“Video?”
“Yeah.”
“Vogue.”
“Okay. Well, you said that tiramisu was your favorite dessert.”
“It is,” Kennedy confirmed and looked down into the container. “You’re amazing.” She kissed River’s cheek. Then, shemoved her lips to River’s ear and whispered, “And this is the best first date I have ever been on.”
“You don’t have to say that,” River replied.
“I wouldn’t if it wasn’t true, River. I mean it.” She tugged on River’s skinny tie. “Hey, come here for a second. I haven’t kissed you properly since you arrived.”
“The kiss comes at the end of the date, Kennedy. Everyone knows that.”
“You’re really going to say no to kissing me right now?”
River turned to face her and said, “I don’t think I’ll ever turn down kissing you.”
“That is a really good answer, River Ervin,” she stated before she leaned in and pressed her lips to River’s thin ones.
Kennedy herself had fuller lips, so kissing River felt like a perfect fit in some meant-to-be kind of way that normally would have her freaking out, but not this time. When River’s hand moved to her thigh, she let her tongue slip into River’s mouth.
“So glad I didn’t turn down that kiss,” River told her a minute later, with her hand still on Kennedy’s thigh.
“Me too,” she replied. “So, dessert now? More of that after?”
“Yes, please.”
“River, can you stay over?” she asked, feeling a bit vulnerable right now. “I don’t know what time you have to be at work tomorrow, and I know you like staying in your apartment because it’s easier, but–”
“I can stay,” River said. “And I got a new AC unit for my place in caseyoumaybe wanted to stay over sometime.”
Kennedy laughed and said, “So, you think I’m a diva, huh?”
“Honestly, while it was a little about you, it was mostly about me.”
“How so?” she asked and ran her hand over River’s neck, massaging it a little.
“I saved every penny for years and still had to ask Cal to help me with money to get my small business loan, so even though I’ve turned profitable since, I was still being frugal with everything except take-out because sometimes, I’m just too tired to cook. Then, the other day, I realized that I don’t have to do that to the same degree anymore and that I also deserve to splurge a bit every so often, so I got a new window unit, and it works really well. I do not intend to stay in that apartment forever, though. I just didn’t really have a reason to move.”
“Lacey?”
River shook her head and replied, “I hate to say it, but no.”
Kennedy nodded and said, “So, if I wanted to stay over tomorrow night or some other time in the future, I could, and I wouldn’t burn up? That’s what you’re saying?”
“That’s what I’m saying, yes,” River replied with a little laugh.
“Good to know,” she said and rested her head back on River’s shoulder.
CHAPTER 40
River
She closed the last of their containers and placed them back into the picnic basket, which she’d had to borrow from Calista since she and Ashton liked going to the park to have their lunch there on occasion, and River hadn’t ever been on a picnic in her life. She’d never even thought of taking Lacey on a picnic date in a backyard like this or to the park or a beach or anywhere else, but when she’d been thinking about where to take Kennedy, given their situation, it had hit her instantly that this might be the best option for them. She hadn’t even entertained the idea of ordering in and eating on the couch, which there was nothing wrong with, but she hadn’t wanted that for their first date. She also hadn’t entertained the idea of buying pre-made food for this basket and had actually taken time away from the shop to cook and prepare the meal for them, which wasn’t like her in the best way.
Hearing Kennedy talk about how much she liked her shop and that she actually wanted to spend more time there had River recalling past conversations with Lacey about the same thing. Lacey hadn’t minded being there, but it hadn’t been one of her favorite places to be, so the fact that Kennedydidlike it, along with the fact that she had put on a uniform shirt and had walked out front with no idea what to do and the possible risk or beingrecognized just to help her, meant a lot to River, and it wasn’t something Lacey had ever done. Yes, it was only their first date, but River knew that she was already starting to fall in love with Kennedy, and she couldn’t help it. She needed to accept it and see where this went because not doing that felt like it was no longer an option for her unless she wanted to miss out on something that could be very special and very, very real.
