Indelible Page 7

  Luna murmured her thanks and they walked in silence for a few blocks. It wasn’t as awkward as Angie anticipated—first dates were always nerve-wracking, and she hadn’t been on one in so long that first-date jitters had grown outrageously in her memory. This felt different from what she expected. She was almost comfortable. Well, as comfortable as she could be with the constant surge of energy that ran between her and Luna.

  “I forgot to say thank you for the flowers. That was very thoughtful.”

  “I’m glad you liked them.” Luna led them through a narrow alleyway that ran alongside Coraggio. The path led to a small courtyard with a solitary set of stairs, which she ascended, still holding Angie’s hand, then unlocked the door. “Here we are.” Luna stood to the side and let Angie take in the scene.

  Luna’s home was small, but meticulously cleaned and organized. The kitchen table, covered with a long bone-white linen tablecloth, was topped with full place settings, white taper candles, and an open bottle of Chianti left to breathe before dinner. Luna produced a lighter and set flame to the candles.

  “I hope you like lasagna. It’s one of the only things I can cook with any kind of consistent results.”

  “Sounds good.” Angie had eaten very little all day because of her nervousness about her first official date in months. The delicious smells wafting out of Luna’s kitchen brought her hunger back full force.

  Luna poured Angie a glass of wine. “I just need to warm the bread. You can wait in the living room if you’d like, pick some music perhaps?”

  Angie took a small sip of wine. She preferred to stay and watch Luna cook, but she nodded and went in search of Luna’s CD collection. Along with the expected rock, Luna had a few surprises. Angie selected her favorite Al Green and swayed with the music as she returned to Luna.

  “Great choice.” Luna popped a Kalamata olive into her mouth. “Want an olive?”

  “Sure.” Angie reached for the bowl, which Luna quickly pulled away.

  “Let me.” Luna held the small fruit to Angie’s lips, the juice dripping from her fingers. Angie opened her mouth, closed her eyes, and extended her tongue. She took it delicately from Luna, and the slight contact as Luna’s fingers brushed against her tongue thrilled her. She savored the eroticism of the moment, along with the rich, meaty olive. When she opened her eyes, Luna was staring at her, her eyes dark and intense.

  “You are going to make the three-foot rule very difficult, aren’t you?” It was barely a whisper.

  Angie turned away and gulped a mouthful of wine. “Is dinner almost ready?”

  “Almost.” Luna set the dangerous bowl of olives on the table next to a small tray of Caprese. Angie loved the simple salad of mozzarella, basil, and tomato.

  “Can I help?”

  Luna put a bowl of bread on the table next to the lasagna and said, “No, that’s everything.” She held out Angie’s chair for her and waited for her to be seated. With Angie snuggled up close to the table, Luna placed her hands on Angie’s shoulders and spoke into her ear. “I really hope you like this.”

  Angie shivered. Luna’s hot breath against her ear and glancing off her neck made her want to turn her head and capture Luna’s lips in a kiss. She remembered the way they felt barely there against her own. That aborted, nonexistent kiss had melted Angie. The memory of it stayed with her, taunting her with how good the real thing would feel. Would it match her imagination?

  Angie barely managed to answer. “Looks good.”

  Luna lingered for a few moments longer, her lips close to, but not touching, Angie’s skin. Angie held her breath, caught in Luna’s steady inhale and exhale. Luna’s hands eased away from Angie’s shoulders, her fingertips brushing the bare skin of her upper arm, and she stepped away. Angie forced air into her lungs.

  “Here,” Luna cut a portion of lasagna, “let me serve you.” She dished it on to Angie’s plate, along with some Caprese.

  After she filled her own plate, Luna sat opposite Angie. Thank God. Her close proximity was driving Angie nuts.

  Angie took a bite of the lasagna. “Delicious.” She closed her eyes and savored the flavor. It was better than Jack’s, not a small feat. “Who taught you to cook?”

  Luna scratched her bicep and hesitated before answering. “My mom.”

  “Yeah? Are the two of you close?” Angie took another bite.

