Under a falling star, p.23
Under a Falling Star, page 23
The ringing of the doorbell startled them apart.
“Who the heck is that?” Face flushed, Dee stared toward the door. “You didn’t invite your friends over, did you?”
Austen shook her head. She tried to calm her breathing and her heartbeat as she slipped out from under Dee, walked over to the window, and peeked out. A familiar silver Jaguar was parked in front of the house. Shit, shit, shit! She whirled around to Dee. “I think it’s your brother.”
“Tim? What the hell is he doing here?”
“He probably wants to check on me after you flattened me with a volleyball.”
“Dammit. He’s got lousy timing.” Dee jumped up and straightened her clothes while Austen tucked her T-shirt back into her shorts.
The doorbell rang again. “Ms. Brooks?” Tim called through the door. “Are you okay? I was on my way home and thought I’d check on you.”
If she didn’t open the door, he might become worried and call an ambulance or something.
Dee’s gaze darted around the room as if looking for a hiding place.
“Bathroom?” Austen whispered.
Dee took two steps in that direction and then stopped. “This is crazy. You’re his assistant, not his wife, so why are we sneaking around like two cheaters?” She went into the hall, but instead of tiptoeing toward the bathroom, she opened the front door. “Hi, Tim. Come on in. She’s in the living room.”
“Dee? What are you doing here?”
When only silence answered, Austen took a deep breath and went out into the hall.
Dee and her brother stood facing each other across the doorway.
She cleared her throat. “Hello, Mr. Saunders. Thanks for checking on me.”
He looked from Dee to her and then back. “What’s going on, Sis? I thought you’d dropped her off and gone home hours ago.”
“It seems your sister had the same idea you did,” Austen said, praying she wasn’t blushing at the bold lie. “She came back to make sure I’m all right.”
“Oh. Okay. Glad she did that.”
Just when the tension in the hall receded, Dee straightened her shoulders and said, “Of course I did. Any girlfriend worth her salt would do that.”
Austen wasn’t sure who was more surprised—she or Tim. They both stared at Dee.
“You…? She…?” He looked back and forth between them so fast that Austen was afraid he’d get whiplash.
Dee stepped back until she was next to Austen and wrapped one arm around her shoulders. “Yes.” She faced at her brother with a defiant gaze. “We’re together.”
“Dee…” He shook his head. “Nothing personal, Ms. Brooks. You know I think very highly of you, but do you have any idea what would happen if my uncle found out?”
“He’d find a plausible-sounding reason to fire me,” Austen said. Losing her job after just eight months wouldn’t look good on her resume, but the more time passed and the closer she and Dee became, the less Austen cared.
Tim sighed. “Knowing my uncle, that’s exactly what he’d do.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Dee said, a threatening rumble in her tone. Her arm around Austen tensed.
“I thought you didn’t like Ricky using his position in the company to protect his latest fling when Uncle Wade didn’t like that pink streak in her hair, and now you’re basically doing the same?”
Dee flushed and looked ready to hit him. “It’s not the same thing at all!” Her mouth snapped shut. “Wait a minute… You know about Ricky’s affair with Vanessa?”
“And the one with Sue from customer service before her. Just because I usually choose not to get involved in the craziness that goes on in our family doesn’t mean I’m blind to it. I just thought you were different.”
Dee let go of Austen and took a step toward her brother. “I am, but you are no different than the rest. Can’t you just stick up for me once? You were the one who wrote girlfriend on my goddamn paper snowflake, and now that I have one, you—”
“I’m only looking out for you.”
“Yeah, sure.” Dee snorted. “You have a funny way of—”
“Stop it!” Austen shouted before she could stop herself. “Both of you.”
They stopped glaring at each other and turned to look at her, identical expressions of shock and surprise on their faces.
“Neither Dee nor I were looking to get involved, least of all with each other, but now that it’s happened, you as her favorite brother should be happy for her, no matter what the rest of the family is going to say.”
