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Aisha blushed and pulled back her hand.
“You’re attractive, and clever, and…”And I want to kiss you.She sipped her drink before she let the words slip out. Heat flushed Gabi’s cheeks, and she cleared her throat. Aisha stared at her as she sipped her drink, and the heat intensified. She wanted to kiss Aisha but couldn’t think how to get them to that point without coming across as clumsy or desperate.
Aisha blushed, picked up her drink and sipped it, and stared at Gabi. “I would like to teach one day. Languages, literature maybe. I enjoy teaching the children.”
“You could do that.”
“I want to travel so much though.”
“You could travel the world and teach.”
“That would be amazing. Have you been to other countries?”
Gabi thought about her trips away from home: the one to Exeter, hardly a metropolis; the weekend she’d spent in London with Lillian, her first girlfriend, because Lillian had an idea that they might move there and work there; and that one night out in Bristol with Shay that had ended with an argument and Gabi heading home on the train alone. “Not until coming here.”
Aisha frowned. “I thought you would have. We see so many tourists, I assumed travelling was normal.”
Gabi shook her head. “I hate public transport.”
Aisha’s laughter weaved through Gabi.
“I never thought about it. To be honest, I haven’t done anything interesting. But coming here has opened my eyes. I made a promise at one of the fountains that I would do something with my life.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. I’ll work on the jewellery and see where that takes me.”
“You could do anything, if you wanted to.”
I could kiss you. Gabi held her breath. She lowered her head and ran her finger along the edge of the table and breathed out softly. Aisha’s hand trembled as she toyed with the stem of her glass, and Gabi wondered what she was thinking.
Aisha glanced at Gabi, sniffed the air, and frowned.
“Oh, fuck.” Gabi darted from the table and whipped the pan from the stove to the sound of Aisha’s tuneful laughter.
Aisha joined her in the kitchen. “I’m sure it will be delicious.”
Gabi turned off the cooker and poked at the paella. “I think I caught it in time.”
Aisha put her hand on Gabi’s arm, and the back of Gabi’s neck tingled.
Aisha lowered her head, wafted her hand over the food, and inhaled. “It smells good.”
As Aisha stood, she was close enough to kiss. Her shallow, fast breaths, unblinking gaze, and the slight quiver in her lip as she smiled were undeniably allied with Gabi’s racing heart and the thrill that swept through her and pulsed at her core. Gabi leaned forward.
Aisha held up the oven glove. “You’ll need this.”
Gabi groaned and clasped the pan handle with shaking hands, her heart thundering. The pan rolled like a wave as she lifted it onto the surface. It landed with a thud and a shrimp escaped and landed on the countertop.
Aisha popped it into her mouth. “Perfecto.”
Aisha licked her fingers, and Gabi’s mouth watered. She could almost taste the saffron on Aisha’s wet lips, and feel the softness, and their perfect shape.
Aisha brushed against Gabi’s arm as she picked up the serving spoon and, locking eyes with Gabi, held it out to her. “You’ll need this too.”
Gabi took the handle, her fingers touching Aisha’s, and they held the spoon together, staring at each other. Gabi’s focus narrowed to the want she saw in Aisha’s expression. “Thanks.”
Aisha let go of the spoon. “Where are the plates?”
