Unadulterated Something, page 22
Emma playfully nudged Campbell with her shoulder. “I guess I just had the right motivation to stay awake. You ready to sneak around again?”
“You honestly think Val won’t take one look at you and know?”
“Nah. I’ve got a good poker face.”
“Yeah, right,” Campbell laughed. “Your poker face is pretty terrible.”
“Please, it’s better than yours.”
“Uh-huh, sure. Whatever you say.”
Emma turned to look at Campbell as they stopped in front of the door. Safe from lookers-on for the moment, she leaned in and kissed her softly. “Wanna bet?” she murmured against Campbell’s lips as she pulled away.
“What’s the bet?”
“If Val figures out that we, you know…” Emma’s voice trailed off, and she bit her lip as she tried to figure out how, exactly, was the best way to describe what was happening between them. They hadn’t actually been on a date, though a holiday dinner was kind of date-like, but she wasn’t sure if that counted as ‘dating’ and, well, ‘together’ implied a level of seriousness that she absolutely felt, but they hadn’t exactly talked about that, either, they would have to, at some point, of course, but—
Campbell’s expression softened, and a gentle smile curved her lips as she suggested, “Spent the night cuddling and making out on your couch?”
Emma nodded and looked away as she felt her cheeks begin to warm at the memory of Campbell lying on top of her and kissing her so thoroughly that she forgot her own name. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she had been so turned on just from making out, and if she hadn’t been so wiped out from her race to the point that she couldn’t stop yawning even when Campbell’s tongue was driving her absolutely insane, she wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d ended up in her bed with significantly less clothing.
But it’d been nice, too, to not-so-casually explore this shift in their dynamic without rushing to the bedroom. To take the time to learn not just that Campbell liked to be kissed long and slow and deep, or that a firm hand on her ribs just below her breast would make her arch into the touch and whimper for more, but to learn about her. About how the grandmother whose pasta salad recipe she’d made had been the first person she’d come out to, or that she loved the color pink but hated purple, or how she’d read and re-read Pride and Prejudice so many times that the spine split and she’d had to buy a new copy to replace it. Physical attraction was easy and immediate, but this felt like so much more than that.
She wanted it to be more than that.
And, while she was pretty sure that they would end up acting on the physical aspect of all of this sooner, rather than later, but it had been really, really nice to make out for the fun of it. She had no doubt that it would be just as fun to make out with Campbell as a stepping-stone to more as well, but…
Emma was jolted from her spiraling thoughts when Campbell nudged her foot, and when she looked back up at her, her stomach fluttered at the understanding and gentle affection that stared back at her. “Sorry.”
“So, if Val figures out we’re together now…what?” Campbell tilted her head and smiled. “Whichever one of us gave it away loses?”
Emma shrugged. There was really no other way to play it, so far as she could tell. “Basically, yeah.”
“Okay. So, what’s the bet?”
“Um…” Emma shook her head. She’d just been enjoying bantering with Campbell; she hadn’t actually thought the whole thing through. “Loser has to decide where we go for dinner next Saturday when I take you out on a date?”
Campbell laughed. “If you’re taking me on a date, shouldn’t you be the one planning the whole thing?”
Emma blushed. “Will you let me take you on a date?”
“Only if I get a kiss goodnight at the end.”
“Deal,” Emma agreed quickly.
“God, you’re so freaking cute sometimes,” Campbell murmured, her eyes gentle and warm as she rocked forward to press a sweet, lingering kiss to Emma’s lips. “How about this,” she suggested in that beautiful crushed velvet voice of hers as she pulled away, “you plan our date for next Saturday, and for today… Whichever one of us gives us away has to clean my kitchen that we left a complete disaster to get over here on time.”
Emma pursed her lips and nodded. ‘Complete disaster’ was something of an understatement, considering the way the flour had all but exploded out of the mixer when she’d turned it on, but it was certainly a motivating wager. “Okay.”
Campbell winked at her as she darted forward to seal their arrangement with a kiss. “Good.”
