Bidding War (12 page)

* * *

Moira called me later in the evening on Thursday. "Hello, Moira."

"Is it too late to call?"

"No. I was hoping to hear from you. Have I told you how much I enjoyed Tuesday?"

She laughed. "Yes. I did too. The weather on Saturday looks outstanding. I will pick you up at seven. Is that okay?"

"Yes."

"Dress casual to be outside but pack a bag for dinner and a little dancing. We won't be coming home to change. You won't get home until late."

"Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere."

I sighed. "I couldn't get Sam or Bonnie to say a word."

"Good." She paused. "I'm not happy you tried."

"I'm sorry," I said in a small voice. "I won't do it again."

"You are forgiven if you are serious about your promise."

"I promise."

"If you want to know something about me, ask me."

"All right." I paused. "I'm sorry."

"Forgiven." She paused. "Will you tell me about your day?"

So I did. She shared details about hers and asked if I had any truffles left.

"Two."

"You ate them all?"

"I gave two to Sam and sent her home with two more for Suzanne. Was that okay?"

"Yes. I gave some to a client and shared one with someone at work. But no making any more and please don't give any to Gwendolyn or any of your boyfriends, until I've had my last date with you."

"No boyfriends, Moira," I said. "And I won't share with Gwendolyn. This is ours."

I heard her smile. "Thank you." She paused. "I will be a little stand offish Saturday morning. Don't take it personally. You'll get more of the attention you like once we get where we're going, if you want it."

"I want it," I told her. "You're being very mysterious."

"You'll understand by nine," she said. "I just didn't want you feeling neglected."

"I'll contain my disappointment if you promise it will be short-lived."

"I promise," she said. I could tell she was grinning. "Will Gwendolyn have kissed you by then?"

"I am seeing her tomorrow night."

"Good. Otherwise I was going to postpone."

"No need."

We flirted for a while longer on the phone before hanging up. I went to bed thinking about her.

* * *

Friday I got home early again. I primped for Gwendolyn. I wrote a black dress with a long, flowing hemline. I liked the way it moved when I danced. I finished getting ready then hovered nervously in the living room waiting for her.

She arrived a few minutes late. I let her ring the bell before walking to the door, lest she know I was watching for her.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she said, stepping inside.

"Only a few minutes."

"Medical emergency," she said. "We were lucky I didn't have to cancel." She paused, looking at me, and smiled. "You look nice."

"Thank you. So do you." She was wearing black slacks and a white blouse, and she looked nice.
We hugged, then I took her hand. "Want a tour? It's small."

"It's cute," she said, looking around. "My house is big, but sterile. Yours is a home."

I led her through the house. When I got to the kitchen I told her, "This is my favorite room."

The house was small, but the kitchen was fabulous, and I was proud of it. "Do you cook a lot?" she asked.

"When I have someone to cook for. I invite the girls over a lot, especially when I want to test something new on them."

She smiled. "What do they say about it?"

"They get mad because they need double workouts after eating my food."

She laughed. "I'll consider myself warned."

I showed her the rest of the house. When we got back to the front door, she said, "You have a nice home, Pamela. Thank you for showing it to me."

"Thank you," I replied. "You are amazingly gracious."

She frowned. "This is a home. It shows your character. I think perhaps my house also shows my character, but if it does, it makes me sad."

"Fix it."

"I wouldn't know how. I hired an interior designer, who pulled her hair out trying to figure out what to do. She put a bunch of plants in, but they died due to lack of attention. It looked better with the plants."

I smiled. "You can hire companies to take care of them."

"I thought about that after they were all dead," she said, laughing at herself. "I've thought about replacing them, but I think the design needs more than just plants." She paused. "If we become real friends-"

"I'd love to help," I said. "But not until I know your personality better." I paused and handed her my pashmina, then turned around for her to drape over my shoulders. She brushed her fingers across my skin, lighting me on fire. I looked over my shoulder and smiled at her.

"Too much?"

"Absolutely not," I told her. "You're taking me dancing, Gwendolyn. Slow dancing."

"Seriously?"

"Well, not all the songs."

We stepped outside and I locked the door, then I took her arm as she led the way to her car. She didn't open my door for me, and I realized this would be a different date from Tuesday's.

I climbed in and buckled up. She did the same then looked over at me. "Oh hell."

"What?"

"I am still in work mode, sort of."

"All right," I said. "Why does that make you swear?"

"Did that bother you?"

"No. Puzzled me. Did I do something wrong?"

"No. Neither did I, exactly. But I missed an opportunity to do something right."

I reached over and brushed the back of her hand. "It's okay. Please be yourself."

"You mean feed you a hurried meal and lure you back to my home for a night of sex?"

I laughed. "If you treat me like you did on Saturday, I will be ecstatic."

She
started the car and backed out of my driveway.

"Where is dinner?" I asked her.

"Do you like sushi?"

"Yes." I smiled.

"It's a drive, but there's a great sushi place on Grand Avenue in St. Paul. We have reservations."

"Wonderful."

As I had with Moira, I set my arm where Gwendolyn could readily touch me if she wanted to. She noticed right away and smiled. She wrapped my hand in hers and drove one handed most of the way to the restaurant. I asked her about work.