Tim stared at her for a few seconds longer and then lowered his head. “You’re right. I just can’t help worrying about what will happen when Uncle Wade finds out. He hasn’t been in the best mood since that Disney debacle.”
Dee winced, as she always did when anyone mentioned it.
Why did they have to keep bringing it up as if Dee were to blame for that failed deal? Austen nearly told him off but then thought better of it. Shouting at her boss once was enough. “Yes,” she said. “I worry too.”
“So you’re just going to sneak around until…what? Uncle Wade dies or chooses to retire?”
Lately, Austen had wondered the same, but she didn’t want to pressure Dee into anything she wasn’t ready for. Her career had been the focus of her life for too long, so she couldn’t expect her to change that so quickly, if at all.
“Of course not,” Dee said. “We’ll tell him and the rest of the family, but now is not a good time. Not before we secure the Universal deal.”
Would there ever be a good time? Or would she have to live her life stuck in the waiting loop? She tried not to let her own doubts show and stood by Dee, facing Tim.
Finally, he sighed. “Don’t worry, I can keep my mouth shut. I won’t breathe a word to anyone in the family until you tell me otherwise.” He lightly slapped Dee’s shoulder. “Keep an eye on that bump on her head.” With that, he was gone. The door closed behind him.
They stood in the hall, staring at each other.
Austen wrapped her arms around Dee and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for telling him. I know you took a big risk doing that, and I’m not pressuring you to tell anyone else, okay?”
Dee nodded and then shook herself as if trying to wake from her stupor. “So, where were we?” She directed Austen back to the couch and slid on top of her. “Oh, I think I remember something like this…” She brought her lips to Austen’s neck and trailed kisses and little nips down to her collarbone.
Austen’s body reacted instantly, but she stopped herself from sinking into this feeling and letting Dee’s touch make her forget everything else. Something about this felt off. She sensed that Dee wasn’t fully present in the moment; she was probably still thinking about her brother and worrying about the future. This wasn’t a time for passion. She took Dee’s face in both hands, but Dee kept her head down. “Look at me.”
Slowly, Dee looked up and into her eyes.
Austen smiled and trailed her fingertips down Dee’s cheeks before raising herself up to kiss her tenderly.
Dee sank against her, and Austen wrapped both arms around her.
They slept that way all night, holding on to each other.
* * *
The Monday after the company barbecue, Sally popped her head into Austen’s office. “Where’s the raccoon look?”
Austen looked up from the letter she was typing. “Raccoon look?”
“I thought you might have two black eyes after your close encounter with the volleyball on Saturday.”
“Oh, no, I’m fine. The nose wasn’t broken, and I spent most of the night cooling it.” Or, to be more precise, Dee had cradled her on the couch and held a cooling pack to her face, but she couldn’t tell Sally that.
Sally entered more fully and perched on the edge of the desk. “Is it true that she hit you on purpose?”
Austen blinked. “Who? Oh! You mean Ms. Saunders? No, of course not! Why would you think that?”
“Catherine in finance said she probably wanted revenge for you hitting her with the tree topper.”
Austen squeezed her eyes shut and groaned. When would all the ugly rumors about Dee finally stop? “For the record, I didn’t hit her with the tree topper. The damned thing fell; that’s all. And, of course, she didn’t hit me on purpose. She’d never do something like that.”
Sally tugged on her plum-colored skirt. “Hmm, yeah, she seemed a bit worried when you got hurt.” She looked up from readjusting her clothing, and her gaze pierced Austen. “What’s up with that? You and she… There’s nothing going on, is there?”
Austen willed her fingers, still hovering over the keyboard, not to tremble. “No,” she said, even though she hated lying to her colleague. “No matter what the watercooler rumors say, we’re not having an affair.” That much was true, at least. Dee was much more than an affair to her. “She was the one to spike the ball over the net and hit me, so why wouldn’t she be worried? She’s not an uncaring monster, you know?”