“Are you okay with her finding out?” Emma asked. The day before, after all, had been all about secrecy and sneaking around and not letting anyone—besides Beca—find out.
“Are you?”
“Okay with them all knowing?” Emma asked. When Campbell nodded, she said, “Yeah. I mean, they’re gonna have to find out eventually, right? I was just asking you because yesterday—”
“Work friends are different than friend-friends,” Campbell interrupted in a gentle tone. “I mean, I could do without the teasing and possible shovel talk from Val”—she smiled when Emma laughed—“but I don’t care if they know.”
“I just want to make sure you’re comfortable,” Emma insisted. When Campbell nodded reassuringly, she said, “Okay. So do you still wanna go with the bet, then? Or would you rather just tell them?”
“I absolutely do not want to clean my kitchen,” Campbell drawled. “So the bet is still on. Besides, it’ll be so much more fun to watch Val’s head slowly explode as she figures it out.”
“You say that like you think you’re actually going to win,” Emma couldn’t resist teasing as she adjusted her grip on the desserts in her hands and managed to press a finger to the doorbell.
“Oh, I absolutely am. Because you have a terrible poker face, remember?”
“I GOT IT!” a voice shouted exuberantly from inside the house. A moment later, the door was thrown open, and Emma chuckled at the way Val smirked at them as she waved them inside. “Glad you two could finally make it. Get lost on the way over?”
“Something like that,” Emma said as she tried to hand off the desserts she was holding to Val. “Make yourself useful and take these to the kitchen.”
“What are they?” Val asked as she pushed the foil packages back at Emma like they were playing a game of hot potato.
“Beavertails.” Emma held up a hand at the mischievous twinkle in Val’s eyes and shook her head. “You had your fun yesterday, so do not even start on that one now or you don’t get the dark chocolate and almond one I made just for you.”
Val looked past Emma to arch a wary brow at Campbell. “She actually made it?”
“She did,” Campbell confirmed as she slipped past Val and started toward the kitchen. “I’m gonna go find somewhere to put these.”
Val shook her head and looked back at Emma. “So I’m not going to jump on that beaver joke because why, exactly? So I can die of food poisoning?”
“Oh, shut up,” Emma laughed. “I’m getting better. I even made rice that was actually cooked right the other day!”
“Just a regular fucking Martha Stewart, aren’t you?” Val teased. “How’s everything going with Ms. Jordan?” She tilted her head toward the back of the house. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
“Still overthinking?”
Emma shrugged and had to force herself not to look away from Val’s searching, genuinely concerned gaze as a twinge of guilt twisted her stomach. Val was her sounding-board and her most trusted confidant, had supported her through the biggest ups and downs of her life, and she hated lying to her.
She could, after all, always hire someone to clean the stupid kitchen.
Val took Emma’s silence as confirmation that she was right, and she gave her shoulder a light squeeze. “Oh captain, my captain,” she murmured. “We’ll get your shit sorted sooner or later.”
“Pretty sure that isn’t how the poem goes,” Emma pointed out as Val closed the front door, and they started toward the back of the house.
“What poem?” Beca asked as she wandered out of the laundry room with a stack of dishtowels.
“That captain one by Keats.”
Beca frowned. “What?”
“Oh captain, my captain…” Val supplied.
Beca sniggered. “Yeah. Right. Keats.” She patted Emma on the shoulder. “It’s a good thing you’re a math teacher.”
“Hey! More beavers!” Lars cheered when they made their way into the living room.
Val barked out a laugh. “Hello to you, too, Mr. Olsson.”
“I’ve already said hi to you,” Lars said, looking at Val like she was an idiot. He paused the television and grinned at Emma as he asked, “You got more Nutella in there? Jon, you gotta try these!”
Val arched a brow at Beca as Lars started waxing poetic about ‘Campbell’s beaver’ to Jon, who, to his credit, looked like he was trying to figure out if Lars was genuinely unaware of the dual-meaning of what he was saying, or having an elaborate laugh at Campbell’s expense. “Is he serious?” she whispered.
