Page 70 of You Had Me at Merlot

Jamie exhaled slowly. Her thoughts had slowed down, and the adrenaline seemed to be receding. She excused herself to the small office in the back and composed a rough draft of an email. But Leighton was better at this sort of thing, so before sending it off, with laptop in hand, she headed back into the café for a second opinion. Maybe Leighton could give it a scan and make a suggestion or two. She paused, stopping in her tracks. Leighton and Helen stood in front of the back sink, very close together and speaking quietly, ridiculously happy smiles on their faces. She shouldn’t be watching this private moment. Yet she couldn’t seem to pull her gaze away. When Helen leaned in andbrushed Leighton’s lips with hers, Jamie felt sick. Her hands trembled, so she set the laptop on a nearby table and returned to her office where she closed her door, pressed her back against it, and took a few shaky breaths.

“Stop it,” she whispered to herself with ferocity. She had zero right to have any kind of reaction to Leighton and Helen and their blossoming relationship. In fact, it was a wonderful thing. Leighton deserved to find her happiness. She whirled around and walked right back into the dining area of the bar, bright smile on her face. She would not be that person.

“You two are adorable,” she said cheerfully and grabbed a dishrag to wipe down a table.

“You think?” Helen said, turning around, threading her fingers through Leighton’s. Jamie briefly made eye contact with Leighton, who smiled back.Just look at her. She’s practically glowing.

“Definitely, and it’s really nice to see.” She’d done well, but it wasn’t a moment she could live in for too long. At least not yet. The longer Helen hung around, the easier this whole thing would get, right? It made sense. She’d never seen Leighton with a girlfriend before, so of course it would take some getting used to. She’d get there. She touched her chest absently in the spot it ached.

“Jamie, did you hear me?” Leighton asked.

She lifted her gaze. “Hmm?”

“You’re clutching your chest. Are you okay? You’re scaring me.”

“I’m fine,” she said. “Promise. I think I’m just gonna go send this email before I get distracted.”

Leighton stared at her, perplexed. Worry creased her forehead.

Jamie laughed. “What? Why are you so serious over there? I’m perfectly fine.” She touched her shoulder. “Just a really awful day is all.”

“You were there for me when I had a bad day not too long ago. What can I do?”

Jamie gestured to Leighton, to Helen. “You’re already doing it. You’re the best, Lay. I mean it.”

Chapter Nineteen

Leighton had been up since two in the morning. She wasn’t sure why. All was right with the world, and she should be sleeping like a baby. Helen had stayed over but would be getting up soon to teach a class at the School of Ballet. With her favorite tan silk robe around her, Leighton looked out at the city slowly waking, the pink and orange of the sun making their first appearance. She hugged herself at the warm glow emerging from behind a tall building in the distance.

Exhausted from very little sleep, but with a soft smile to greet the day, she turned back to the bed. Helen slept peacefully on her stomach, sheet pulled to her waist. Tranquil and calm. They were good together, she told herself. They laughed, got competitive when it came to the best method to pop popcorn, and never seemed to get on each other’s nerves. She had an interesting job and a kind heart. Leighton was blessed. She didn’t let herself examine the section of her heart that hadn’t joined the party. She’d get there with a little time. But overall, she was happy, content, and very much looking forward to more. They usually stayed at her place, so her once cold and lonely apartment was now alive with banter in the morning and soft touches at night. She really could get used to this.

“Morning,” Helen said, bleary-eyed. “Are you watching me sleep?”

Leighton let her crossed arms fall. She moved to the bed and sat alongside Helen. “Yes. You were saying the most wild stuff. A double agent in charge of celery auctions. Is there a secret life we should talk about?” Leighton asked with a stern expression.

Helen rolled onto her back with a soft laugh. “Celery auctions? You’re creative this morning. Time?”

“A little after six.”

“I gotta get going. Full schedule of classes. I have that thing tonight, too.”

“What thing?”

“The donor thing. Did I not tell you?”

She watched Helen grab her overnight bag and head into the bathroom. Maybe they should talk about a drawer for her sometime soon. It seemed like a big step, but at the same time, it was spring, and they’d been dating several months. “No. I don’t think you mentioned it.”

“Logan Morrow’s campaign. I’m on their donor list and guessing they want more.”

Leighton went still. Took a moment to steady herself. “I didn’t know you were into politics.”

Helen came back in the room wearing one of Leighton’s robes, the shower heating up behind her. “Social issues matter to me, and I want to see the right candidate in office.” She shrugged. “Plus, there’s an amazing amount of good champagne at those events. Who’d say no? Wanna come?”

Leighton didn’t hesitate. “No. I need some downtime. Is that okay?”

“Of course. I’ll take Audrey. I think she has the night off from that experimental piece with the strobe lights. I don’t know how she doesn’t come home with a headache.”

She’d met Helen’s best friend briefly. Bubbly and fun. Another dancer. Maybe Audrey would donate to Logan’s campaign as well. She should say something. This was the perfect opening. With a nervous stomach, she turned. “Do you think we could talk about something kind of important?”

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