Page 102 of Semantics

“It’ll be pretty boring over here, so–”

“I’ll be there in about thirty minutes. I’m going to make Jen pay for dinner so that I don’t have to wait for them to swipe my credit card and for me to sign the thing.” She glared at Jen. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.”

Stella hung up, put her phone in her pocket, and asked, “What the hell was that?”

“Did she sound jealous?” Jen asked back.

“What?”

“When I mentioned sending you profiles, did she sound jealous?”

“I don’t know. Her voice changed a little, I guess.”

“Jealous.”

“I don’t want to force her hand, Jen. I want her to want to be with me because she wants that, not because she’s worried someone else might.”

“Sometimes, you have to give them a little push. I gave you one by setting you up with Amber, and look where you are now.”

“Wondering if the woman I like, who is not Amber, by the way, likes me back?”

“About to go talk to the woman you like to see if maybe she’s willing to give this a shot. Personally, I think she will. She just seems like the kind that might need a little push, so I gave her one. I bet she’s seething right now at the idea of you hooking up or going out with someone else.”

“I don’t want her to seethe,” she replied.

“Could end up with some really hot sex, though.”

“You’re buying dinner.” She stood up. “I’m leaving.”

“Stella?”

“Yeah?”

“Good luck. Seriously, I mean that. Be honest with her about how you feel.”

“We’ll see. It’s just a hangout thing with her friends, so there might not be an opportunity to share all my feelings.”

“Make it an opportunity, then.”

Stella nodded at her somewhat helpful friend and left the restaurant.

On the drive over to Violet’s, she debated herself how to approach things tonight. She could play it cool, hang out with Violet’s friends, and just not say anything at all. She could try to leave after that and see if Violet asked her to stay or if she’d at least request that they talk before Stella left. She still wasn’t sure how to handle the situation until she was in it and the door to the house was opened by Sarai.

“Oh, hey. Come on in. Violet made you a plate in the kitchen. We’re all hanging out in here.”

“Hi,” she said and walked in, looking around the living room. Not seeing Violet there, she proceeded into the kitchen and saw her by the kitchen island, about to open a beer. “You drink beer?” she teased.

“No, this is for you. I asked Arlowe to pick it up earlier. It’s the kind you ordered at the bar. I’m having a hard cider. Do you want one of those instead? Also, hi.”

Violet smiled at her.

“Hey,” she replied, and without her giving it permission, her body let out a big sigh of relief at the fact that she was back in the same space with Violet Russell.

CHAPTER 29

“So, you wanted legs, right?” Violet asked.