The cat gave her a look of disgust and left the room, making us both laugh.
“He’s such a character,” she said fondly.
I took a sip of my coffee, unsure how to react to this cat lady side of Grace.
“This coffee is delicious.”
I wasn’t sure where Grace got her beans from, but it was the smoothest and most flavorful coffee I’d had in my life.
Grace sent me a wicked smile.
“I can think of something much more delicious.” Her eyes slowly traveling down my body. “How about we drink coffee in bed and then I’ll eat you for breakfast?”
“I love that idea.”
Grace
“It’s submitted!”
Nicole threw up her arms triumphantly as the computer beeped. I rushed around to her side of the desk, watching with her as a receipt with a control number popped up, our proof that the city had received our application for the Grant Park College project. It had been a mammoth undertaking, with almost every person at both of our firms, as well as a good chunk of our AGM employees, pitching in to help.
I pulled her out of her chair and gave her a tight hug.
“I can’t believe we got everything done,” I said. “I just hope we didn’t miss anything.”
To complete the application we’d had to submit more than three hundred documents, everything from environmental reviews to architectural permits to parking plans.
“We double and triple checked everything,” Nicole said. “It’s complete. We did a good job, I’m sure of it.”
She made a little shimmy dance move that caused her full breasts to bounce in the most distracting way.
“We need to celebrate,” I said. “How about dinner?”
Nicole grimaced. “I promised my mother I’d come over for dinner. I hope there’s not some guy there she’s trying to fix me up with again. It’s always super awkward when she does that.”
She stepped away and started packing up her laptop and supplies into her bag.
“Why do your parents keep introducing you to men?” I asked. “Do they think you’re going to change your mind about being a lesbian or something?”
I’d been meaning to ask her about this for a while now.
“It’s possible that they don’t know I’m gay,” she said to her chest.
Her voice was so quiet I thought I’d misheard her.
“Are you telling me that you’re not out to your parents?” I asked incredulously.
“Not really,” she mumbled.
I slid my fingers under her jaw to lift her head. When she finally met my eyes, I could see a combination of nervousness and embarrassment.
“What’s going on, Nicole?” I asked sternly.
She shrugged again. “It never came up.”
“You’re thirty-five years old!” I reminded her. “Being a lesbian never came up?”
“I was waiting for the right moment to tell them.”
