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“I’m the CFO of a venture capital firm in the city,” she said matter-of-factly, as if making a point not to be boastful. “The hours suck, but the money’s nice. It prevents me from having to marry a dickhead like Lawrence to live in a place like this.”
“Happy to hear that,” Alice said with a smile. Obviously, Rachel thought as little of Lawrence as she did. She leaned back against the wall and enjoyed the ride. When the doors finally opened, Alice found herself staring into Rachel’s luxurious foyer rather than a dank hallway.
“Come on in,” Rachel said cheerfully as she stepped off the elevator. “Home sweet home. No rich, hoity-toity bitches here. Well, other than me. Feel free to look around.”
Alice gawked with wonder as she stepped into Rachel’s home. The place was adorned in an ultramodern décor with feminine touches and splashes of bright colors throughout.
Alice walked around slowly, her heels clicking on the marble floor as she gazed at the panoramic view of the city through the floor to ceiling windows.
“This place is amazing Rachel!” she said without a hint of jealousy. “You’ve done an amazing job decorating it.”
Rachel came to stand next to her at the windows. “Thanks, but I had a little help. Sometimes I think it’s too much for one person, then I remember that it’s not just my home, it’s my biggest investment.”
“The CFO in you talking,” Alice said with a smile.
Rachel giggled. “Yep, I suppose so. Still, it’s my sanctuary from the world outside.”
Rachel moved behind an ornate bar at one end of the living room. She pulled was a bottle of wine from a wine fridge and set two glasses on the bar. She beckoned Alice to pull up a stool on the other side of the bar while she filled the glasses.
“I think seeing you tonight was an act of destiny,” Rachel said as she handed Alice a glass and picked up her own. “True destiny.”
Alice smiled before taking a sip, not fully understanding. “How so?”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about you lately,” Rachel said. She took a sip of the wine and dabbed a napkin to her lips. She frowned in thought.
“You see, Alice, there’s something I’ve always wanted to tell you, but never got the nerve. Actually, it’s something that I’ve kept hidden from everyone, my entire life. Then tonight, seeing you stand up to Maureen like you did, well, I think it was fate telling me to finally stop being afraid.”
Alice frowned at her. Was she saying what Alice thought she was saying?
“What is it?” Alice asked quietly.
Rachel took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Alice, I’m gay. And I’ve always had a huge crush on you.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Rachel’s words left her lips and slipped into Alice’s ears softly, like a strange melody she couldn’t identify, but knew that she had been longing to hear. She couldn’t hide the surprise on her face. She swallowed the wine that was in her mouth and tried to speak. All that came out was, “Excuse me?”
Rachel took another generous sip of the wine; liquid courage. She wrapped her slender fingers around the glass and stared into it as she spoke.
“I’m sorry if this is a shock,” she said quietly. “I’ve worked really hard to hide who I really am. For years I thought I was just confused about my sexuality. I tried dating men and that was a disaster. Then I tried secretly dating women and… well, I was terrified that the truth would get out. Plus, let’s just say I never found Ms. Right.”
She brought her eyes up to meet Alice’s. “Then tonight, when I saw you standing up to Maureen and her friends, I thought to myself, my God, she is so brave. And I’m…”
“You’re brave, too,” Alice said, reaching across the bar to put her hand on Rachel’s. “It takes courage to hide your true self for so long.”
Rachel sniffed back a tear and tried to smile. “Then it hit me like a lightning bolt. You’ve always inspired me, even before I knew you were a lesbian. You resisted the pressure from your parents and Maureen. You built the life you want to live and that’s just amazing. That’s something I’ve never had the nerve to do.”
“Did you always know that I was gay?” Alice asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.
Rachel shook her head. “No, not really. I mean, I suspected that you were gay because you never had a boyfriend and didn’t seem the least bit interested in men, but I never knew for sure… until tonight.” She turned her hand over and laced her fingers through Alice’s. “When I heard what you said, I realized that you’ve always been someone I wanted to get close to… In so many ways.”
Alice squeezed Rachel’s hand and gave her a sweet smile. “I had no idea you felt this way,” she said softly. “Want to know what’s really ironic about all this?”
Rachel brought Alice’s hand to her lips and kissed it gently. “What’s that?”
Alice leaned across the bar, her lips aching. She said, “I’ve always felt the same way about you.”
