossom. It didn’t have much available in the way of entertainment, but of its three restaurants, the Mexican restaurant was the best. It also had amazing mango margaritas, and Vini was in need of one right now.

When they pulled in, the parking lot was half-full. The air was cool as was the norm these days. Mornings tended to be chilly with it heating up in the afternoon before the inevitable evening temperature dip. It was the kind of weather that people always joked about in the South.

“It smells amazing in here,” Jessica remarked after they were seated at their table. She looked around, the small smile on her face making her seem years younger. Now without the need to keep the car straight, Vini could drink her fill of Jessica. She gazed across the table enjoying the excitement that practically leaked from Jessica’s essence.

“If I had known you liked Mexican food this much, I would have brought you here weeks ago.”

Jessica laughed. “I probably would have hopped in bed with you even sooner if you had.” A waitress interrupted them before she could say more, and after a few suggestions, they were alone again with a margarita each and anticipation for the meal. Vini watched as Jessica tried the chips and salsa.

“So...” She waited for her to finish chewing. When Jessica’s eyebrows shot up, Vini smirked.

“You are evil,” Jessica said waving a hand in front of her face. “Why didn’t you tell me that was the spicy one?”

“Aren’t you half Korean?” Vini countered. “You bragged all about your spice tolerance when we were in Atlanta.”

Jessica blinked away tears, her smile never leaving her face. “Korean spice and Mexican spice are two different things.” She took a sip of her margarita, her shoulders dropping as she licked her lips. “Oh, man, this thing is amazing.”

“Told you it was good.” Vini took a sip of her own drink. She hummed at the familiar tang of the mango and the sharp bite of the tequila. It was a perfect combination after a long hard day at work. “I used to joke that this was better than sex, mostly because I wasn’t having it. But now I know better.” Jessica’s laughter was contagious, and Vini found herself chuckling.

“I don’t know about all that,” Jessica said pulling her glass closer to her. She leaned over before looking up at Vini from beneath her kohl-dark eyelashes. “As delicious as this is, I think I would choose sex with you over it every time.”

A thrill ran up Vini’s spine, and she swallowed hard at the look in Jessica’s eyes. She saw Jessica’s lips moving, but all she could do was focus on the pounding of her heart. For the first time in a long time, she was regretting not having space of her own. She wanted to bring Jessica home and spend the night staring into those eyes as they dirtied every surface available. She wanted every corner of her place to be a reminder of her and Jessica and what they’d had.

That thought nearly stopped her in her tracks.

Whatdidthey have?

She and Jessica weren’t together. Not officially. Not the way Vini wanted, and therein lay the problem. Vini had argued with Ava about not making assumptions about why Jessica sought Vini out, but was she totally wrong? Vini was quickly realizing that the comfort she’d initially had with her and Jessica’s arrangement had somehow bled away in the past few weeks, leaving discontent and a gaping need to fill it. Vini had thought she was satisfied with how things were, but now she wasn’t so sure. After having Jessica for the past month and seeing what a relationship could be like, how could Vini just let all that go? She knew she needed to tell Jessica how she felt, if only to get everything out in the open so they could deal with things.

Before Vini had a chance to say anything, Jessica’s words reached her ears. “... And I can’t wait to get to Italy. My parents spend every other Christmas there, so I’ve made some good friends.”

“Oh?” Vini remembered Jessica talking about Italy a couple times, but she hadn’t realized it was a place she went to frequently. “So you like it there, then?”

Jessica nodded enthusiastically. “It’s one of my top three places. I bought a villa there a couple years ago for when I go stay. My friend, Gianna, lives there year-round and takes care of the place for me. She’s always trying to get me to settle back there permanently.”

At the sound of another woman’s name, everything stopped. Logically, Vini knew Jessica had friends outside of Grace. Hell, she even knew that Jessica probably had other people she was seeing before she came to Peach Blossom. But with the idea of that right in front of her, she found herself shutting down. She hadn’t expected Jessica to declare her love for Vini and promise to stay in town forever, but she hadn’t realized Jessica was so eager to leave.

“Why haven’t you?” It was a question Vini didn’t want to ask, but she had to know the answer. “I’ve heard southern Italy is beautiful.”

Jessica nodded. “It is. The beaches are nice too, but I’m just not ready to be tied down right now.”

Vini nodded in agreement even as the fire of hope she had been reluctantly cultivating slowly dwindled. There was no way in hell Peach Blossom was competing with Italy. The two places weren’t even on the same wavelength. Vini couldn’t deny that it would be exciting to go and see something new. She wanted to travel, and it was in her plans for the future, but Peach Blossom was home for her. She couldn’t imagine ever settling somewhere else long-term. Her life was the shop and building it into something she felt was truly hers. She had years before she could say that she had reached that goal.

“That’s really cool that you have a place there,” Vini said finally when she felt she could speak without her voice wavering. “I’ve always wanted to go to Europe. Ava visited in college and would always send us pictures. We were supposed to visit her over the summer, but life just sort of got in the way, and she came back to Peach Blossom before we could try to plan a visit again.”

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