Chris Paynter - Survived by Her Longtime Companion by Chris Paynter

Author:Chris Paynter
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Blue Feather Books
Published: 2012-01-20T22:32:54+00:00

* * *

Chelsea unlocked her front door. “Bailey, I’m sorry I’m so late,” she said in a loud voice. “I got caught up in my notes.”

Bailey walked around the corner of the hallway, her hair mussed up. Chelsea had seen this look before. When Bailey worked on her research, she would run her fingers through her hair while concentrating on what she was doing.

“Busy?” Chelsea asked, quirking her mouth up.

“Huh?”

Chelsea walked over to her and smoothed down her hair. “I seem to remember this.”

Bailey met her eyes.

“Uh.” Chelsea cleared her throat and took a step back. She walked to the kitchen. “What sounds good to you?” she asked with her back to the entryway. She opened up the pantry and debated what she’d throw together as she tried to slow down her uneven breathing.

“I don’t know. How about we order pizza?”

Chelsea jumped at the sound of Bailey’s voice close behind her, and she spun around. Bailey was leaning back against the counter.

“Sure. I’ll get the number off the fridge.” Chelsea walked past Bailey, a little too skittish to venture another glance her way. “If I remember right, you like pepperoni and black olives with extra cheese.” She grabbed the portable to dial the number.

“You remember correctly,” Bailey said and left the kitchen.

Chelsea placed the order and added breadsticks to the pizza. “Want something to drink?” she shouted.

“How about a Heineken?”

Chelsea grabbed two beers and walked back to the living room. Bailey was standing at her bookshelf, running her fingers along the spines.

“See anything that interests you?” Chelsea asked.

Bailey grinned. “Yeah, but it isn’t one of these books.”

Trying not to appear flustered, Chelsea handed her a bottle of Heineken and sat on the couch.

“I’m sorry, Chels. I bet you’re rethinking letting me stay here.” Bailey sat down next to her. She picked at the label of her bottle. “I keep making these comments.”

Chelsea touched her hand that fidgeted with the paper. “I’m flattered, so don’t apologize.” Bailey still wouldn’t look at her. “Hey, it’s okay.”

Bailey raised her head. They gazed at each other until Chelsea blinked and took a long drag of her beer.

“You all right, Chels?”

“You need to quit staring at me like that.”

Bailey laughed. She held up her hand when Chelsea glared at her. “I won’t apologize for how I look at you. You’re so damn beautiful. You always have been.”

Chelsea set her bottle on the coffee table. “How about we move on to safer ground and talk about something else? Were you able to reach Joanne?”

Bailey leaned over and set her bottle beside Chelsea’s. “Yeah. I told her it was going well and typed up my notes for the last couple of hours. I e-mailed them right before you walked through the door.”

Chelsea hated the absence of playfulness in Bailey’s voice and that she was responsible for cooling the sparks between them. But it was probably for the best. For the next thirty minutes, they discussed the most recent readings of Eleanor’s diary.

Bailey took a sip of her second beer.

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