"Two bypasses this morning, and I was only assisting on the first one
. Consultations this afternoon. How about you?"

"I assisted with two closings today and wrote loans for three others." I paused. "Neither of us are good about talking about our jobs."

She laughed. "I'm sorry."

"Tell me about your first sushi experience."

She thought about it for a minute. "It was in college. I was seeing this woman from Japan. It was casual. Steamy but casual. She took me."

"What was her name?"

"Kazuko," she said. "She was lovely."

"Do you remember what you had?"

Gwendolyn looked over at me. "The first time we went, she kept it simple. Nigiri and spicy tuna rolls, I believe. We went a few times, and she introduced some of the more exotic items."

"Do you like those?"

She shrugged. "I won't order any tonight, but you certainly may if you like. My favorites are pretty tame. I like the salmon and tuna nigiri, spicy tuna rolls and California rolls."

"Those are my favorites, too," I said. "Especially the tuna."

She smiled. "Something in common."

I reached over with my right hand and caressed the skin on her arm. She glanced over at me and smiled.

"You've been out with Moira."

"How can you tell?"

She glanced down at my fingers. "That."

"Have you and Moira dated?"

"No. We would be horrible together. We're both dominant. We would fight horribly." She smiled in understanding. "Now I know why I don't get any truffles."

"I'm sorry," I told her.

"No. This wasn't your idea. You didn't even want to be there."

"You are both being amazing so far," I said. "No freaking the straight girl."

She laughed. "All part of our fiendish plan to both earn a toaster oven."

I laughed. "Doesn't it go to whichever of you beds me first?"

"Maybe it'll be a threesome."

"We'd need to make it four and invite Bonnie."

"Oh, now that would change the dynamic," Gwendolyn said. "Bonnie is a handful."

"Are you talking about her chest or her ass?"

Gwendolyn smiled. "No comment."

"Have you checked out my ass?" I asked her.

"Yes."

"Really? When?"

"When you were on stage. I wouldn't mind a closer look."

"Did it pass inspection, Doctor?"

"Cursory inspection only," she said. "If you want a proper medical opinion, you'll need to take off the dress."

I smiled. "I guess I'll have to live with the cursory inspection."

She looked over. "We're just flirting."

"I know. I'm having fun."

"Good."

We pulled off the freeway and began working our way through the surface streets. Grand Avenue was busy, but it's always busy. But it was early, and the parking lot wasn't too full. Gwendolyn parked, and we climbed out. At the back of the car, I took her arm. She reached over with her right hand to cover my hands on her arm, but had to release me to open the doors. We stepped inside
and were promptly led to a table.

The restaurant was cozy. Not too small, but not huge, with a simple Japanese decor. There was a sushi bar along one side and too hibachi tables in the opposite corner, but we
sat at a table near the middle, sitting across the table from each other.

"Will you let me order?" she asked.

"Will you be ordering my favorites?"

"And a few other things. You are not obligated to eat anything that doesn't suit you."

The waitress came by, and Gwendolyn ordered for us in Japanese. She surprised the waitress, but I heard "hai, hai, hai" from the waitress, so Gwendolyn's Japanese must have been understandable.

"Where did you meet Kazuko?"

"In Tokyo."

"You went to college in Japan?"

"One semester junior year," she said. "My Japanese is rusty, but I retain enough to order our meal."

"Did you do that to impress me?"

"Maybe a little, but I never get to practice it, so when I can, it becomes one of my simple joys."

The waitress came back with tea and hot towels for our hands.

I asked Gwendolyn about Japan. "I'd like to go back some time," she said eventually.

"I'd like to go sometime, too. I would love spending a few days at the Nihan Ki-in."

Gwendolyn raised an eyebrow. "You play go?"

"A boyfriend taught me in college." I paused. "The same boyfriend who taught me about the joy of sushi."

"Have you played since?"

"A little." I smiled. "Kazuko taught you go?"

"No," she said. "Another girl. Once she taught me, we would place wagers on the games." Gwendolyn smiled. "I would very much enjoy placing similar wagers with you."

"I bet I can guess the nature of the wagers." I paused. "I'll play you for a foot massage."

"Deal."

Our conversation took another awkward silence. I look at her for a minute then set my hand on the table, palm up. She looked down at it, then reach over and began caressing my fingers. We sat quietly like that for several minutes, Gwendolyn gently caressing my hand, until the food began to arrive. She squeezed my hand for a moment and pulled away.

Dinner was lovely. She had ordered my favorites, her favorites, and a few things I hadn't had before. Everything was good, except the eel. I refused to touch it.

"So not adventurous?" she asked.

"I've had it before. I don't like eating rubber. I don't eat calamari, either."

We finished our meal, then sat quietly and finished our tea. We'd run out conversation again, but when I offered my hand, Gwendolyn accepted the offer to touch me.

I liked her touch and was hungry for more. I wanted to know if she could affect me the way Moira had. I was having a very nice time, but I wasn't feeling swept away like I had with Moira. Dancing could change that.

Finally Gwendolyn paid the bill, and we got up. She led me out the door after settling my pashmina for me. She caressed my neck and shoulders
in the process, and I wanted to lean against her.

"You're not acting like a straight girl," she said once we stepped outside.