Time ticked by slowly as Sally continued to study her. Finally, she said, “Don’t let her fool you. She’s probably just worried that it could get her in trouble with HR. Take care of yourself.” Before Austen could think of a reply, Sally got up, waved, and strode out the door.
Chapter 25
Usually, when Austen came over to pick her up, Dee was waiting by the door, ready to go. But this time when Austen rang the doorbell, no one answered.
Frowning, she tried again.
She was just about to use the key that Dee had given her to let herself in when the door finally opened.
“Come on in,” Dee said, already turning and marching back upstairs. “I’m running late.”
Austen followed her up the winding staircase to the bathroom. “Did you get held up at work?”
“Something like that,” Dee said back over her shoulder.
Today of all days? Austen tried not to let her dismay show. She wanted Dee to make the best possible impression on her friends, and showing up late for dinner wouldn’t accomplish that.
Dee took up position in front of the bathroom mirror, her back to Austen. She was wearing just a pair of black slacks and a bra.
Austen instantly forgot her annoyance as her gaze slid over Dee’s firm curves and smooth skin. She stepped behind Dee and pressed a kiss to the spot above her shoulder blade while letting her fingertips trail up her bare side. “You look nice.” She hummed against her skin. “And you smell nice too.”
For a moment, Dee leaned back, into her, but then she shook her head and pulled away. “I’m just wearing pants so far. I couldn’t decide what to wear. Or how to wear my hair.” She pulled it up into a ponytail, gave Austen a questioning look in the mirror, and then let her hair drop over her bare shoulders. “Up or down?”
Was that what had made her late? Usually, Dee didn’t waste any time or energy on questions like that. Austen frowned, and then a knowing grin spread over her face as she understood. “You’re not by any chance nervous about meeting my friends, are you?”
Dee huffed. “Of course not. Why would I be nervous?”
Austen leaned against the sink next to her. “I don’t know. You tell me.”
Dee vigorously brushed her hair. “I’m not nervous.”
“Is it because Aiden is a cop?” Austen asked, half teasing. “Or maybe because Dawn is a psychologist?”
“I couldn’t care less about what they do for a living.”
“What is it, then?” Austen gripped Dee’s hips and pulled until their bodies brushed softly. “Come on, Dee. Talk to me.”
Dee threw down the hair tie, apparently having decided to wear her hair down, turned, and wrapped her arms around Austen. “What if they try to talk you out of dating me because I’m your boss?”
Austen snorted. “You’re constantly telling me how stubborn I am. Why do you think anyone could talk me out of dating you?”
Dee’s almost desperate grip on her loosened. “Okay, they probably couldn’t, but still…”
“Stop worrying and get ready.” She gave Dee a playful slap on the ass. “My friends will love you, just wait and see.”
* * *
The small restaurant was crowded, adding to Dee’s discomfort despite its warm colors, intimate lighting, and relaxing Middle Eastern flair. She followed Austen and the hostess to the back patio, where Austen’s friends were already seated. The two women rose when Dee and Austen approached.
Austen gestured to a strawberry blonde woman. “Dee, this is my best friend, Dr. Dawn Kinsley.”
The blonde rolled her eyes and gave Dee a warm smile. “Dawn, please. Otherwise, I feel like I need to bill you.”
Dee shook her hand and laughed. “No, please don’t. I’m Dee Saunders.”
Dawn directed a woman forward who had so far silently lingered next to her, observing their interaction with her sharp, amber eyes. “This is my partner, Aiden.”
Aiden was as different from her partner as night and day—tall, black-haired, and a bit on the butch side. She greeted Dee with a nod and a firm handshake, eyeing her as if she were a suspect.
Dee was used to making quick judgments during business negotiations, so she knew within one minute of entering the restaurant which of the two women would be a tougher sell. She didn’t worry much about the friendly Dawn; getting Aiden to accept her would be much harder.
