She went to hand Gretchen back to me, but as soon as they broke contact, the soother popped out and Gretchen started up again. As soon as she pulled her back, she went silent.
“I swear you’re magic. You can go open up my wallet and take whatever’s there. Take my credit cards, too. You deserve it.” Shaking my head, I yawned. Now that Gretchen was somewhat dealt with, exhaustion was hitting me, too. “I wouldn’t be able to talk you into staying over, would I?”
Jaz’s eyes twinkled. “Asking me to spend the night before we’ve even been on a date? That’s daring… but I’ll take it.”
My mind raced. Was she joking? Did she think our Friday night beer was actually supposed to be a date? More importantly, did she want it to be one?
No answers were forthcoming, and my need for sleep overwhelmed me.
“You and Gretchen take the bed.” I flopped down where I was. “I’ll take the couch.”
7
Jaz
I stuck my hands under the tap and used the water to slick back my hair. The pink strands were usually pretty good about staying out of my face, but the sides were growing out. I needed to get them shaved again soon.
Maybe combing it would fix the problem. After hoisting Gretchen a little more comfortably against my chest, I took a miniature comb out of my purse to start again.
A stall door clanged shut behind me, and an undergrad who looked about sixteen stared openly at me as she came up to wash her hands.
All right, the Beasley library bathroom wasn’t the ideal place to prepare for a non-date. Especially not with a baby bouncing against my chest. But what choice did I have? I’d been
working on my thesis notes all afternoon, and no way was I going to meet the woman of my dreams looking less than perfect.
I frowned at my reflection. My lip gloss had been licked off and my eyeliner had faded. I reapplied gloss and reached for the eyeliner pencil, nearly jabbing myself in the eye with my attempt to freshen it. Tears came into my eyes as I finished defining my waterline.
The undergrad stared at me openly as she left the bathroom. Who cares? She’s not the one getting a beer with Dr. Faye Erwin tonight. I waggled my eyebrows at myself… and squinted at my eyeliner again. I’d missed a spot.
Rolling my eyes, I tapped Gretchen on the forehead. “Doesn’t matter, right, kid? Faye sees me all the time. She already knows what I look like.”
I turned to leave… except another undergrad came out of the second stall just in time to see the weirdo who’d been talking to herself.
Oops.
Well, again, who cared? Only Faye’s opinion counted tonight.
We hadn’t called it a date, but let’s be real. Two single lesbians meeting for drinks? We’d even spent the night together. And yeah, I was way too excited about being able to say that, considering we’d slept in two separate rooms.
Still, this was something—especially when we were no longer professionally connected in any capacity.
Oh, I’d done my research. I’d pored through the university code of conduct and, if I was interpreting the legalese correctly, there was nothing stopping me and Faye from engaging in a relationship at this point. Would it be frowned upon? Sure… but we were both adults, and there was no power differential now that she wasn’t affecting my grades. Plenty of professors dated students.
As I walked toward the on-campus pub, I told myself not to get my hopes up. The potential for dating didn’t mean there was any actual interest on Faye’s side. As far as I knew, she still only saw me as the dimwitted chick who went all dreamy-eyed whenever she spoke to me.
But as much as I tried to convince myself, I already knew it was too late. My hopes were sky-high now, and nothing short of actually being turned down by Faye was going to kill them completely.
When I got in the door of King’s Tooth, the bar was already crowded with students—and Faye, waiting at a table near the back. My heart sped up and my face got a little hot. Faye was waiting there. For me. And she was wearing a nicer jacket than the tweed one she usually had on. Did that mean anything? Or was it just that the weather was getting colder?
My eyes were still on her when a security guard stopped me in my tracks. “You can’t come in here.”
“Excuse me?” I fumbled for my ID.
“I’m sure you’re legal, miss, but your friend there isn’t.” He gestured at Gretchen.
Shit. I hadn’t thought twice about bringing a baby into a bar. I made a face at Faye, hoping it got across the message come over here and help me out. She squinted to look at us closer, then stood up, leaving a nearly-full pint glass on the table.
“She won’t be any trouble.” I stuck Gretchen’s soother in her mouth. “She’s really quiet, especially when she’s got this thing.”