“Yep.” Beca dragged a hand through her hair and shook her head at her husband. “I debated explaining it to him last night when he did this, but I didn’t want to make things awkward. I was hoping it was a one-off kind of thing, but—”
“Dude, I will so give you a hundred bucks if you don’t tell him,” Val interjected with a laugh.
“Somebody is going to have to tell him,” Emma pointed out in a low voice.
“Somebody is feeling protective of Campbell’s beaver,” Val teased.
Beca choked on a laugh and shook her head. “I’m staying out of that one,” she said, though the look she gave Emma clearly said, You owe me so big for this one, Beauchamp. “Valerie, be good.”
“I am always good,” Val protested.
“We all know that isn’t true,” Emma couldn’t resist pointing out.
“Whatever.” Val waved her off. “Hey! You should ask Jordan to be your date for the wedding. You still need one, right?”
Emma shook her head. “I don’t know why it’s such a big deal that I have a date.”
“Because you’ll have more fun! And I’ve already paid for a meal for your plus-one, so, you know…”
“You say that like I’m not perfectly capable of putting down two dinners on my own.”
“Oh, shut up. I’m being serious here. You like the stupid-pretty girl, so stop being stupid and ask the pretty girl to be your date! We all know each other and, besides that, the number of WoHo people coming is, frankly, a little insane. I never realized before this how few friends I had who weren’t part of the game, so it’s the perfect no-pressure evening for you. She gets dolled up, you get to show off how ridiculously good-looking you are in a suit, and then there’s alcohol and dancing, and I’ll even bomb my fucking bouquet at her if you think it’ll help!”
Beca laughed. “I can always clear a path for her.”
“Deal!” Val and Beca high-fived.
“Why am I friends with you two, again?” Emma laughed as her attention drifted to Campbell, who had just emerged from the kitchen. A small smile twitched her lips as she watched Campbell bite her lip to hide her smile when she noticed her attention. Warmth bloomed in her chest as they stared at each other from across the room, and she cleared her throat softly as she said, “I’ll think about it.”
“No thinking!” Val punched her lightly on the arm. “Action, Beauchamp.”
“No thinking, action,” Emma mimicked in a high-pitched voice. She shook her head at the way Val laughed as she shouldered past her to put the desserts she was still carrying in kitchen. “Go watch the movie.”
“Good idea.” Beca gave Val a playful shove toward the couch Jon was sitting on.
Campbell smiled at Emma as their paths crossed, and asked in a low voice, “Everything okay?” She angled her head toward Emma and added, “Want me to kick her ass?”
Emma laughed, and it took everything she had not to lean in and kiss Campbell for offering to be her protector. “Just Val being Val. It’s fine. Save me a spot out there?”
“I’ll do my best.”
Emma spotted the beavertails Campbell had set on top of the fridge and quickly added hers to the pile before hurrying back to the living room. The movie had been unpaused, and everyone was mostly focused on the screen. She pursed her lips as she surveyed the room. Val was curled up against Jon on one of the loveseats framing the sitting area, while Beca, Lars, and Dash lounged comfortably on the other sofa, which left the oversized armchair and ottoman for her and Campbell to share.
“Gee, thanks for leaving me a spot, guys.”
Val looked up from her phone that she was playing on and smirked. “That chair is big enough for two.”
Emma huffed a laugh. The chair was only big enough for two if those two were comfortable sitting basically on top of each other. Which, okay, she and Campbell totally were, but there was the little matter of the bet they had going on about who gave them away first.
Her watch buzzed with a text alert, and she huffed a laugh when she looked at it to see a message from Val—You’re welcome.
“Sit down, Beauchamp!” Val chastised. She made a show of leaning into Jon to try to see the screen she’d been ignoring when Emma entered the living room. “You’re blocking the screen.”