  “Yes, we were.” Luna tucked into her salad, avoiding eye contact.

  Already Angie regretted asking that. The answer was obviously making Luna uncomfortable. Still, she continued. “Were?”

  Luna stopped eating and placed her fork carefully next to her plate. “She died several years ago.”

  “Oh.” Angie had no idea what to say. Everything that came to mind sounded like an empty platitude. She settled on a simple “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” Luna shrugged and resumed eating. “What about your mom?”

  Suddenly it was Angie’s turn to be uncomfortable. “She’s around somewhere, I’m sure.”

  Luna took a couple more bites, then said, “We should find a happier topic, like…the weather. It’s been really nice.” She offered a weak smile.

  Angie laughed, but felt strained. “Yes, this weekend was gorgeous. Did you have a game?” Angie felt a twinge as she remembered her only sighting of Luna at the ballpark—a pleasant memory until Ruby had teetered in with her heels and swept Luna away.

  “No, I hardly ever play.”

  “Really? You did very well when I saw you.”

  “Thanks, but I usually opt to sleep on Saturday morning.”

  Angie broke off a bite of bread that had been brushed with olive oil and garlic. “Then why did you play that day?”

  “Because I knew you’d be there.”

  The candlelight was the perfect complement to the red flush in Angie’s cheeks. Luna wished she had a hundred more comments just like that one if only to watch Angie blush.

  “You came to see me?” Angie’s blush deepened.

  Luna nodded and took a sip of wine.

  “So why did you bring Ruby?”

  Luna’s calm ruptured again. Why didn’t she see that coming? She traced the conversation, took a larger sip of wine, and said, “I didn’t. Her showing up interrupted my plan to talk to you.”

  “You didn’t look terribly disappointed.”

  She’d set the trap for herself. She could have avoided the ballpark, let herself be patient, and talked to Angie the next time she passed in front of her shop, but she couldn’t do it. She just had to see her, and of course Ruby just had to show up. Luna mustered a defense. She wasn’t committed to Angie, she shouldn’t have to explain. “I’m sorry.”

  Angie folded her napkin, set it on the table, and looked Luna in the eye. “We never did finish this conversation the other day, did we?”

  “Which conversation?” Luna wanted to sit quietly and enjoy Angie, not talk about Ruby.

  “The one about you and Ruby. And me.”

  And there it was, all laid out and impossible for Luna to ignore.

  “Do you think there is a you and me?” Luna placed more importance on Angie’s answer than she wanted to admit.

  Angie leaned in slightly. “You said you planned to talk to Ruby. Did you?”

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  “And I told her I can’t see her anymore and that’s that.” Luna simplified the story for Angie. In truth, her last meeting with Ruby had been horrible.

  “She was okay with that?” Angie asked.

  “No,” Ruby’s reaction still shocked Luna, “but what choice does she have?”

  Angie resumed eating, but she kept her eyes on Luna. “That depends. What choice did you give her?”

  “None.” Luna was done avoiding the subject. If Angie wanted to know what she was willing to give up at her request, Luna would damn well tell her. “I told her I wanted to date you and couldn’t see her at the same time. You wouldn’t allow it.”

  Angie’s features relaxe
d. She swirled her wine, the deep red catching in the flickering light. “You told her that?”

  “It’s true, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, but I don’t have the right to make that kind of demand.”

  “I know.” Luna would have liked to give her that right, and the immediacy of the thought frightened her. She barely knew Angie, but couldn’t wait to discover every bit there was to learn.

  Angie seemed willing to share a comfortable quiet moment, and she took another bite of lasagna. They had a lot to reflect on.

  “Luna.” Angie took a deep breath. “I’m not sure how this will go, or why you’re willing to let me demand so much, so soon.”

  Luna opened her mouth to respond, but stopped when Angie held up her hand.

  “Oliver is my whole world, and I don’t know how you’ll fit. But I want to try.”

  Luna set her fork carefully on the edge of her plate. This was an important conversation. She didn’t want to be distracted by food. “Me, too.”

