The Wedding Setup, page 16
Maddie’s smirk widened. “That’s kind of hard to believe.”
“Why?”
“Well, you just seem so confident, so put together, you know? You live in New York, you have a really powerful job, and you’re gorg—” She chuckled. “Anyway. Most people would be thrilled to be like you.”
She’d heard her near slipup, and a wave of heat flashed through her. This time, however, she kept her eyes rooted on Maddie’s, not looking away. Maddie’s eyes widened slightly, and when she leaned toward her slightly, Maddie moved to meet her.
“And here we are,” Erin said, backing into the room before turning with two glasses of water.
She and Maddie had jerked away at the sound, so that when Erin was facing them, it was as if nothing had happened. Her heart was still racing, however, and Maddie was fidgeting a little next to her on her stool.
“Say, Erin,” Maddie said after setting her empty water glass down. “I know it’s a pain in the ass, but could we do the wine some other time? I’d have a hard time choosing when I’m a little tipsy like this, and I think Ryann would agree.”
She managed to nod, her heartbeat still pounding.
“Maybe we could even get the guys over here a little later today to choose themselves,” Maddie said.
Erin checked her watch. “Yeah, sure, no problem. I can leave all this stuff here for a bit. If you can get the guys here today, I’m free until about four. Otherwise, we could do this Thursday. I should have no problem ordering it from the distributor that late.”
Maddie stood to gather their things from the coatrack, and Ryann scooted off her stool, wobbly on her feet. She was a little tipsy, for sure, but nothing extreme. She could walk in a straight line, but when Maddie linked an arm around her waist, she still stumbled slightly until she steadied her.
“You okay?” Maddie whispered.
She could only nod, and Maddie made their good-byes for them. She waved briefly before they went outside.
It was snowing very lightly now, just a few flakes in the air, but it was strangely warm out here compared to earlier. She closed her eyes, tilting her chin up toward the sky and letting the flakes fall on her overheated face.
Maddie let go of her waist, and she opened her eyes. Maddie had taken a couple of steps away from her and was staring at the ground.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Maddie met her eyes. “Well…you’re drunk, and I don’t know what to make of all that in there.”
“All what?”
“All that flirting. That’s what you were doing, right?”
She laughed. “Haven’t we been flirting since we met?”
Maddie shook her head. “Not like that. I don’t know how to read it.”
“Why does it have to be so complicated? I like you, Maddie, if you hadn’t already guessed. I’m attracted to you. And I think, no, I know you’re attracted to me. It’s all pretty straightforward, really.”
Maddie closed the space between them in a heartbeat, pressing her into the door behind her. Maddie’s eyes had that dark hunger in them again, and her breath caught in her throat. Maddie brought one hand up to her face, tracing the edge of her jawline with her fingertips. She shuddered, want and need flooding her so she could barely breathe.
“I want to kiss you now, Ryann. I’ve wanted to since the second I saw you. But that’s the rub. You can’t consent to more, and it wouldn’t be right. I’m not even sure we should kiss, but—”
She kissed Maddie then, simply to appease her own hunger, and while Maddie didn’t immediately react, freezing in place, in fact, her lips were warm and soft and everything she’d hoped they’d be. That scent of vanilla was nearly overwhelming this close to her, filling her nose and making her mouth water, and she opened her lips slightly against Maddie’s to inhale fully. Maddie responded then, surging against her and pushing her back into the door even harder, her kiss so searing and hot, she groaned into it. Their tongues touched, and her whole body leapt forward to meet Maddie’s. Maddie’s hands were buried in her hair now, dragging her impossibly closer, and she pulled against the lapels of Maddie’s coat.
Maddie leaned back first, breathing heavily, her hands on Ryann’s shoulders. “Shit,” Maddie said.
She laughed. “What?”
“I’m going to be thinking about that kiss every time I see you now.”
The comment left her nearly breathless. “Is that a bad thing?”
“It is if we want to get any wedding stuff done.”
“And if we’re not busy?”
“Well, then, I guess we can do whatever we want in our free time.”
They released each other, still breathing heavily and grinning stupidly. Maddie indicated with her head that they should start walking, and they began the route to the hotel, only a few blocks away. It was snowing heavily now, the flakes big and wet and starting to stick to the roads. Their hands were linked, and she slipped only a couple of times, despite her boneless-seeming legs. Maybe she was drunker than she thought, or maybe the kiss had undone her. She warmed again at the thought, throwing a quick glance up at Maddie, who immediately smiled down at her, squeezing her hand a little tighter.
Outside of the hotel, Maddie stopped in the parking lot.
“Do you want to come in?” she asked, tugging Maddie toward the front stairs.
“More than anything. But I’m not going to.” Her chuckle sounded a little bitter. “I’m not sure you’re going to even want to talk to me after what we did, let alone…”
“Hey!” she said, pulling her hand to get her attention. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I promise I’m not that drunk. Tipsy, yes, but in complete control of myself. And anyway, I kissed you first. I won’t be mad at you, I swear.”
“Okay.”
