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  Two minutes later I was outside, a scarf on to protect me against the early November air. The buses in this town ran every half hour or less, but I was five minutes early for the one I was trying to catch. Except that five minutes passed, and nothing had shown up. Six minutes, seven… the bus stop was empty.

  I swore quietly, checking the time on my phone again before rubbing my arms to keep warm. If Leanne lived in a bigger city, I’d be able to get the exact details of the bus’s coordinates online. Not in Newbank.

  By the time the bus rolled up twenty minutes later, I was shivering. “Is this bus early or late?” I asked the driver.

  He shrugged and waved me forward.

  The ride took another thirty minutes. I’m sorry, I’m running a little behind, I texted my client. Could we meet at 12:30?

  Once I was off, there was a fifteen-minute walk. Of course Leanne couldn’t work at an office near a bus stop. That would’ve been far too low-class. I frowned harder as I walked, the handbag weighing my shoulder down more with every step.

  When I finally reached Chatham & Associates’ office, the uptight-looking receptionist didn’t want to let me in. I must’ve looked pretty unkempt with my face flushed and sweat beading on my forehead. Still, I was too fed up to even daydream about getting her out of the tight dress shirt she was wearing.

  “I’m here to see Leanne Stevenson,” I said.

  She gave me a suspicious look. “She’s expecting you?”

  I heaved a sigh. The thought occurred to me that I could drop the handbag off with her, but after trekking all the way out here, I wanted to at least see my girl and get a quick kiss. “Not expecting me, but she forgot her handbag with me. Tell her Beija’s here.”

  Although she still looked hesitant, she paged her. “She’ll be right down.”

  The elevator dinged a minute later. It was as nice-looking as the one in Leanne’s building. The gleaming steel doors were set off by a gold pillar on each side. When those doors opened, Leanne stepped out, along with a few other people. Lawyers, I assumed.

  The only one I had eyes for was Leanne. In this environment, she looked even more impressive than she did at home. And wearing that suit of hers, well… I definitely appreciated how it hung on her succulent frame.

  Suddenly I was conscious of the messy ponytail I’d thrown my curls into and the faded Budweiser shirt I was wearing. I adjusted my scarf, doing my best to cover the logo. It wasn’t going anywhere, but Leanne’s face lit up regardless when she caught sight of me.

  “BJ!” She gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I was about to go home and grab my handbag over lunch hour. You didn’t have to bring it for me.”

  I didn’t, did I? I’d forgotten she had a lunch hour, and that she could drive to the condo a lot faster than I could take the bus here.

  “I guess you’ll have time to eat now,” I said lamely.

  “I was planning to stop at a drive-thru.” She examined me, brushing a few damp strands of hair back from my forehead. “What happened? Why are you all sweaty?”

  “I took the bus, and then I had to walk for a few minutes.”

  I became conscious that her coworkers hadn’t left the lobby. They were still grouped in the corner, looking at me. And were they snickering?

  “That’s ridiculous. Get a cab for your trip back. Here, I’ll give you some cash.”

  The laughs grew louder. The other lawyers were definitely looking at me. And as I stared defiantly back at them, they didn’t even have the decency to look away. “What kind of grown woman doesn’t have a car?” one whispered.

  “And that shirt? There’s off the rack, and then there’s off the clearance rack.”

  Anger built inside me. I’d come all this way to do a favor for my friend, and they had the nerve to mock me to my face? My fists balling up, I took a step toward them.

  Two hands seized my arm, and Leanne rushed me toward the front door. Her face was pale. I allowed her to guide me, even though I felt like snarling at those assholes she worked with. Once we were outside I seethed, wondering why I let her bring me out here. “Let go of me. Let me at them.”

  “Not now, BJ. I’ll talk to them. Just don’t make a scene. This is my workplace.”

  The anger boiled now, and I dug my fingernails into my palms to keep it from spilling over altogether. “No scenes. Fine. That’s great.”