Emma arched a brow at her to say, Really? as she re-read the room. Lars and Jon looked like a couple of kids who were doing their best to act like they hadn’t been caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar, and Beca’s lips were pressed into a hard line that Emma guessed was a way to keep herself from cracking up. She didn’t know if she should be impressed or annoyed that Val had gotten the rest of the group to go along with her mischievous machinations, but she realized she didn’t really care too much when she looked at Campbell and noticed the way she was watching her with an amused smile. There was a suggestion of an apology in the way she tilted her head as their eyes locked, but she had clearly decided to leave this particular ball squarely in Emma’s court.
Great.
Emma sighed as she quickly considered her options. She could pull up a spot on the rug or drag the ottoman from under Campbell’s legs and sit on that—even though just thinking about either of those options made her back twinge—or she could return the volley Campbell had lobbed at her.
Thankfully, Val was sitting opposite the chair they’d all left her and Campbell to share, so she didn’t see the way Emma smiled and winked at Campbell as she did her best to sound disgruntled as she said, “Budge up, Jordan.”
“Why do I have to move?” Campbell protested, her eyes twinkling with mirth. “I was here first.”
Emma ignored the way Beca tried to cover her laughter with a rather dramatic coughing fit, and pulled her phone out of her back pocket so she could sit down. “You don’t have to get up.” She motioned with her phone for Campbell to slide to the side of the chair before setting it on the corner table. “You just have to move enough to make room for me.”
Campbell huffed dramatically and grumbled, “Fine, whatever,” as she moved so Emma could squeeze onto the seat beside her.
“See, told ya it was big enough for two people,” Val laughed.
“Yeah, sure.” Emma turned a little onto her right hip to give them each a bit more room. “You okay?”
Campbell hummed and nodded. “Yeah. Still think it’s kinda silly that Val isn’t the one sharing this chair with somebody, though, since she’s the smallest person here.”
It took a herculean amount of effort for Emma to not pull Campbell closer and kiss her silly for getting right to the one thing that would annoy Val the most, but she somehow managed to restrain herself to a little laugh as she said, “I know. Right?”
Val gasped and waved an accusing finger between the two of them. “That was rude!”
“You’re just mad because it’s true,” Campbell sassed as she turned to mirror Emma’s posture, which made the nearly-too-small-to-share chair much more comfortable.
“She’s right,” Beca chimed in.
“Yeah, well, you two look pretty comfy there, so I dunno why you’re bitching,” Val teased.
Beca smirked. “They do, don’t they? It’s almost like they don’t hate each other or something.”
“Or something,” Campbell agreed. The softest smile curled her lips as she looked over her shoulder at Emma. “Right, Beauchamp?”
“Absolutely,” Emma murmured as she stared at Campbell’s lips.
“Emma,” Campbell husked, either in warning or supplication, but before Emma could decide which it was, Beca cleared her throat loudly to remind them they weren’t alone.
“Oh, that’s definitely something, all right,” Val cackled.
Jon shot them an apologetic smile as he poked Val in the side and said, “Leave them alone.” He kissed her temple when she huffed and sank back into the couch beside him. “Thank you. I’m gonna go get more of that kick-ass leftover pasta salad,” he announced as he got to his feet. “Anyone want anything from the kitchen while I’m in there?”
“Ha! That’s two people who like my pasta salad!” Campbell cheered, giving Jon a high five as he passed by on his way to the kitchen.
“The one with the grapes?” Val made a face. “That was so wrong on so many levels. Someone else seriously liked it? Who? Dash?”
“He wouldn’t touch it,” Beca sniggered.
Campbell glared playfully at Beca as she hiked a thumb at Emma. “Emma liked it.”
Emma groaned as Val laughed. “Yeah, right. Em hates grapes. Like, with a passion. Remember when I brought some home my freshman year, and you threw them out the window? They hit that dude riding his bike on the sidewalk, and he crashed into a parked car. Remember? It was amazing!”
“You don’t like grapes?” Campbell frowned at Emma.
“Thanks, Dunn.” Emma glared at Val before turning her attention back to Campbell. “They’re not my favorite,” she admitted in a low voice.