Maddie still seemed unsure, and she moved in front of her, standing on her tiptoes to plant a light, relatively chaste kiss on her lips. She took Maddie’s hands in hers and met her eyes.
“Just so you know, I wanted to kiss you since the first time I saw you, too. You were seriously hot, even in that silly uniform you were wearing.”
Maddie chuckled. “Really?”
“Yes. Now please get home safe. Call a cab.”
“Okay. I will.”
She reluctantly let go of Maddie’s hands and started climbing the stairs to the front door of the hotel.
“Hey, Ryann?” Maddie called.
She spun back. “Yes?”
“Are you going to tell Stuart?” She seemed worried, face pinched.
“No. Are you going to tell Jai?”
Maddie’s shoulders sagged, clearly relieved. “No.”
“Okay, then. Good-bye.”
“Bye.”
She watched Maddie walk away through the falling snow. While Maddie was still visible, she would occasionally turn around, waving, and she would return the gesture. When Maddie finally disappeared due to distance and the storm, she was still strangely light and loose, as if something had been settled in her heart.
Chapter Fourteen
Ryann ended up napping the rest of the afternoon and early evening, watching an old movie on the TV from bed, and eventually ordering a pizza. At eight, she decided to rest her eyes and slept the rest of the night. She woke somewhat late the next morning. Stuart had texted her that, with all the other venue appointments canceled, she had the day to herself.
It was Sunday, so she could do only so much on her computer. While some of her employees had weekend work, especially now, she never expected them to do it at the office, and she didn’t expect them to be on call. Even Ted was MIA when she tried to reach him, so she answered some emails and went over the numbers again, playing with the projections and trying to think of a way to convince London to budge, if even by a few days. Even the last day of February was better than the first of March—that would settle basically everything. She spent the rest of the morning and afternoon glued to her laptop. The hours bled away without much notice.
Still, when she stopped to stretch, she would occasionally think back on the kiss with Maddie, flush with heat, try to shake it off, and then get back to work. This happened all day. When she started to get some real work done, she’d get distracted again and have to try harder to calm down. It helped to think about what Maddie had said, and how she’d reacted, and not just yesterday. She’d said something similar at the barn, after all. She was reluctant to start anything with Ryann, and with good cause. What on earth could the two of them offer each other?
Maddie’s life was here—a good life, from what little she’d seen of it. Maddie had a great job, she was a talented, respected artist, and she had a wide range of different interests and friends. She was clearly happy with herself and everything she’d built here. She’d chosen to stay in this small town, after all.
And her own life was full, too, if only in other ways. Honestly, she rarely thought about being alone in her day-to-day life. She had challenging, fulfilling work, a great apartment in one of the best cities in the world, and she traveled widely and often. She was a very busy, successful person. Really, she wouldn’t change much of anything about her life, given the choice. Being single rarely bothered her.
So, yes, she could understand Maddie’s reluctance—she had the same misgivings, maybe more than Maddie. In fact, it had been pretty stupid to kiss her yesterday. But she didn’t blame that on the booze at all. No, she’d wanted to, then and now, if she was being honest with herself. Maddie was an attractive, compelling woman. But her own misgivings and Maddie’s reluctance were telling them both something. The fact that Maddie hadn’t tried to contact her all day was also revealing—she probably felt the same way. They really shouldn’t do anything more, even if part of her, more than part, wanted to indulge. They should remember that kiss and leave it at that.
Her phone buzzed next to her, and she jumped, reading Stuart’s name before answering.
“Yes?”
“You snowed in over there?” he asked.
“Uh…” She stood up and looked out the window. When she’d glanced out this morning, she’d seen maybe three or four inches on the ground, and the roads had already been cleared. At least another foot of new snow had fallen over the course of the day, and it was snowing again in huge, fast-falling flakes. “Yes. I guess I am.”
“Wanna come over to my place? Have that dinner I promised? I’ve got the groceries already. I’ve been waiting to cook it for you. I’m not that far away, so we could walk.”
“How far is not far?”
“About four blocks.”
“Really? You’re that close?”
“Yep. I can come meet you and show you the way. It’ll take me five minutes to walk over.”
“Can you give me half an hour? I’ve been sitting here in my pjs all day.”
“What? The fabulous Ms. Ryann Sands owns pajamas? The horror!”
She laughed. “Give me a bit, okay?”
“Sure. But remember—it’s just us. No need to impress anyone.”
She managed to tame her hair into a loose braid and put some clothes and makeup on before he showed up, his boots and jacket damp from the snow. He shivered dramatically when she opened the door.
“That bad?” she asked.
“It’s pretty chilly. And harder to walk out there than I thought it’d be. A couple of places have been keeping up with the shoveling, but not everyone—less now that it’s getting dark. But I blazed a path here, so it should be easier going to mine.”
She grabbed her warmest cardigan, layering it over her sweater before pulling on her coat, hat, and gloves. Truthfully, she hadn’t really walked around in snow like this before—not without skis and ski boots, at any rate. When they got outside, a blowing, wet wind, almost blinding, met them, and they both laughed.