  “You may change your mind.” Angie smiled, but still managed to look sad.

  Luna shifted closer and debated taking Angie’s hand. She didn’t. “Let’s find out.”

  “I don’t know what it is about you. You’re not my type.”

  “What is your type?” The answer mattered to Luna.

  Angie fingered the edge of her napkin. “It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about that.” She spoke quietly, hesitantly. “I want a woman who loves completely, thoroughly, and forever. I want to fall asleep and wake up in her arms. I want a woman who will dance in the backyard without any music, climb under the sink to fix the drain, and sit in the bleachers and cheer for Oliver whether he hits a home run or strikes out. I want a woman who isn’t afraid to giggle during sex, who makes me feel…everything.” Angie took a sip of wine. “And I want that woman to let me give her all those things in return.”

  The air around them was heavy and hot. Luna loosed the cuffs and rolled up her sleeves. She wanted to take off her top shirt completely, let some cool air reach her skin. “That’s what you want?”

  Angie met her gaze and nodded. “Yes.”

  “Then I’m exactly your type.”

  “Mmm.” Angie returned her focus to her lasagna without further comment.

  When they finished the meal, Luna wanted to ask Angie to stay. She wanted to ease that flowing skirt up around her waist and explore for hours. Instead she led her to the door. “Let me walk you home.”

  “Don’t be silly. I’ll be fine.”

  Luna started to protest. She wanted to extend her time with Angie even if it was just for the brief walk. Before she could fully form her argument, Angie stepped into Luna’s personal space and palmed Luna’s cheek. “Tonight was wonderful.” She kissed Luna gently, and Luna became lost in the glide of Angie’s lips against hers.

  “When can I see you again?” Luna asked, her face inches from Angie’s, breathing her in.

  “Soon.”

  Luna kissed her again, letting herself go a little longer. She pulled Angie tight against her, amazed at the perfect fit of their bodies. “Tomorrow?”

  “I can’t, I have work.” Angie spoke with their mouths still joined.

  “Before work?”

  “I’ll try.” Angie pulled herself away, and Luna focused on calming her breathing.

  Luna kissed Angie one last time before she slipped out the door. She needed to be patient. “Try hard.”

  She watched Angie until she was out of sight, certain that soon wouldn’t be soon enough.

  Chapter Seven

  Wednesday, August 19

  The Cadillac was uncharacteristically busy for a Wednesday night, and Angie ran to keep up with her diners’ demands. The service might be irreverent, but that didn’t mean they were sloppy or inattentive. An empty water glass was the kiss of death for a tip. God knew Angie needed her tips.

  “Angie, want to split the twelve-top with me?” Tori spun through the kitchen door with an arm full of empty plates and quickly entered three orders into the computer system.

  “Absolutely.” Angie handed Tori a tray loaded with food, slid another onto her shoulder, and led the way back onto the floor.

  Tori dodged a rambunctious businessman who had knotted his tie around his head like a bandana. “You still haven’t told me about your date.”

  Technically, Angie hadn’t had time to talk to Tori. Tuesday Tori had spent the day in Seattle with her mom, and tonight hadn’t been conducive to conversation.

  Angie offered the condensed version. “It was nice.”

  “Nice? Nice ain’t gonna cut it.”

  They arrived at Angie’s table, so all Tori got in response was Angie’s silent brow raise. They served the diners, refilled glasses and bread bowls, made a few inappropriate comments, and were off to Tori’s new table of twelve.

  Angie picked up the conversation on the way. “Okay, it was really nice.”

  “You need to start confessing.” Tori left the “or else” off the end of her sentence, but Angie heard it loud and clear.

  Angie smiled at Tori and circled to the opposite end of the table as Tori gave her spiel welcoming the diners to The Cadillac. They bantered and played with the group of semi-reserved women, trying to draw them out. It was rare that a group of only women dined here, and Angie preferred to fend off grabby men than engage reticent women. She knew exactly where she stood with the louder of the two sexes. And they tipped better. With women, she was always unsure where her tip would land. If she was ever in doubt with men, she could undo another button on her shirt, but that simply didn’t work with women. Okay, not all women.

