Faye: Then please be safe.
Talia touched the screen of her laptop lightly, her fingertip trailing across Faye’s parting words to her. She was special, Talia knew that without dissecting it all, but it couldn’t ever work. Maybe Faye would be a sweetheart about everything, but Talia would know exactly how she felt deep down. It was the same way Megan had felt all those years ago when she broke Talia’s heart.
Friends. It has to work only as friends…
CHAPTERFIVE
Faye reachedinto her coat pocket, pulling her phone out. Talia was due at the restaurant any moment now, but Faye was feeling a little apprehensive. She hadn’t expected contact from her yesterday, and especially not at six in the morning, but she’d been pleasantly surprised when Talia asked if they could meet sooner rather than later. Faye never coped well when she thought she’d upset someone, and thankfully, it appeared she hadn’t.
Whatever was discussed tonight, she would remember thatTaliawas the person she knew. That Talia had been the one she was initially attracted to. The rejection didn’t matter anymore. All Faye could hope for now was that Talia wouldn’t hold her judgement against her. It had been entirely unintentional.
She tapped her foot against the slate floor, blowing out a breath as she sat back in her seat. She hadn’t ordered Talia a drink; she wasn’t sure she knew what kind of thing she drank. The last thing Faye wanted was to get anything else wrong.
And then Talia walked through the door, her long, flowing hair resting over her left shoulder. She looked just as good as she had last week at the wine bar, offering a smile to the waiter as he brought her to the table.
“God, you’re eager.” Talia took a seat, shrugging her jacket off and turning to hang it over the back of her chair. “Hungry?”
Faye swallowed. The light makeup Talia wore made her eyes pop. “Yeah.”
“Thanks for meeting with me sooner. I felt terrible yesterday.”
The waiter interrupted them for their drinks order. Faye ordered a glass of chardonnay, Talia a Diet Coke.
“You’re not drinking?”
Talia nodded as she made herself comfortable. At least she looked like she wanted to be here. “I don’t really drink. It does nothing for my body, or my figure,” Talia explained. “And I don’t cope well with hangovers.”
“Huh. Maybe I should take a leaf out of your book.”
Talia laughed and waved a hand. “Your figure is perfect; enjoy your wine.”
If Talia had realised what she’d said, she didn’t make a point of it. But Faye’s body thrummed regardless. She did have a good figure, curvy, but she didn’t come by compliments often. “I’ll just have one.”
“About Friday.” Talia reached a hand across the table. “How I spoke to you, dismissed you…I’m so sorry.”
Faye trained her eyes on their hands, Talia’s smooth olive skin, her beautiful wrist. “I-it’s, okay.”
“It’s not. But when I’m working, I’m working. The club really isn’t the place to talk. I do appreciate you making the effort, though. It meant a lot to me.”
“I never meant to hurt you with what I said.”
Talia laughed gently as she pulled her hand back. “If it had been anyone else, I wouldn’t have cared what they thought—I never do. But for some reason it was different with you. And if I’m being honest, I never wanted you to know about my other life.”
“Why?”
“I was enjoying being Talia from the bistro with you,” Talia said, ripping the edge of the napkin beneath her cutlery. “And I know we don’t know one another, I’m not sure one coffee constitutes calling each other friends, but when you didn’t know, I didn’t have to worry about what your feelings were. What you were thinking of me as you sat across the table.” Talia looked up, those dark eyes devastating. “Kinda like I am right now.”
“I’m not thinking anything about it.”
Faye fell silent when the waiter returned, setting their drinks down. They placed a food order—both ordering a quesadilla and some sharing dishes—then returned to their conversation.
“Everyone feels something about it, Faye. We’re only human, it’s acceptable to either be interested or disgusted. I just didn’t want you to fall into the latter.”
“I’m not disgusted,” Faye said low as she leaned in a little. “I don’t know how I feel about it, but I’m not disgusted.” Regardless of how Faye felt, there was no doubt that Talia had rocked her world that night at Vision. But that wasn’t the real Talia. The woman sitting across from her this evening was. “I’ve never been to that kind of club before. I was initially shocked; I didn’t think Phoebe had it in her to go somewhere so…different.”
“I’d like to tell you it was her first time, but it wasn’t.”
“I know. She said she’d been before.” Faye also didn’t know how she felt about that either. Phoebe could be unpredictable at times, but this was on a whole other level. Phoebe didn’t seem at all concerned by the fact that she went to the club repeatedly, but if Faye foundanyonethere remotely attractive, all hell broke loose. She was at a loss as to what was going on with Phoebe lately. But this night wasn’t about Phoebe. It was about getting to know Talia a little better. At least, that was what Faye hoped to achieve here. “Can I ask one question?”