Had Austen told them that she was her boss? Or was Aiden as a detective just naturally suspicious of people? Dee had been too nervous to ask any questions on the way to the restaurant. She never went into any meeting unprepared, and now she felt totally out of her depth. Her relationship experiences so far certainly hadn’t prepared her for this evening. Since she had stuck mostly to casual dating and short flings, none of her relationships had lasted long enough for her to meet her girlfriend’s friends.
They all took a seat, Austen’s friends on one side of the table while Dee sat next to Austen. She busied herself with the menu, for once at a loss as to how to start a conversation. Finally, she decided on the falafel platter without the cilantro, knowing Austen, who wasn’t too fond of it, would want to try her food. She grinned and mentally shook her head at herself. Aren’t we getting domestic? Who would have thought?
The waiter came, took their orders, and left again.
Austen’s hand on her leg nearly made Dee jump out of her skin. Jesus. You’ve been in hostile takeover negotiations. Austen’s friends shouldn’t scare you. But they did, at least a little. Maybe it was because she didn’t have any friends of her own. She’d never had the time—or the interest—to pursue friendships. She put her hand on top of Austen’s and squeezed.
“Did Austen tell you how she and I met?” Dawn asked.
Dee could have hugged her for breaking the awkward silence. “No, actually, she didn’t.” A psychologist and a secretary didn’t exactly move in the same social spheres, so how had they met? She sent Dawn a questioning glance.
“Well,” Dawn said, her gray-green eyes twinkling behind her glasses, “we bonded over a naked woman.”
Austen, who had just taken a sip of her water, nearly spat it back out. Coughing, she pressed a napkin to her mouth and glared at Dawn. “Jesus, Dawn! You’re making it sound like we went to the same swinger club.”
Dee laughed and felt herself relax.
Even Dawn’s more reserved partner grinned.
“What? Now you’re blaming me for your dirty mind?” Dawn looked across the table at Austen, the picture of innocence.
“Me?” Austen pressed a hand to her chest. “I have a dirty mind when it was you who made that comment about—?”
“Hush.” Dawn ducked her head. A hint of red dusted her cheeks.
Aiden slid forward onto the edge of her seat and leaned across the table. “Ooh, I’ve got to hear this. Why did no one ever tell me this story? What did she say or do?”
“Nothing,” Dawn said.
“You do realize that I’ll get the story out of Austen later, so you might as well tell us,” Dee said.
Dawn groaned. “Fine.” She peeked at her partner. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you. This might embarrass you.”
Aiden pointed at herself with her thumb. “Me? I wasn’t even there when the two of you met. So let’s hear this story.”
“All right.” Dawn leaned forward. “Austen and I met in an art class.”
Admittedly, Dee didn’t know much about art, but what was so cringe-worthy about that?
“It was a figure drawing class with a nude model,” Dawn said.
“And?” Dee and Aiden asked at the same time.
“The instructor told her which pose he wanted and asked her to hold it for twenty minutes. She stepped onto the platform in the middle of the room, dropped her robe to the floor, did some yoga-like twists, and then, just as I and the others had started to draw her, she asked for a break after maybe two minutes, saying her arms were cramping.”
“At which point Dawn, who had the easel next to mine, put her pencil down and muttered something about her partner having much better stamina,” Austen said.
“I was talking about Aiden posing for me,” Dawn said, her cheeks growing red. “She can hold a pose for much longer.”
Austen laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s all you meant.”
“So,” Dawn finally said after the laughter at the table had died down, “Austen told me you two met at work. Do you work in marketing too?”
Oh, shit. She had dreaded that question since Austen had told her she wanted to introduce her to her friends. “Um, no.” She forced a smile. “Marketing is not my thing. I leave creative endeavors to you and Austen.” Maybe that would get them back to discussing art.
The waiter chose that moment to bring their food.
Dee made a mental note to tip him well.
Thankfully, Dawn was distracted by trying the combination of Lebanese dishes on her meze platter and let the topic rest for the moment.
Aiden looked up from her chicken kebabs. “So what is it that you do for Kudos Entertainment?”
