Page 16 of High Note

“Hey.” She wasn’t one to be shy, so she just took what Skyla was offering, the first brush of their lips literally causing a spark of static electricity. She swallowed Skyla’s gasp in the second kiss, her entire body coming to life in a rush.

Skyla slid a hand up behind her head, her moan making Kirsten’s toes curl. She played with Skyla’s tongue, her tongue stud making Skyla shiver.

Yeah, she’d never met another woman who didn’t want to know what that little piece of metal could do on her clit.

The sound of a song she didn’t recognize started to play, loud and raucous. It sounded like maybe “Rednecker” by HARDY.

“Shit.” Skyla sighed. “That will be my band. Since it’s morning and all.”

“Oh? They fly in direct?” That didn’t happen much.

“They’re on the bus. Dan prefers to drive at night. He’s going to park the bus somewhere on a rented lot and I bet Hailey will rent a car wherever she can do that closest. She’ll just come and go. I had planned to just Uber while I was here, and there’s the little downtown shuttle, I saw.

“Yeah. It’s reliable.” She had a car, but she didn’t have to drive a ton. She was pretty convenient. “Did you need me to get you back to your house?”

“I—Do you mind? I’m not sure I could face walking today, or riding the shuttle.”

“Of course. I got a car.” That fantasy was cut short by real life, wasn’t it?

“Thanks, honey.” Skyla sat up, looking at her with real regret.

Kirsten sat up and checked the clock. She had time to take Skyla wherever she wanted to go, run by the new little drive-thru coffee shack, and come home without anyone seeing her. She didn’t need to worry about everyone giving her shit, or worse, making things hard for Skyla.

Not only that, but she didn’t need to be making any walks of shame.

She winked over and then went to pee and grab her boots. She wasn’t sure how to do this part—never had been.

Thanks for the writing and the kiss. Have a nice life. See you on the TV sometime.

When she came back out, Skyla passed her on the way in.Skyla returned not long later, stopping to put a hand on her arm. “This was amazing. You should come sit in with us some night this week.”

“Oh.” Right. Like she was qualified for that shit. There was no way. “If it works out, sure.”

“Cool.” Those green eyes went a little sad, a little distant. “I think the guys would love to listen to you play. Let’s exchange numbers, huh? I want to talk to you about selling that first song. I think Brandy Carlile or even Ashley McBride might be interested.”

“I—You think? That would be cool.” She held out her phone for Skyla to put in her number. “That’s not why I kissed you.”

“I know that. You don’t have a bit of lie in you. I bet you tell the truth even when a white lie would be kinder.” Skyla winked as if to take any sting out of that. Skyla did tap her number in, then let Kirsten put hers in Skyla’s. “It’s a damn good song.”

She let that one go, though she agreed. “Come on. You want a coffee first? There’s a drive-thru with an oat milk cinnamon latte.”

“That sounds amazing.” Skyla shrugged into her parka.

“Cool. Come on. The Outback is in the garage. I get it with the rent.” It was the benefit of renting the same place for so long.

“Wow. That’s a neat arrangement. So many places make you fight to park on the street.” Skyla laughed. “And you have a Subaru. Of course you do.”

“Yep. It’s a tank. I love it. It takes me up into the mountains whenever I want.” She was a camper, and she could spend days up there. “It also has a rainbow sticker, a lesbian pride frog, and a giant hood violet. Just because I can.”

And because she wasn’t hiding or lying, not for anything.

Skyla grinned wide, not at all intimidated, she thought. “Fight the good fight, honey.”

“Every fucking day.” And there wasn’t enough money to go back in that closet, not for her. “Come on, honey. Let’s get you caffeinated and home.”

She needed a shower and a cuddle with her babies, maybe a nap. That would put her to rights.

Chapter Seven

---