  “Do you like working here?” A young blonde looked over the top of her glasses at Angie. It seemed silly to Angie. Why wear the glasses if you didn’t need them?

  “It pays the bills.” Angie shrugged. “Do you like where you work?”

  The blonde ignored Angie’s question and asked another. “Even when men try to grab you like that?”

  Angie tried to remember someone trying to touch her in the last few minutes. She came up blank, but it happened often enough. Dodging hands was second nature for her now. “It’s not that big of a deal. Are you ready to order or should I come back in a few minutes?”

  “But do you like it?”

  Wow, she was a pushy woman. Angie seriously considered telling her to get fucked, but before the words could slip out, Tori came to her rescue.

  “She’s a lesbian, honey, what do you think?” Tori asked, and Angie was grateful for half a second until Tori kept speaking. “A lesbian who goes on dates with hot tattoo artists and then doesn’t tell her best friend how they went.”

  The table stopped talking and looked at Angie and Tori.

  “Could we not do this now?” Angie offered Tori a saccharine smile. “I’m sure these women are ready to order.”

  “No, this is interesting.” The blonde made a keep-going gesture. “We’ll wait until you’re done.”

  Christ, Angie did not want to have this conversation like this. “It was one date, not dates, with one tattoo artist. And I told you, it was nice.” She started to leave.

  “Nice? Well, that doesn’t say anything at all, does it?” another woman at the table speculated.

  “No, I didn’t think so either,” Tori said.

  “I will get you for this.” Angie chewed off each word. Tori was officially on her list.

  “I don’t doubt it.” Tori smiled a little too big and Angie shook her head. Her friend was truly irritating at times.

  “We had dinner at her place. She fixed lasagna.”

  Yet another woman chimed in. “Ooh, she cooked? I love it when they do that.”

  A fourth woman giggled. “Did she light candles? Candlelight has the strangest effect on my clothes. They just fall right off. It’s the damnedest thing.”

  “What about music?”

  Tori high-fived the two women who spoke up. “Good questions.” She crossed her arms and looked at
Angie. “Well?”

  “Yes, there were candles. No, they didn’t make my clothes fall off. And we listened to Al Green.” She didn’t point out that she had selected the music. She wanted the inquisition to be over as quickly as possible. “Now, who wants to eat?”

  As the women ordered, Angie’s nerves calmed. She was still unsure how she felt about her date with Luna. She didn’t want to have an affair with no hope of real commitment, and even though Luna seemed to offer more, was she capable of keeping that kind of promise?

  They finished up, and as Angie made the rounds at her own tables she pondered the first woman’s question. Did she like working at The Cadillac? Angie did what she needed to take care of Oliver. Work was a means to an end. She needed money; this is how she earned it. In truth, she would like to do a hundred other things for work instead of wait tables, but until she finished her degree years from now, she couldn’t even think about it.

  “Angie,” her boss bellowed from near the front door. “Delivery for you. Make it quick.”

  A young man stood next to her boss, eclipsed almost entirely by a bouquet of white calla lilies. They were beautiful.

  By the time she reached the front, her boss had signed for the delivery and stood reading the attached card. “Who the hell is Luna?”

  Tori squealed from somewhere behind Angie. “She sent you flowers?”

  Angie claimed the card and flowers and carried them to the back. This added one more ring to the circus the night had been already. The card read Is it soon yet? and was signed with Luna’s name and phone number. Angie tucked the card into her pocket.

  “They’re gorgeous.” Tori reached around Angie and smoothed her finger over one of the flowers. “Did you sleep with her?”

  Angie sputtered. “What the hell kind of question is that?”

  “A legitimate one. I’m curious.” Tori shrugged.

  “You really think I’ll tell you anything else after that little stunt out there?”

  “Come on, Angie, that was a harmless bit of fun. They loved it.”

  Tori had laid her bare to work a tip. Amazing.

  “I didn’t.” She tried to pass Tori, who wouldn’t budge.