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Lark shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about my mother.”
“Sorry, didn’t mean for the conversation to veer in that direction,” I said.
“What direction would you like this to go in?” she asked, and there was no mistaking the flirtation in her voice. I knew via Layne that Lark was queer, and so was I, and the chemistry between us tonight was as obvious as a flashing neon sign.
I leaned back just a tiny bit. “I’m kind of on a break right now,” I said, hating the words as they came out of my mouth.
“A break from what?” Lark asked. Her fingers lightly danced on my leg. That was a universal sign that I would have to be completely oblivious to ignore. Lark was trying to take us in a certain direction and under normal circumstances I would be pulling out my car keys and asking if she wanted to go back to her place or mine.
But I was on hiatus. I wasn’t doing this. My last couple of hookups had been disasters and I was just…bored. The excitement of being with a stranger had worn off and it almost felt like a thing I did because it was what I’d always done and not because I wanted to.
Lark was…yes, she was hot. She was just my type. Granted, I had many types, but she fit firmly into several categories. Lark also wasn’t a stranger, and hooking up with her could get complicated. She had an intensely protective older sister, and I didn’t want to get on Honor’s bad side, even if Lark was an adult who could make her own decisions. Familial relationships were complex like that.
“This,” I said, gesturing between us. “I’m kind of taking a hiatus from hookups.”
Lark raised one eyebrow but didn’t remove her hand from my leg. My skin tingled under my jeans where she touched, and it was seriously distracting.
“Oh, a hookup hiatus, huh?” she said, and this time she was almost completely in my lap. I knew, without a doubt, if I told her to stop touching me that she would.
I couldn’t seem to find the words to tell her to stop because I didn’t want her to stop.
“It’s supposed to be,” I said, licking my lips.” But I’m feeling like I might need a hiatus from my hiatus.”
Lark thought about that for a second. “So what does that mean for me?”
I took a breath and let it out. “It means that I’m sober and I’d like to take you home with me.”
Lark smiled slowly.
“We’re definitely going in the right direction now.”
* * *
The driveback to my apartment took longer than I thought it would, because I didn’t really know how to get there from the bar, and my GPS didn’t seem to either. At last, I recognized where I was and drove as fast as I dared to get to Arrowbridge.
I parked my car in the designated space and looked over at Lark.
“If you don’t want to come up, I can take you home,” I said, giving her a chance to escape if she wanted it.
She shook her head. “Let’s go.”
Just as I was unlocking the door, Joy sent me a text message from the rehearsal dinner at her sister’s wedding. She and Ezra both smiled as Joy smushed their faces together.
I sighed and opened the door. Clementine, my fluffy orange cat was right there waiting to see me.
“Hello, yes I know,” I said, leaning down to give him attention.
“Aw, he’s so sweet,” Lark said, leaning down. She put her hand out tentatively to Clementine, who studied this new person with a critical gaze before going over to sniff her fingers and then shove his head against her hand.
“Ohhh,” she said, letting out the cutest little squeal. “I think he likes me.”
The sound did something to my body that had nothing to do with lust. I ignored it.
“He has good taste,” I said, standing up. “Do you want anything else to drink?”
“Water would be good, I think,” she said. “I’m trying to be responsible.”
“Responsible?” I asked as I opened the fridge. “What is that like?”
