have thought?”
Suddenly
Latisha’s eyes lit up, as she looked past Elyse’s shoulder and waved to someone.
Elyse turned to see a tall curvaceous redhead standing inside the bookstore
entrance.
The
redhead lifted her hand in acknowledgment and headed to the table. When she
reached them, she gave Latisha’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Hi, babe.” She
nodded at the dinosaur book near Latisha’s elbow. “Find something nice for
Lonnie?”
“Yep.
I think he’ll like this.”
“Good.”
Her hand drifted down Latisha’s arm. She looked at Elyse and smiled. “Hi.”
“Tania,
this is a friend from my old neighborhood—Elyse Zemanski.”
“Hey,
how are you?” Tania pulled out a chair and sat down, her brown eyes full of
mischief. “So you knew my girl back in the day, huh? Ooh, I can’t wait to get
all the details.”
“No
details,” Latisha responded, giving the redhead a quelling look. “Elyse, this
is my partner, Tania Talcott.”
It
took a moment for the full meaning of that term to click with Elyse. She hoped
she didn’t look too surprised. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice
to meet you ,” Tania responded. If the word partner wasn’t enough
of a clue to the nature of the women’s relationship, then the expression on
Tania’s face when she looked at Latisha, and the soft but possessive touch on
her arm, surely was.
“What
are you drinking? It looks good.” Tania stood, swinging her purse over her
shoulder. “I’m going to get myself something. Be right back.”
The
other two watched her head up to the counter. When Elyse looked at her friend,
Latisha was smiling.
“So.
Have I shocked you?”
“Shocked?
No,” Elyse said. “I guess a little surprised. I never realized you…”
“Neither
did I,” Latisha admitted cheerily. “At least not back when you and I were
friends.”
“So
how long have you two been…?”
“Almost
two years,” Latisha answered, a sigh in her voice and a dreamy look on her face
that Elyse envied. Latisha lowered her voice. “We’re talking about making it
permanent.”
“That’s
great.” She was happy for her friend, but at the same time thinking, two
years . Two years ago Latisha found the love of her life, just as Elyse lost
hers.
Latisha
quirked an eyebrow. “You sure are thinking hard about something. Care to share?”
“I
don’t know, I guess I wish I was as brave as you.”
“I
don’t think I’m especially brave. What do you mean?”
“Well,
you know, being with a woman, and people judging you…”
“Oh,
people might talk about you for a minute, but they’re more interested in their
own lives,” Latisha said. “They forget about you soon enough. As far as judging
goes, last I heard that’s God’s job, no one else’s.”
Even
back in the day, Latisha Hobbs had never been a coward. She lived her own life,
and didn’t let fear rule her.
Elyse
wished she was as fearless. If only she were brave enough to reach for what she
wanted. Without fear of making a mistake. Fear of being hurt.
If
only…
Chapter
Six
Adam
was waiting for her outside at Hanover’s, seated at one the small bistro tables
on the patio.
Elyse’s
steps faltered as soon as she spotted him. She swallowed hard, her mouth
watering at the sight of him. He looked so good sitting there with one arm
resting on the back of his chair, watching the street. A warm tingling started
in her belly and moved to all her erogenous zones. God, he didn’t even need to
touch her to get her started.
Adam’s
eyes widened, and he stood up when he saw her. He was dressed in light khakis,
and a button-down dress shirt. He looked casual, comfortable, and sexy as hell.
It
was a warm August evening, so Elyse wore a pretty summer dress with a sweater
over her shoulders. Her heartbeat quickened as she approached him.
“Hi.”
He seemed a bit shy as he took her hand. “Are you all right sitting out here?”
“Sure.
This is nice.”
It
was a small
Suddenly
Latisha’s eyes lit up, as she looked past Elyse’s shoulder and waved to someone.
Elyse turned to see a tall curvaceous redhead standing inside the bookstore
entrance.
The
redhead lifted her hand in acknowledgment and headed to the table. When she
reached them, she gave Latisha’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Hi, babe.” She
nodded at the dinosaur book near Latisha’s elbow. “Find something nice for
Lonnie?”
“Yep.
I think he’ll like this.”
“Good.”
Her hand drifted down Latisha’s arm. She looked at Elyse and smiled. “Hi.”
“Tania,
this is a friend from my old neighborhood—Elyse Zemanski.”
“Hey,
how are you?” Tania pulled out a chair and sat down, her brown eyes full of
mischief. “So you knew my girl back in the day, huh? Ooh, I can’t wait to get
all the details.”
“No
details,” Latisha responded, giving the redhead a quelling look. “Elyse, this
is my partner, Tania Talcott.”
It
took a moment for the full meaning of that term to click with Elyse. She hoped
she didn’t look too surprised. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice
to meet you ,” Tania responded. If the word partner wasn’t enough
of a clue to the nature of the women’s relationship, then the expression on
Tania’s face when she looked at Latisha, and the soft but possessive touch on
her arm, surely was.
“What
are you drinking? It looks good.” Tania stood, swinging her purse over her
shoulder. “I’m going to get myself something. Be right back.”
The
other two watched her head up to the counter. When Elyse looked at her friend,
Latisha was smiling.
“So.
Have I shocked you?”
“Shocked?
No,” Elyse said. “I guess a little surprised. I never realized you…”
“Neither
did I,” Latisha admitted cheerily. “At least not back when you and I were
friends.”
“So
how long have you two been…?”
“Almost
two years,” Latisha answered, a sigh in her voice and a dreamy look on her face
that Elyse envied. Latisha lowered her voice. “We’re talking about making it
permanent.”
“That’s
great.” She was happy for her friend, but at the same time thinking, two
years . Two years ago Latisha found the love of her life, just as Elyse lost
hers.
Latisha
quirked an eyebrow. “You sure are thinking hard about something. Care to share?”
“I
don’t know, I guess I wish I was as brave as you.”
“I
don’t think I’m especially brave. What do you mean?”
“Well,
you know, being with a woman, and people judging you…”
“Oh,
people might talk about you for a minute, but they’re more interested in their
own lives,” Latisha said. “They forget about you soon enough. As far as judging
goes, last I heard that’s God’s job, no one else’s.”
Even
back in the day, Latisha Hobbs had never been a coward. She lived her own life,
and didn’t let fear rule her.
Elyse
wished she was as fearless. If only she were brave enough to reach for what she
wanted. Without fear of making a mistake. Fear of being hurt.
If
only…
Chapter
Six
Adam
was waiting for her outside at Hanover’s, seated at one the small bistro tables
on the patio.
Elyse’s
steps faltered as soon as she spotted him. She swallowed hard, her mouth
watering at the sight of him. He looked so good sitting there with one arm
resting on the back of his chair, watching the street. A warm tingling started
in her belly and moved to all her erogenous zones. God, he didn’t even need to
touch her to get her started.
Adam’s
eyes widened, and he stood up when he saw her. He was dressed in light khakis,
and a button-down dress shirt. He looked casual, comfortable, and sexy as hell.
It
was a warm August evening, so Elyse wore a pretty summer dress with a sweater
over her shoulders. Her heartbeat quickened as she approached him.
“Hi.”
He seemed a bit shy as he took her hand. “Are you all right sitting out here?”
“Sure.
This is nice.”
It
was a small
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