“Adria.” Faye tried the name out, but it didn’t fit. Talia was Talia. Not Adria. “I think you’re wrong.”
“Okay, so the next time you see her, ask her.”
The eyes...
Oh, God. Taliawasher stripper.
Faye’s immediate reaction was to get angry. Talia would have known who Faye was when she arrived at the club. They’d only spoken that very same day. But then her anger dissipated, slowly turning to sadness. Because whoever Talia was…it could never be. If she one day accepted Faye’s date, Faye would have to let her down. She couldn’t date a dancer.
“Did you say something to her in the bathroom tonight? She left in a hurry.”
“I just asked her to leave you alone. I love you too much to see someone like her hurt you.”
“Someone like her?” And she was back to the anger. Phoebe had no right to say that. She didn’t know Talia. Neither of them did. “That’s unfair. And really judgemental.”
“Look, we can pretend she doesn’t have her hands all over God knows what, but we’re not stupid.You’renot stupid. Are you seriously telling me you’d consider dating a stripper?”
“Well, no.” Faye couldn’t do that. She couldn’t sit at home knowing someone else had their eyes on her girlfriend. She’d drive herself insane within a week. “But that doesn’t give us,you, the right to say those things about her. I know a different side to her, and I really like it.”
“So youareconsidering it.” Phoebe threw up her hands. “I don’t believe this. You’re not living one of your novels now, Faye. This is real life.”
Faye shot to her feet, approaching the window. She looked down at the city—for a Thursday night, it was quite busy—her heart sitting heavy in her chest. “I know this is real life. But there’s something about her that makes me want to know her more. There’s…just something, Phoebe.”
“Mm. Men. Other women. Whatever.”
“Don’t.” Faye clenched her jaw, her nostrils flared. “Don’t dare stand there and call her fit to burn when you don’t know her.”
“You expect me to sit back and watch you ruin yourself by fucking a stripper? Nah, I’m not doing it. If you don’t see sense, I’m out. I can’t stand by watching it unfold.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re my best friend, Faye. You mean the world to me. To see you hurting because of someone like her, someone who lets people do whatever they want to her? No!”
“I’m not sure what youthinkshe does, but she’s a dancer. So, if you have nothing useful to say, you can leave.”
“What? You’re willing to fall out with me because of her? You’re right, something is wrong with you lately. And you need to figure your shit out before you do something stupid.”
Faye wasn’t sure she’d ever done anything stupid in her life. She’d always been so well behaved. So on hand for everyone else. But at forty, Faye didn’t want that anymore. She wanted to let her hair down and find someone who wanted the same things she did. Talia wasn’t that woman, she was far too much for Faye, but if she put herself out there…she may just find exactly what she was looking for.
Love.
“I’m not really feeling the wine anymore. I think I’ll call it a night. Get into bed with a book.”
“You mean you want me to leave so you can pout?”
Faye walked towards her bedroom door, disappointed with how this evening was ending. “Stay or don’t. That’s entirely up to you.”
CHAPTERFOUR
Faye blewout a steady breath as she rounded the corner, her gaze landing on Vision. She didn’t feel great tonight. She’d tried to seek out Talia for an entire week, but Talia had taken personal time off from the cafe. Faye hoped it wasn’t because of this whole situation, but the dread in her belly told her it was.
And then Phoebe flitted into her mind. The morning after Faye had learned the truth, she’d woken to Phoebe in a foul mood. But Faye wasn’t fighting with her friend about a woman she was attracted to. It wasn’t going anywhere, so why did Phoebe feel so strongly about it?
Faye had tried to let it go, but she was still angry about the things Phoebe had said. When Faye brought it up the following morning, Phoebe had explained that Talia wasn’t the issue but that TaliaandFaye was. The idea of Faye dating a ‘stripper’ was a step too far.
While Faye appreciated Phoebe’s concern, she wasn’t happy about the language she’d used. So, a week on, Faye had kept their contact minimal.
She removed her phone from her pocket and checked the time. Just fifteen minutes until her appointment. Could she call it that—an appointment? Faye shook her head; it didn’t matter what she called it. She would see Talia tonight and that was the most important thing. They could put all of this to bed and move forward.