“This might be a really bad idea,” Stuart shouted.
“You think?”
“Maybe you should stay over at my place.”
“Okay!”
“You need to grab anything?”
She always kept an extra toothbrush in her purse, and she could sleep in something of Stuart’s, so she shook her head as vigorously as she could to be visible in the blowing snow.
“I’m good. Let’s get going.”
The walk to his place seemed interminable, though in reality, it took them all of ten minutes. With the snowy wind gusting in their faces, frigid and occasionally painfully sharp, she was nearly blind the entire way. She walked behind Stuart, hand on his shoulder, arctic style. By the time they stumbled into his little one-bedroom apartment, they were both soaking wet, red-nosed and shivering.
“Yikes!” he said. “I’m glad you’re staying here.”
“Me, too.”
She let him take her wet jacket and hat and then removed her soaking socks and boots, feeling a little better with all the wet things gone. He handed her a crocheted blanket and steered her to the little loveseat under an enormous portrait window before disappearing into the bedroom. Beside the loveseat were an armchair and ottoman and a small coffee table, but little else in the room. Overall, the space was very small and sparely decorated, reminding her strongly of Stuart’s many micro apartments in New York.
When he came back in a couple of minutes later, he’d changed his clothes entirely, and he held out a pair of wool socks for her. She took them gratefully, pulling them over her clammy feet. He cranked up the thermostat before sitting down next to her. A bottle of red wine was breathing on the table, which he pointed at. She nodded, and he gave them both a significant pour.
“Well, that was terrible,” he finally said.
She laughed. “Basically.”
“I’m sorry. I guess we should have done this another night.”
She waved him off. “It’s fine. I’m here now.”
“What do you think of the place?” he asked, gesturing at the room.
She sipped her wine again before answering. “It’s…cute.”
He laughed. “I bet you’re thinking—why the hell did he move halfway across the country only to live in another tiny apartment?”
“You said it, not me.”
“It’s an artist’s residence. I get a discount on the place, actually—it’s almost free.”
“Oh?” She looked around with greater interest now. Actually, despite its size, the room was nicely appointed. It had lovely pinewood floors, exposed brick walls, and a recessed, tall ceiling. Judging from the window, it was likely very bright and inviting during the day. She stood up, walking closer to the far wall near the door, where Stuart had hung several framed photographs. She saw Jai, Maddie, and a series of her with Stuart throughout the decades. She looked back at him, and he lifted his glass in a toast.
“The place is lovely,” she told him.
He got to his feet. “Thanks. I love it. I love being downtown near all the restaurants and breweries, and I can ride my bike to the foundry on nice days—it’s only a couple of miles.”
“You can ride a bike?”
He laughed. “Maddie taught me. But yeah—I like it. I’ll be moving in with Jai after the wedding, of course, but it’s been really nice living here. In fact, the only real drawback is the kitchen, which is the size of a postage stamp. I guess they think artists don’t cook.”
“So what are you making us in your tiny kitchen?”
“I’ve got fresh salad, and I’m cooking chicken tikka masala, with rice and naan.”
“Mmmm—one of my favorites.”
“I know. I’d invite you to chat while I cook, but we honestly couldn’t fit in there together. But I prepped earlier—the chicken just needs simmering. Give me a few minutes to get it started, and I’ll be back. Feel free to choose some music.” He pointed at the record player.
She knelt in front of his vinyl collection, smiling at the memory of the two of them in high school scouring the stacks together in various music stores in their suburb and then later spending whole weekends at it in college in the city. She could tell that this selection was only part of his stash and wondered, idly, if he still had the rest somewhere.
She chose a Miles Davis and got it started, adjusting the volume so it would be easy to talk over. She retook her seat, pulling the blanket up over her legs, and leaned back on the surprisingly soft sofa, closing her eyes.
“Oh, gosh, sorry,” Stuart said, startling her.
She blinked and rubbed her eyes, realizing then that she’d been dozing. “Wow. I didn’t think I could sleep any more after last night. I guess I’m still catching up.”
He sat down on the armchair and gave her a wry smile, apparently a little guilty. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I know it’s been run, run, run since you got here.”
She waved dismissively. “Not a problem. It’s what I signed up for.”
“No, not really. I’ve really thrown you to the wolves this last few days, and I’m truly sorry. I thought I’d be able to do a little more of the planning than I have, but a bunch of things came up for the show all at once. It should be better this upcoming week, though. Tomorrow should be my last busy day.”
“It’s fine, Stuart.” She gave him a warm smile. “So tell me about your show.”
He spent a long while regaling her with details. His show at the Denver Art Museum began in May and lasted through the summer, but he had it on some authority that it might be picked up for a traveling exhibition at some other museums around the country after that. Right now, he was in the middle of a major planning stage for moving the pieces from storage to the museum, and he and Jai were also working together with the museum’s PR firm on promotions. He told all of this in high, gossipy spirits, making her laugh harder than she had in a long time about the various petty bureaucrats he’d run into in the museum, and the young intern that couldn’t seem to stop flirting with Jai.
