Lib Novel Page 6
Deep in thought about what the future mighthold for her and how she was going to “grow up and get an actual fucking job” as her mother had so bluntly put it, Holly didn’t notice Deborah approaching until she was only inches away, standing to her left. As she turned, she was taken aback by the soft glow of the city lights illuminating the sharp features of Deborah’s beautiful face.
“Hey there,” Deborah muttered quietly, her voice wavering uncertainly.
“What’s up?” she replied softly, searching Deborah’s eyes for any hint of what she might say. “Incredible view,” she continued with a low, intimate tone. “And I’m not talking about the Hollywood hills,” she smirked and raised her eyebrows.
“What? You don’t like your own pick-up lines?” asked Deborah sarcastically.
“Um, listen. I don’t know why I said that,” Holly managed to mumble, her mind racing to try to find a way to shift the conversation onto another subject.
Deborah smiled, her gaze steady as she studied Holly’s panicked features. “I know, darling. I’m just messing with you,” she said, her voice laced with playfulness.
Several moments passed in silence, the tensionbetween them palpable in the cool night air. Holly sensed Deborah’s unease despite her attempt at a joke and decided to break the ice, hoping their awkwardness might dissipate.
“I didn’t mean to be rude,” Holly began. “I’ve been told I can come across that way sometimes. I always go for the cheesy pick-up lines. It’s kinda sad.”
Deborah shook her head gently, “Don’t worry about it,” she replied honestly, her eyes meeting Holly’s with a mixture of sympathy and something more profound.
“You know,” Deborah began a little nervously. “I never expected to see you again after last night.”
Holly’s expression softened. “Neither did I,” she admitted quietly, her gaze holding Deborah’s in a wordless communion of shared understanding and longing.
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how you made me… come like you did,” Deborah said, her voice breaking through Holly’s thoughts.
Holly nodded, her heart racing. “Me neither. It felt so natural… like… I knew exactly what to do with you… exactly how you worked. I know it’s kinda wrong, with you being my mom’s best friend, but it just felt so right.”
Deborah’s gaze softened, her eyes reflecting the same mixture of emotions that Holly felt. “I haven’t said a word about it,” she confessed. “I usually tell your mom— and my friends—everything. But I can’t. For obvious reasons. I mean, I wasn’t sure how to explain what happened between us.”
“Neither have I,” Holly admitted. “But I’ve thought about it all day. I even woke up wet from dreaming about it.”
Deborah bit her lip at the thought. Oozing in desire, hungry to lean in and kiss Holly again.
Their conversation was interrupted by Mia, who was rushing over to them, her arms raised in a crazy wave. “There you two are! Everyone’s been looking all over for you. Come on! The party’s swinging in there!”
Holly winked at Deborah, a silent understanding passing between them. “We’re on our way,” Holly said, giving Mia a wide grin.
As Mia skipped away, Holly turned back to Deborah. “We’ll talk later, okay?”
“I think I’d like that,” Deborah said, a small smile playing on the edge of her lips.
They headed back inside, Holly feeling that their connection had deepened and that the unresolved tension between herself and the older andvery charming Deborah was now a promise of something yet to come. Holly couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sensation of excitement. She had returned to Los Angeles to reconnect with her roots, find a job, and straighten herself out… and now it seemed she was also reconnecting with feelings she had long thought she’d never experience. She was no stranger to hot, wild sex, but this feeling of vulnerability was new to her. This yearning to know more, to know everything about someone almost twice her age. She’d never felt anything quite like it.
As Holly was helping her mother restock the bar for the next day and doing her best to avoid answering a whole host of questions about where she was planning to live, whether or not she would be doing a post-grad, what was she planning on putting on her resume to hide the fact that she’d just been on a half-decade-long vacation, and whether she could help tend bar when the newlyweds went on honeymoon, she found herself once again drawn to thoughts of what had happened on the terrace. Needing a moment of quiet, she slipped into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of chilled water.
“Hey,” a familiar voice called from behind her.Holly turned to see Deborah approaching, her expression open and earnest.
“Hey, I’ve been thinking about what we said earlier…” Holly admitted, stepping closer. “I feel like there’s so much we need to talk about.”
Deborah nodded, her eyes never leaving Holly’s. “I couldn’t agree more. But maybe we can start with something… a little simple?”
Holly raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah? Like what did you have in mind?”
“Let’s just get to know each other,” Deborah said with a smile. “There’s no rush.”
Deborah’s expression filled with warmth as Holly replied, “That sounds like a great idea. I’ve missed L.A., you know? I’d have come home a hell of a lot sooner if I’d known you…”
“There’s no rush, Holly.”
As they stood there, Holly felt a sense of hope she hadn’t felt in a long time. Her secret crush and desire for Deborah was making her time at home a whole lot more exciting.