She heard the elevator bell, footsteps down the hall and a knock.
Kathleen opened the door. Veronica stood on the threshold, wind-kissed and beautiful. Her eyes warmed when they landed on her. “Hi,” Veronica said with a smile.
“Hey,” Kathleen said, her voice a little breathless.
She stepped aside to let her enter and Veronica slipped off her coat, revealing a blue sweater and soft jeans. She hung her coat on the stand at the door and followed Kathleen inside. “Dinner smells amazing,” she said.
“It’s roast chicken and salad. I got ambitious and made those little thyme potatoes as well.”
“Domestic goddess,” Veronica said lightly.
Kathleen blushed. “I wanted it to be... nice. Come into the lounge and we’ll have a drink first.”
Instead of taking one of the single chairs, Veronica settled into the three-seater. When Kathleen handed her a glass of wine, she patted the space beside her. “Sit here.”
She stared down at Veronica—at the curve of her mouth, the hollow at her throat, the way she sat on her lounge like she belonged there.
“To new beginnings,” Veronica said, lifting the glass.
They both took a sip. The wine was sharp enough to settle her nerves. Kathleen lowered her glass and opened her mouth to speak, but Veronica moved closer.
“May I kiss you?” she asked, voice low.
Kathleen nodded.
Veronica took Kathleen’s glass out of her hand and placed it with hers on the coffee table. The kiss came soft and slow. There was no urgency, merely a press of lips that deepened as Kathleen leaned into it. Veronica’s hand came to her jaw, thumb sweeping gently along her cheek to anchor her.
Kathleen’s heart stuttered. She melted into the kiss, letting it unfold like a language she was only learning to speak. As Veronica drew her in closer, Kathleen’s phone tingled in the dining room.
She drew back with an apologetic look. “Sorry, it could be Ted at the lab. He wouldn’t ring if it wasn’t important and he’d be the only one likely to call me at this hour.”
She rose to answer it quickly, cursing Ted’s timing. When she saw the ID on the scene, she stared at it in surprise. It was Darlene Hunt, not Ted. Why on earth would she be visiting, she’d only met her once.
“Hello, Kathleen. I was in the neighbourhood and thought I’d pop in for a minute. The door’s locked. What’s the code to enter and what’s your room number.”
Taken off guard, and with no valid reason to refuse, Kathleen rattled them off. She turned and ran into the lounge in a panic. “Darlene Hunt’s on her way up.”
“Shit,” Veronica exclaimed. “I better get out of here.”
Kathleen grabbed her wrist. “Too Late. She’s in the building.”
“I’d better hide then.”
“The bedroom,” said Kathleen urgently. “She won’t go in there.”
Veronica turned and hurried into it, clicking the latch behind her.
Kathleen snatched up the two glasses on the coffee table and put them in the dishwasher. When the knock came moments later, she wiped her hands down her jeans, gathering herself before she opened the door.
Darlene stood framed in the hallway, immaculately dressed and smelling of expensive perfume. “Hello, Kathleen,” she said.
“Darlene. This is a surprise.”
Darlene moved into the room, unbuttoned her coat and draped it elegantly across the back of a dining chair. She took in the table: the two place settings and the lit candles and eyed Kathleen in surprise. “You’re having someone special for dinner?”
Kathleen cleared her throat. “I am. They’ll be here in half an hour. Sorry, but I can’t talk long.”
Darlene raised a brow. “I’m on my way to a play and only popped in for a moment.” She gave a soft, almost musical laugh. “Edith told me you never date and here I find the table set with your best china and candles lit. I’ve clearly been misled.”
