Off the Menu by Alaina Erdell

Author:Alaina Erdell
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: Romance, Contemporary, GLBT, Lesbian, Fiction
ISBN: 9781636792965
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Inc
Published: 2023-03-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-four

Stirred from a dream and half awake, Taylor had thought she’d felt the bed shaking, the merest of tremors. Erin’s warm body no longer pressed against her. Taylor rolled onto her back. When she slid her hand across the mattress, cautious and slow, her fingers met Erin’s arm. She didn’t feel the shaking movement anymore, so she must have imagined it. As sleep swept from her consciousness, she realized she should go home. She’d depended on her internal clock to give her enough time to make it to her apartment and to work, and she didn’t want to rely on it twice. Her phone was somewhere in her bag near Erin’s front door.

On tiptoes, Taylor gathered her clothing strewn about the floor and pulled the bathroom door closed. Glancing in the mirror as she dressed, she looked like she’d spent the night drinking and having sex. It might have been accurate, but she washed her face and borrowed Erin’s brush to tame her tousled hair.

She turned off the bathroom light and returned to the bedroom. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see Erin lying on her back, the sheet pulled up to her waist. The comforter had slipped off, lying in a heap on the floor. Taylor picked it up and draped it over the end of the bed. She sat next to her, trying not to startle her. When she laid a hand on her shoulder, Erin opened her eyes.

“Hi. I wanted to let you know I’m leaving.” She took some of Erin’s hair between her fingers, feeling its softness.

Erin blinked at her a few times, eyelids heavy, then nodded. She raised her hand and touched her neck. Erin’s thumb brushed along her jaw. Taylor leaned forward and braced a hand on the headboard. She hovered over her, watching her, wondering how Erin could be so beautiful. She kissed her. Erin’s hand slid into her hair before resting on the nape of her neck. She laid her hand over Erin’s heart. A rapid beat drummed against her palm. She sat up and refrained from sighing. Why did she always want what she couldn’t have?

“I should go.”

“I’ll walk you down.” Erin attempted to get out of bed, but Taylor stopped her with a gentle push of her hand on her chest.

“Stay.” She stood, but Erin caught her wrist. Taylor’s gaze traveled their arms stretched between them.

“Will you text me when you get home?”

Taylor shook her head. “I don’t want to wake you.”

“Please? Bring me your phone, so I can give you my number.”

Lying in bed, she looked so small and fragile and nothing like the no-nonsense woman who entertained viewers each week. She wasn’t sure if Erin’s unusual state or the quiet plea made her acquiesce.

With Erin’s phone number saved in her phone, she took a step toward the door. “I’ll see you later.” It came out more of a question than she intended. Of course, she’d see her later. She sounded lame and knew it, but saying thank you would make her feel like she’d been given charity.

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