  “Take a cab and go home.” She peeled off more bills from her wallet. Apparently she’d forgotten she already gave me enough money. “Thank you for bringing my bag. It was a nice gesture.”

  And a totally meaningless one.

  I walked toward the bus stop. If I needed to wait for the next bus, I’d wait. If I needed to push back my tutoring session some more, I’d do that too. I needed some time to cool off, because I was about to explode.

  None of this should have surprised me. I should’ve known better than to think Leanne would respect me. All our fun and games at her condo were just that. Fun and games.

  She was a lawyer, and I was a drifter. An itinerant vagabond, as she’d so aptly described me.

  I strode forward, but as my anger faded into disappointment, my steps slowed to a trudge.

  I’d been on the verge of developing feelings for that woman.

  Now that I saw things clearly, I would never let that happen.

  ELEVEN — LEANNE

  BJ’s head rested on my shoulder, and my legs hung over her knees. There was barely enough room for the two of us on my couch. It’d taken us a while to figure out a comfortable position for cuddling, and even now we needed to adjust ourselves from time to time.

  “I don’t get it,” I said with a yawn. “Why’s she so mad at the guy for going out with the other girl? She’s the one who broke up with him.”

  From her perch on the couch arm, Teensy jumped off and strolled over to her crate. She poked her head inside, then sat down in it.

  “Have you been watching at all?” BJ asked. “The one who broke up with him was a nice girl. This girl is the one who breaks every man’s heart and takes their money.”

  “Mmm…” BJ had to go through some complicated steps to hook the computer up to my TV screen so we could watch these Korean dramas. After all that, I could never follow them. “So why couldn’t the nice girl just tell the guy this girl’s no good?”

  “Because she was pretending to be her twin, who hates her. That’s like, the point of the whole story.”

  “I thought Park Su-Min was the evil twin.”

  BJ elbowed me lightly in the ribs. “You can’t keep track of anything. All Asians look the same to you, huh?”

  “You know I’m only watching for the cuddles.”

  She burrowed closer into my neck, and we went quiet as more of the complicated story unfolded on the screen. At least she was affectionate with me tonight. She’d been chilly for a couple days now — to the point where I’d started to worry she might leave soon.

  The thought shouldn’t have upset me so much. I’d known from day one it was going to happen eventually. But when I thought about going from this easy intimacy to being alone again, I died a little inside.

  The frequent sex was part of it, but it was more than that. I’d miss having someone to check in with every morning and night. Someone to ask how my day was. It was the pleasant company, and the wildly different perspective on the world. It was all of BJ.

  What was she getting out of this, though? I still didn’t understand what was keeping her here. Sex had to be a large part of it — although I also knew she could get that anywhere.

  So maybe it was out of my desire to keep her here that I began to press my chest against her back.

  She was quiet for the first few slow rubs. About thirty seconds in, she turned to eye me. “You’re doing that on purpose, aren’t you?” she asked.

  “Doing what? I’m not doing anything.”

  Her hand came down on my hip, gripping the bone there, pulling me firmly against her ass. “You know exactly what you’re doing.�
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  She could hold me closer to her, but she couldn’t stop my teasing movements. I wiggled more, stiffening myself at the knowledge of what I was doing to her. Her mouth moved to my neck, giving me a few less-than-gentle nibbles before she spoke again. “Don’t you?”

  Hmm… lying again might get me a bigger punishment than I wanted. “Are you saying to stop?”

  “Not at all.”

  Subtitled Korean was the only sound for a moment. I didn’t glance at the screen, though, preferring to keep my eyes on BJ’s hand on my hip. When she looked back at me, her eyes were half-lidded. Her hand went tight, then slack.

  “I’m going to go down on you,” I decided.

  She gripped me again, telling me wordlessly not to move. “Did I tell you to do that? What if I feel like doing you?”

  “I’m sorry, miss. I only wanted to give you a treat.” Something for her to lie back and enjoy. I wanted the distance between us gone — wanted to bring her back to me. “What do you want to do?”

