Page 30 of Paradise Pride

“Of course I’ll help you. Once you both know what you want, I’ll help you make a plan and—” Meghan stopped herself when Florence’s name lit up on her phone. “Excuse me for a moment, I just need to answer this,” she said, fighting the smirk she felt spreading over her face as she read it.

Hey, beautiful. I hope you’re okay after last night. Sorry I snuck out. I didn’t want to put you in a difficult position in case Kim came back early. I’d love to see you tonight, but I understand if you need time to yourself. Let me know. I’m thinking of you.

“I know that look.” Kim leaned in to catch a glimpse of her screen, but Meghan turned it away. “Oh, come on. Let me see.”

“Private,” Meghan mumbled, reading the message again and again. Then she got up and walked away to type a reply. Suddenly shaky on her legs, it was hard to walk with a storm brewing inside. The butterflies were intense, her mind was churning, and her hands were trembling as she typed a reply.

Hey! Last night was amazing. I’m thinking of you too and I would love to see you later. It’s a date .

30

Florence

Florence could see Meghan was nervous as she got out of the taxi. She looked stunning in black-and-white polka-dot shorts and a low-cut black top. Her brown hair hung loosely around her shoulders, and her left wrist was graced with a few silver bangles. She glanced over the terrace in front of the restaurant, and her face lit up when she spotted Florence.

“Hello, am I late?”

“No, I’m early.” Florence got up to greet her. She wasn’t sure what Meghan was comfortable with, so she settled for a kiss on her cheek before she pulled out a chair for her.

“Thanks.” Meghan blushed profusely as she sat down. “This is…” She chuckled. “Forgive me. I’m just getting used to a woman pulling out a chair for me.”

“I’m sorry. Was that too much?” Florence winced. “I wasn’t thinking, I—”

“No, I like it.” Meghan shot her a shy smile. “This is nice. Do you come here often?” Rolling her eyes, she laughed again. “God, that was a lame question.”

“Not lame question, and I do, actually. I have some friends who live nearby, so we tend to meet up here.” The Spanish restaurant Florence had chosen wasn’t fancy, but it had a lovely big terrace, great food and friendly service. It was also just outside the city centre in a quiet residential neighbourhood, void of drunk tourists, which was another bonus. “Do you like traditional Spanish food?”

“Of course. Who doesn’t? I haven’t had much Spanish food since I arrived, though, apart from tapas with you.” Meghan kept shifting her napkin on her lap as if she wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself.

“Was Kim okay?” Florence asked, giving her a chance to change the subject.

“Yes, she was fine. More than fine. She’s getting married to her boyfriend. He proposed to her last night.”

“Really? That’s great. I thought they’d had a fight.”

“It was just a misunderstanding. She came back this morning with an engagement ring on her finger, and we celebrated at a beach club all day.” Meghan touched her cheeks. “I tried not to get sunburnt but failed.”

Florence looked her over and shook her head. “You’re absolutely stunning.”

“Thank you. So are you.” Meghan looked at her, and their eye contact was electric. Yes, she was nervous, but Florence clearly detected that same desire as last night. “I’ve never seen you in…” She paused. “I’ve never seen you dressed up. You look really nice.”

“Thanks.” Jeans and a white linen shirt were as far as Florence went when it came to dressing up, but she felt good about how she looked tonight. Even her hair was behaving, which was a welcome bonus. Although people rarely saw a difference in how her curls fell around her face,shedid, and she was grateful for a good hair day and an abundance of energy, even after a long week of hard work and very little sleep. “So, you had fun today?” she asked.

“Yes, it was fun. I was quite distracted, though, after your message, so Kim was constantly on my case. She doesn’t know anything about what happened last night, but she knows I’m out with you tonight. She thinks I have a crush on you.”

“But you do. You told me so last night,” Florence said with a grin.

“I do.” Meghan buried her face in her hands and laughed. “Oh, God. You make me shy. I swear, I’m never shy around people, but with you, it’s like I don’t know how to be myself.” She looked up to meet Florence’s eyes again. “It’s a date, and that’s kind of a big deal, and I—”

“Don’t overthink things,” Florence said, placing a hand on Meghan’s. “It’s a drink between friends, and we just happen to like each other more than friends normally do. Does that help?”

“Not really.” Meghan laughed, then lowered her voice. “You just look really hot, and I don’t know how to deal with the situation because I can’t stop staring at you like some weirdo.” She seemed relieved when the waiter brought their menus, and she ordered a white wine before she continued. “You just pulled the chair out for me, and you’re looking at me like you genuinely like me, and I need to get used to that.”

“I more than like you, Meghan.” Florence tilted her head and regarded her. “Has no one pulled out a chair for you before?”

“Honestly, no.” Meghan shrugged. “When I’m with you, I feel like I’m the only one for you, and that’s special to me.” She paused. “And at the same time, I can’t stop overthinking things. I’ve been thinking and thinking all day, and that isn’t something I normally do.”

“What are you thinking about?” Florence asked. She had a pretty good idea, but she needed to hear her say it.

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