Page 118 of Semantics

“But I like you, and I like this. So, if you can deal with me being scared and probably messing up a few more times even by next week, I’d like to go on our second official date now.”

“I can deal with that.” Stella smiled over at her. “Come here.” She leaned in, and Violet connected their lips. “I’m a little scared, too, if I’m being honest, but it feels right to me. I can’t believe it, but it kind of feels like maybe you and I are supposed to date.”

“Picture your twenty-two-year-old self saying that.”

“Oh, God! She’d tell me that I’m crazy.”

Violet backed the car out the rest of the way and turned them on to the street. She placed her hand back in Stella’s lap, and Stella took it in her own. She looked over at Violet, who was just so very beautiful, and she did picture herself in her early twenties, staring at Violet from across a classroom. She had been seething on the inside multiple times because Violet had, yet again, raised her hand to answer another question, but she knew she’d also recognized this woman’s beauty and intelligence even then. She had this vision of the future that followed, and the plaque that Violet had presented her with was hanging on a wall at the top of a staircase outside a bedroom. Stella smiled because, in that vision, it was their bedroom.

CHAPTER 33

“I regret asking you to wear that,” Violet stated.

“What?” Stella asked, looking down at the ensemble she had worn the previous night on their first date.

“You look too good for us to be in a public place,” she replied with a smirk.

“Well, if that’s your problem, you can’t smirk at me like that, either.”

“Huh?” she asked.

“That sexy smirk thing you do – you can’t do that when we’re in public because it makes me want to take you home.”

“You think–” Violet stopped. “Your smirk is sexy. Mine is an attempt at cool, at best.”

“What? No way. You looked up from between my legs one night with that smirk, and I about came again just–”

A throat cleared from beside them then. Violet looked up to see two women standing next to their table, and when Stella looked up, too, she shook her head.

“Jen, what are you doing here?”

“Jen?” Violet asked.

“This is Jen, yes. And I have no idea what she’s doing here.”

“Apparently, hearing about your plans for later back at your place,” Jen replied before she turned to Violet. “I really hope you’re Violet, because if you’re not, she has some explaining to do.”

“I am.” Violet chuckled and held out her hand for Jen to shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too.” Jen shook her hand before she motioned to the woman standing next to her. “This is Haley. We’re on a date. I didn’t know you two were also coming here tonight.”

“Violet made the reservation, so I didn’t know we were coming here, either. It’s nice to meet you, Haley.”

“Maybe I can have them just put us with you two,” Jen said. “You have the extra chairs. We can have a double date.”

“No,” Stella replied quickly.

“Stella, it’s fine,” Violet said.

“No, it’s not. It’s only our second date. I want it to be just ours. No offense, Haley.”

“None taken. I wanted her all to myself tonight anyway,” Haley replied as she wrapped an arm around Jen’s waist.

“But, babe, I want to grill Stella’s date.” Jen placed her hand between Haley’s breasts over her shirt. “I haven’t told you their whole story yet, but it’s a good one.”

“Jen!” Stella exclaimed, and Violet smiled at her from across the table, liking the little flush on her cheeks.

“Why are you dressed like you’re about to go to a 1920s-themed party after this?” Jen asked.