Page 36 of Shift the Tide

The silence stretched unbearably, her heartbeat hammering against her ribs. Then, before she could stop herself, Izzy blurted, “The kiss meant nothing.” It came out with more force and decisiveness than she’d intended. "Just like our first one in college."

Kiera’s expression faltered. “Right. Of course.”

Izzy told herself she was doing the right thing. She had convinced herself that keeping things simple, brushing it off, was the best way forward for their friendship, for Kiera, for her own heart. But as she watched the expression on Kiera’s face shift, she felt like she’d just slammed a door she wasn’t sure she wanted closed.

Izzy cleared her throat. “What I mean to say is, it doesn’t have to mean anything.” She stared out into the dark street beyond the front yard, her heart beating wildly in her chest in anticipation. She could feel Kiera’s eyes on her.

“And if I do?” Kiera’s voice was a whisper, her entire body stiff beside Izzy’s. “Want it to mean something?”

Biting her lip, Izzy allowed herself to look at Kiera. The dim porch light obscured Kiera’s expression, yet Izzy felt they shared the same uncertainty. The feeling was exhilarating and unnerving, a chaotic mix of excitement and powerlessness.

The first few lines of Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me” began playing softly from inside. Kiera glanced over her shoulder through the window. “Are they… dancing?”

Izzy leaned to look, finding Danica and Pete slow dancing in the kitchen. Danica’s head rested against Pete’s shoulder, and both had their eyes closed as they swayed together.

“Dear god, I’ve never felt more single in my life,” Kiera said with a furrowed brow.

“Big time,” Izzy affirmed. As usual, Danica and Pete existed in their own little world. A part of her felt annoyed and bitter, but mostly she just felt happy for her best friend. Still, she didn’t want to sit there and watch two people in love in a way she wasn’t sure existed for her. She turned to Kiera. “Do you wanna get out of here?”

“And go where?” Kiera whispered, as if she was being careful not to ruin the moment for Danica and Pete, even from outside.

“Literally anywhere else,” Izzy said. “My hotel has a bar.”

Kiera was already standing from the porch swing. “Sounds perfect.”

CHAPTER 13

Kiera

Kiera stepped into the bar,the rich scent of aged whiskey and citrus curling around her as she took in the space. Polished mahogany and floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing Denver's glittering lights created an intimate, sleek atmosphere. A curved bar stretched across one side of the room, its glass shelves glowing with the reflection of hundreds of bottles, while clusters of low leather booths lined the opposite wall. Soft jazz murmured from hidden speakers, the kind of background music designed to make everything feel luxurious.

It was the kind of place that encouraged whispered conversations, knowing glances over the rim of a cocktail glass, hands brushing on smooth tabletops. Anticipation coiled in Kiera's stomach as she searched for Izzy.

They had each driven their own cars, a choice that had seemed sensible when she proposed it. She paused just inside, sensing an underlying intensity. Being there alone, looking for Izzy among so many strangers, felt electrifying. It made this feel like something else. Not just two old friends meeting for a drink.

Something about that both thrilled and unnerved her.

Her eyes landed on Izzy at the far end of the bar, already perched on a stool, her fingers wrapped loosely around the stem of a martini glass. With her legs crossed, posture relaxed, and hair tousled with studied casualness, she looked devastatingly attractive. The dim lighting softened her small features, casting golden shadows along the line of her jaw, the slope of her nose. She wasn’t dressed up, not exactly — just a fitted olive-green T-shirt and perfectly broken-in dark jeans — but she looked unfairly good, like she always did.

Kiera took a breath, straightened her shoulders, and made her way toward Izzy. Arriving at the bar, she perched beside Izzy, offering a slow, teasing smile instead of a greeting.

The bartender approached. “I’ll have whatever she’s having,” Kiera said, tilting her head. “And bring her another, too.”

Izzy turned toward her, arching an eyebrow as if taking her in for the first time. She leaned back slightly, letting her gaze sweep over Kiera with exaggerated interest, her expression one of deliberate intrigue. “Careful,” she said, swirling the clear liquid in her glass. “Mine’s got jalapeño in it.”

Kiera bit back a grin. “I like a little heat.”

Izzy smirked. “I do enjoy a woman confident enough to order mystery cocktails and flirt with strangers.”

Kiera tasted her drink, some kind of jalapeño Dark and Stormy, rum and ginger and warmth.

Izzy made a show of considering her, then stated, “So, mystery cocktail girl,” she leaned in slightly, voice lower, playful. “What’s your name?”

Kiera smirked. “Why don’t you guess?”

Intrigued, she tilted her head, as if Kiera were a captivating mystery. “Hmm. You don’t strike me as a Stephanie or Lauren… Maybe a Jessica?”

“Wow. You really think I look like a Jessica?” Kiera balked.

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