Page 11 of Back Up Plan

Gabby nodded vigorously as she sat down, “Of course.”

Reaching over the mid-century modern table, Cass drizzled balsamic glaze on her piece before picking it up. The Italian bread was warm in her hand, the perfect foundation for the small mountain of the freshly-chopped tomatoes and garlic. She knew before even biting in that it was perfect.

“Oh wow, Gabs. Best one yet.”

“Seriously?!” She was elated, finally digging in herself.

They ate in the comfortable silence that only years of friendship and a delicious meal afforded.

After a moment, Gabby broke the silence, “Did you find the woman from last night?”

Cass lit up, “I did! And I asked her to come to the party. She agreed to grab drinks tonight.”

“That’s great news! Sorry that I can’t just pretend to be in love with you,” Gabby said with a laugh.

“Yeah, Elle definitely wouldn’t buy that,” Cass chuckled.

“So, what was she like in the cold light of day?”

As she tried to think of a way to describe Ari, Cass’s face went red.

Gabby’s jaw dropped, “For real?”

Cass threw her head into her hands as she tried to wipe the image of Ari’s gorgeous lips from her mind, “Honestly, she’s one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen.”

“And that’s wild because you’ve met Fletcher in person,” Gabby said, “Do you think you’re, like, actually interested in her?”

Shaking her head, Cass replied, “No, she’s too… corporate for me. I feel like she’d be as stiff as a board in bed.”

“Too bad you don’t have any experience, like… I don’t know… helping people become comfortable with their sexuality,” Gabby joked.

She was one of the very few people who knew what Cass had done through college and well into her twenties for work. Cass hadn’t disliked her time as a dominatrix, but it wasn’t something she saw for herself long term.

Plus, in her personal life, she much preferred to submit to pleasure.

“I don’t know, I’m just not ready for a commitment yet. Seeing Elle…” She took a moment to compose herself, “I really wasn’t prepared to see her with anyone else.”

Gabby nodded, putting her hand on Cass’s knee with a gentle smile, “Well, take your time. And, maybe this could just be good, ole fashioned fun.”

Cass smiled as she glanced down at the time on her phone, “Fuck, I’ve gotta get changed.”

Her hour at home had somehow compressed into five minutes. She gave Gabby a pat on her shoulder as she ran down the hallway of their railroad-style apartment and into her room.

Messy and disorganized, Cass’s room was a pool of half-dirty clothes and coffee cups. She was rarely at home long enough to clean up.

She threw open the door of her closet and rifled through the hangers until she found a knit, green crop top that lifted her boobs and exposed her toned stomach.

She tore off the muscle tank, sweaty from her time in the humid, early-June subway tunnels. As she did, her barbell nipple piercings caught on the slightly frayed hem of her shirt.

“Ouch,” she yelped as she delicately unstuck the shirt.

Once she tugged the tank over her shoulders and head, she pulled the knit shirt on, more careful to carry the fabric over her breasts this time. She grabbed a pair of distressed, black jeans and slipped them over her ass. Her baggy pants, though they tried, couldn’t hide her shapely figure.

She grabbed her Book Club Bar tote off the bed and threw a copy of Donna Tarte’sThe Secret Historyinside for the long train ride.

Cass hadn’t realized that she was sweating, her palms clammy at the thought of convincing Ari that they could help each other.

But, she supposed, either way, it was a good excuse to spend a couple of hours of her night flirting with a beautiful woman.

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