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“Please, Tove.” Thomas slammed his hand on his hip and dipped down toward the railing. “I knew what Polly was about when she put the moves on me. I knew the risks of marrying someone like her. We almost got divorced over petty shit, didn’t we? At least have the decency to admit that you’re dating a gold digger, too. A total pro, by the looks of it.”
“Shut the hell up.”
“First thing I told Thomas when I called him the night he brought that girl to my place,” Oskar said, “was that he better not stick his dick anywhere near that. She was a financial black hole, I didn’t care how hot she was.”
Thomas laughed. Tove was not as amused.
“I don’t know what you two think about my girlfriend,” she growled, “but she is not a gold digger. I think I would have figured that out by now.”
“You’re mesmerized by pussy, Tove. Happens to the best of us.”
“Excuseme?”
“Please.” Oskar brushed her off likeshewas the fly in question. “You were single for like twenty years. My God! I don’t know how you did it. Shut up, we know you had your dalliances here and there. We all got needs, whatever, but the family is shocked that you’re suddenly cavorting with a younger woman who targeted our family for our money. She’s like a more local Polly. No offense, Tom.”
“None taken. I said what I said earlier.” He then muttered, “Worth it. Banging ass.”
“I don’t need to take these insults on my girlfriend’s behalf,” Tove said.
“Then don’t.” Oskar flicked his cigarette over the railing. It landed on the concrete below, barely missing the golf cart that had driven by beneath them. “Be upfront and honest about it. Because if by some miracle we’ve completely misread the situation – and we haven’t – the family is going to be saying these things about Kayla for as long as they’re alive.”
“What makes you two think she’s a real gold digger? For God’s sake, she has her own job, a place to live, and her own family to fall back on. She’s never asked me foranything.”
Thomas and Oskar exchanged a look before snickering.
“That’s how the best ones operate! They don’t make themselves so obvious anymore! It’s all about the long con!” Thomas could hardly contain his laughter. “Jesus! You’re dumb!”
She didn’t have to take this.It’s bad enough coming from Aunt Kiersten and her ilk.Ribbing from her male cousins? Tove didn’t have the patience for that. It was the same and tired joke every time anyway.Because it’s so impossible for a woman to be attracted to me for any reason besides money.She and Kayla had so much in common. They were both vegetarians. They were both Oregonians and knew what it was like to grow up with single moms. The sex was phenomenal, although Tove supposed that was her lack of experience for twenty years talking. She couldn’t go down to the bar once a month like Oskar and find a woman willing to go home with her. Not even if she were the most charming lesbian in the Pacific Northwest.
Tove found Kayla sitting with Stefani and Yulia Valetti, the married couple who ran Bel Cielo. Tove recognized them well enough, but she couldn’t say they were more than acquaintances – yet it looked like Kayla had made fast friends with them. Did Stefani usually laugh like that? Tove didn’t even know the womancouldlaugh so loudly. At least not in public.
“There she is!” Kayla waved Tove over, a happy smile gracing her youthful face. “These two tell me they’ve already met you, but would you humor me? I want to pretend I’m introducing you guys. Makes me feel fancy.”
Tove couldn’t help but smile at the woman who made her heart flutter. “Knock yourself out.”
How could someone who took such simple joy in things be a gold digger? If anything, such behavior only made Tove love her more.
Chapter 17
“What’stheoccasion?”Kaylastepped out of the car after Tove parked two blocks from the restaurant. “Maybe I should have asked earlier, but when my girlfriend picks me up from work and takes me toanotherrestaurant, what am I supposed to say? Why?”
Tove entwined their hands. Behind her, the car beeped that it had been sufficiently locked. The two of them headed toward the busier downtown district that came alive on weekend nights like that one.She could have walked here from work, but what’s the fun in that?Tove already had to drive into town to have dinner, so why not drive her girlfriend four blocks?
Any excuse to look at her. When Kayla smiled like that, she was the most enigmatic princess in the world.
“You can say whatever you want. Including no.” They were near her office, which was conveniently on the way to the restaurant where they were to have an impromptu romantic dinner that night. “Maybe I wanted to wine and dine you tonight. Spring fever has me bad.”
“Me too. I had to serve so many people on dates tonight.” Kayla stopped in front of Trudy’s store, where she used the window as a mirror to gussy herself up. “I look so frumpy compared to other girls out on dates. If I had known you’d be taking me out tonight, I would have brought a dress to change into!”
“You look fabulous.” Tove meant it, too. Only Kayla could fit into a pair of denim shorts and a black T-shirt while looking so fit and fine. Her brown hair was pulled back into a half ponytail that allowed her to move freely without obstruction, yet Tove knew that she kept it in a full ponytail while at work.I love her hair.When they walked like this, Tove couldn’t help but admire the sheen of gold that flickered in Kayla’s sunkissed hair. When they sat on the couch or lay in bed, she was always stroking Kayla’s soft strands. Half of the fun of making love was getting close and personal with the rose-scented shampoo and conditioner Kayla often used. Tove knew it came from some basic store brand, but she didn’t care. Anything that smelled that good in her girlfriend’s hair was okay in her book.
Trudy opened the door to lock up while Kayla and Tove stood there. “Hello!” The older woman flipped the Open sign to Closed and lingered in her doorway. “It’s been a short minute! If I’m remembering correctly, this is your new sweetheart, yes?”
It was a good thing that their dinner reservation wasn’t for another ten minutes because Tove was tasked with introducing Kayla to Trudy once again. One thing Tove truly loved about her girlfriend? Kayla made easy friends with anyone. Within a minute, she had Trudy laughing about something that had happened at the brewery only an hour ago.
“Have you decided what to do about this place?” Tove asked her business neighbor.
“Oh, I’m getting ready to sell. Are you thinking about buying me out?” Trudy nudged Tove right there on the sidewalk. “Has this kid ever told you that she wants to go into retail?”
