Page 36 of The Last to Know

“I would be okay with it, if you did,” Grace offered.

Did she just suggest they sleep together? Rubbing at her face, Caz asked, “Okay with what, exactly?”

Lowering her voice, Grace said, “If you needed to, you know?”

“No, I don’t know…”

“Tut.” Grace sighed. “Look, all I am saying, is that if you need to get your needs met, then I’m okay with you going out and finding someone.”

Caz wasn’t sure what hurt more. That Grace was allowing her to go out and sleep with someone, or that it wasn’t Grace offering to sleep with her. She turned the tables.

“And what about you? Are you suggesting this because it’s something you want to do too?”

Grace looked horrified.

“No, not at all. God, no. I am quite capable of solving that issue all by myself, thank you.” She chuckled but looked away quickly.

“Well, so am I,” Caz responded. “Quite often, actually.”

“Me too.”

“Good, thanks for sharing.” Caz smiled, taking the seriousness out of the conversation. She looked around for a waiter and then did the universal signal for the bill.

“You shared first.” Grace grinned. She leaned forward. “How often is often?”

“Hold on, let me check my diary for you,” Caz said with a hint of humourous sarcasm. She thumbed through the imaginary book and said, “Three times a week, and twice on Sunday.”

“I’m glad your needs are being met,” Grace added, just as the waiter placed the bill on the table.

She nabbed a mint chocolate from the small dish carrying the receipt and quicky unwrapped it while Caz checked the bill to make sure they weren’t paying for anyone else’s dinner.

Satisfied, Caz reached into her pocket and pulled her card free, placing it down on top.

“My needs are met,” she said, gazing at Grace.

A small nod indicated Grace had heard her, but she said nothing further about it. Instead, she asked, “Are you eating that chocolate?”

Chapter Seventeen

The following morning it was hot. Hotter than hot. The kind of heat you assumed greeted anyone heading down to hell for their initiation with the Devil kind of hot.

They’d found a spot on the beach a little further along from the previous day. It was quieter, the hint in the guest book at the house they’d rented had said. Just a few private houses and ‘no parking’ signs put people off, and most didn’t walk this far once they hit the beach back at the touristy spot.

Towels were laid, the windbreaker and tent were in place, and Grace sat quietly, watching as Caz skipped the smaller waves like a kid.

When she was in past her knees, Caz turned and waved back at Grace in the same way Tom Hanks did inForrest Gump. That made Grace giggle as she raised her hand and waved back.

The previous day’s events still ran through her mind. The way Caz had tried so very hard not to stare at her as she’d undressed or the way Caz always seemed to take an extra second to think before speaking lately, as though she were making sure she said the correct thing and not what she was potentially about to blurt out.

Then she thought about their conversation last night. It would be so easy if she were gay. She loved Caz, there was no doubt of that. And her best friend was gorgeous. It wouldn’t be hard to be attracted to her, especially as she was the best personon the planet for making Grace feel heard, seen, and loved. Would it be that different with a woman?

She scolded herself for having such ridiculous thoughts. They’d been friends for almost twenty years. If there was going to be any moment when Caz might have looked at her in any way other than as a friend, it would have been back then, when they’d first met.

Maybe Caz had, and Grace just hadn’t picked up on it? She could be oblivious to those kinds of things at times, but…she wasn’t gay, so it wouldn’t have mattered.

Would it?

She smiled as Caz finally dipped under the waves and then jumped up squealing before finally plunging back under and swimming around.

---