  “You can start by going down on me.”

  That was all the encouragement I needed to get on the floor. She sat up, her legs sprawling wide, and I placed myself between them. When I got her pants off, her panties were soaked. Apparently she’d liked that wiggling thing I’d done. I’d have to remember that for next time. If there was a next time…

  Didn’t matter. This was all just for fun. I forced myself to keep that thought in mind as I gave BJ a few languorous touches. She quivered. I reached up under her shirt to feel the rippling of her stomach, to feel what I was doing to her. I trailed my fingers over her flesh, wanting to make her shiver once more before I began to please her in earnest.

  “You’re so good at this,” she rasped. “You should give lessons.”

  Don’t think about all the people she’s been with before. Don’t wonder if she means lessons for her next lover. I drew away enough to say, “Thank you.”

  “I didn’t say stop.”

  Good, this would be easier without trying to hold a conversation. I slid her panties to the floor and dipped my head over her again, using one hand to stroke her breasts. Her legs opened wider, which I took as a sign to lick her in earnest. Soon her clit was throbbing under my tongue.

  She seemed to love that part, but after a few minutes my jaw was exhausted. To take a break, I replaced my mouth with my hand. My firm strokes were enough to keep her gasping, especially when I teased her entrance with a finger.

  “That’s it,” she groaned. “That’s right…”

  I kept going like that, working her persistently toward a climax. After she came the first time, she looked up at me with half-lidded eyes. “I want you to fuck me.”

  “Fingers or toys?”

  “I want it all natural.” She gave me an exhausted grimace, which I suspected was supposed to be a grin. “You told me this was a treat, right? So you don’t mind waiting your turn?”

  “Not at all.”

  BJ lay back lengthwise on the couch, her eyes closed as I swirled a finger around her opening again. I wanted to straddle her so I could see her, but my legs barely fit on either side of her waist. As soon as I sank an inch onto her, my left foot slipped to the floor.

  “Maybe if I move over a little,” BJ said.

  There was no space for her to move, not without pushing my right knee uncomfortably into the couch frame. “Maybe if I put my leg up here.” I tried putting my foot beside her head. The discomfort was immediate, and I returned it to its original position.

  “I need a bigger couch,” I muttered — then instantly regretted it. Don’t say things like that. Don’t imply anything about the future.

  “For all the girls you’ll be fucking after me?”

  A nice way to let me save face — although as I said “Yes miss,” BJ may have looked a little disappointed.

  Well, I wasn’t going to let a little heartache ruin some sure-to-be incredible sex. I slipped two fingers inside her, enjoying the sound of her gasp. The heat of her walls enveloped my hand, sending a thrill through my body. I loved having her at my mercy.

  “There we go,” BJ said, leaning forward just enough to pull my hand deeper before falling back again. “Now we’re talking.”

  “It’s a good treat for you, miss?”

  “The best one,” she groaned.

  I pushed inside her a few times, watching BJ’s expression carefully. Her face was relaxed, aside from the teeth digging into her bottom lip.

  She must have been conscious of the way I was watching her, because she blinked at me a few times. And maybe she didn’t like being examined so closely, because she sat up to kiss me. I opened my mouth to her, giving her my tongue. I would’ve given her anything she wanted.

  When she lay back down again, her eyes drilled into mine. This was the first time I’d seen her so unguarded, and when her hips moved upwards to meet my hand, I wondered if she was regretting letting me be in control.

  “Thought I was supposed to do all the work,” I got out.

  Both her hands seized my wrist and she took over, moving my hand at her own rhythm, thrusting up to match it. Her head tipped back, the couch scraping an inch across the floor with every new movement.

  “I — will — do — whatever — I want — to you,” BJ gasped out. “You’re going to make me come.”

  “Yes, miss. Come for me. Please.”

  Her face transformed into a grimace… a beautiful grimace. I curled my fingers slightly, aiming for her G-spot. I gave myself a mental pat on the back when I saw how her body immediately tensed up. I kept her on the edge for a long moment, and finally she screamed.

