Talia pulled out a chair and sat down facing Faye. Which was an issue since all she could now see if she peered over her screen was Talia’s cleavage.For the love of God! Not today!
“You’ve been running?”
“Yep. Ten miles. Now I need food.”
Faye nodded. She was impressed. “Well, I’ll take your ten miles…and raise you ten words.”
Talia barked a laugh, then she smiled gently. “But I bet they’re amazing words.”
“I’ll let you be the judge of that when it’s published.”
“You don’t want to give me a teeny snippet beforehand?” Talia narrowed her eyes, swigging from a bottle of water. A drop dripped down her chin, travelling down her throat and between her cleavage. “Faye?”
“Sorry, what?”
Talia grimaced. “What’s wrong? Do I stink?”
“No, you don’t. But…could you maybe put that jacket on from around your waist?”
“Uh, sure.” Talia whipped it from around her waist, forcing her arms through it. She zipped it up, but it only made things worse. It was skin tight, the zip not quite reaching past her breasts. “Better?”
“Nope.” Faye focused on the screen, sending off the email she’d been staring at for far too long. Knowing she couldn’t have Talia only made Faye want her more. “Are you starting your shift late today?”
“No, I’m not working today. I have to be at the club in a few hours. I just thought I’d get some breakfast before I go home and shower.”
“Oh.”
“I’m not working at the club either. It’s a choreography session with a few of the girls for the shows we have coming up here and there.”
“Shows?” Faye lifted a brow as she glanced up from her screen. “There are shows?”
“Yep. We have them all the time. But this is the first one in the new club. The clients loved them in London.”
“Why did you leave London?”
“Well, now that you know who I am, I can be honest. It wasn’t just for a change; it was because the big boss wanted me here to get the new club up and running. I’m…one of the best dancers in Europe.”
Faye grinned. Of course Talia was. “That’s amazing.”
“For me, yes. But I’m just doing what I enjoy.” Talia lifted a shoulder. “You’ve seen the life I have. I’d be a fool to give it all up because I’m worried about people’s opinions.”
“Those people don’t matter. What matters is that you’re happy and doing what you love. I understand that now.”
“I’d invite you to the show, I have a few tickets I’ve not handed out, but I wouldn’t want you to turn up only so as not to offend me.”
Could Faye be brutally honest and tell Talia that she’d love to see the show? Talia watched her expectantly, waiting for an answer. “I’d love to see a show sometime. I’ve spent the last few days coming to terms with the fact I’d been to a club. And you know what? I’m over it. What you do isn’t my business, and the more I think about it…the more impressed I am than anything else. You know exactly what you want in life, Talia. I turned forty a few months ago and I still don’t know where I’m headed.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. You seem to have your life all figured out. You write incredible books, you’re dedicated, and you’re gorgeous. I’d say you’re not doing too bad.”
Faye snorted. “I’d love to come to a show, okay?”
“I’d love to have you at one. I don’t usually have anyone I know at them, so it’ll be a nice change.”
“You didn’t bring friends or family along to the previous shows?”
Talia lowered her eyes to the table, squeezing her water bottle as she puffed out her cheeks. “No. My parents don’t speak to me anymore, and my old friends are...caught up in other things. The only people I really associate with are the girls at the club and my best friend, Jay. But he’s in London and I’m here, so…”
“Right.” Faye closed her laptop and gave her full attention to Talia. “In that case, I’d like to invite you over to mine for dinner. I’d say tonight, but I’m sure you’ll be ready to get home once you’ve finished at the club.”