  She reached out to me afterwards. “Come here.”

  With faint amusement, I noticed the Korean drama was still playing on the TV and Teensy had ambled out of her crate. Time had gone on without us, even while we were off in our little world.

  Curling up in BJ’s arms, I wondered if this intensity was normal for friends who fuck. I cleared my throat. Maybe this was finally time to ask something about the future. “You think you’ll stay in Newbank much longer?”

  “Trying to get rid of me, are you?”

  The rumble of her voice soothed me, and I pressed myself even closer to her. “I’m just curious. You’ve been acting a little off these past couple days.”

  “Ah…” Her palm flattened against my arm, keeping me close to her. “I guess I was a bit upset about what happened at your office. It’s all right, though. I’m not planning to leave unless you want me to.”

  “At my office? But nothing happened.” She’d been so sweet to bring me my handbag. It’d almost convinced myself she cared more than just a fuck buddy, until she’d gotten chilly after. “Wait, do you mean my coworkers talking about you? They’re assholes. You don’t need to worry about them.”

  “But I do.” She rolled me over so I could look into her eyes. Again I wished this couch was bigger, because now I was hanging halfway off it. As soon as she realized that, she brought both of us to sit up. “I know I’m not in your plans.”

  “Forget my plans.”

  “What?”

  “We’re having fun, and I’m not thinking about my plans right now.”

  She laughed softly, placing a kiss on my shoulder. “Never thought I’d hear you say that.”

  “I like having you here.” I wrapped both arms around her now, aware that I was saying too much, but needing to get it out. “I don’t want you to leave. I don’t really know how I got by without you.”

  “Your colleagues, though…”

  “Fuck them.” I remembered who I was talking to. “Not literally, please. Forget them.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Next time they start anything like that, I’ll tell them to take their snobbiness and shove it.” A smile played across BJ’s lips, and I hastily added, “If there is a next time.”

  “You’d stand up for me?”

  “I should’ve done that this time.” I squeezed her knee. “You can’t make scenes
at my work, though, okay? I’m never going to make partner if the girl I live with starts a spectacle every time she shows up.”

  “I doubt I’ll show up again,” BJ said. “Thank you, though.”

  We leaned into each other, feeling the comfort of each other’s arms.

  BJ was going to stay. Not forever, but for a while longer. And that was good enough for me.

  It had to be.

  TWELVE — BJ

  “They’re both dumb as hell, if you ask me.” Kathy’s legs swung in the air, the chair a little too tall for her. “They weren’t in love in the first place. They barely knew each other.”

  “Yeah, but the essay your teacher assigned isn’t whether they’re dumb or not dumb. It’s how Mercutio’s death affected the course of the book.”

  “It’s a play, not a book. Mrs. Wheaton tells us that every. Single. Day.” Kathy rolled her eyes. I was pretty sure her sarcasm was for the teacher and not for me, though.

  “The course of the play, then. What do you think it meant for the play? What would’ve happened differently if Mercutio had lived?”

  Kathy leaned forward to squint at the screen as if hoping some words had magically appeared there. For the moment, the word count still rested at a big fat zero. “They still would’ve both been dumb. Mrs. Wheaton says they were only fourteen! That’s way too young to be in love.”

  I had to agree with her, but I restrained myself from laughing. “Mercutio—”

  “I mean, I’m sixteen and I still don’t know what love is yet. If I met some guy at a party and we hung out for one night, how would I have any clue if I had a future with him?”

  At times like this, I found it was most effective to let her rant. Once she got it all out, she’d settle down and get some work done.

  As I’d expected, her question was rhetorical. “A fourteen-year-old would have no idea if they were in love. Even for a grown-up like you, a day or even a month is way too fast. Isn’t it?”

  Again I stayed quiet. I couldn’t have answered her question properly even if I wanted to. I knew there was something between Leanne and I after that first night. But my feelings grew so much more after that.