Page 62 of Sparks Like Ours

“Wait. Had, you okay?” Gia asked, wanting to make sure her frienddidn’t need her. “The work thing had you bothered when you walked in.”

“Much better now,” Hadley said, hand on her heart, and dashed outof the apartment.

Gia stared at Elle. “Did you just find a new best friend?”

She blinked back happily. “You know, I think I did. You come witha lot of perks. Britney Spears serenades and people like Hadley.”

“I’m pleased and afraid.”

“You should be both of those. What are our plans tonight?”

“Let’s go to dinner,” Gia said.

“Perfect. And then my place after?”

The implication was clear. Elle was inviting her to stay thenight, and she wasn’t sure she had the fortitude to resist any longer. “Are yousure about the after?”

“We could come back to yours. I’m open.”

Gia shook her head, wanting to make sure this was truly what Ellewanted. “You know what I mean.”

“Are you asking if I’m sure that I want you to take me home afterdinner and have your way with me?” Elle nodded solemnly. “Very.”

Gia inhaled at the potency of that word. She wanted Elle so badly,but her desire had just tripled with its utterance. “Your place it is.”

* * *

Elle wasn’t generally a nervous person. In fact, she’d been toldon multiple occasions that she had nerves of steel. She’d taken those words asa compliment and wore them like a badge of honor. Her courage had served herwell in every aspect of her life, but as she got ready for dinner, she had aconfession to make to the person looking back at her in the mirror. She wasnervous for tonight. Deeply nervous.

She’d had sex for the first time at nineteen with a boy she’d goneto high school with, Grayson Trotter, who was dark haired, blue-eyed, and thecaptain of the tennis team. She’d thought he was the most good-looking boyshe’d ever seen, and when his attention turned to her that summer after theirsenior year, she thought she was the luckiest girl ever. They had a good timetogether, went to movies, the beach. She’d even taught him to surf—withmediocre results. One night, when Grayson had his parents’ house to himself,she’d come over. Marathon kissing on the cramped couch had turned into sex.Very, very disappointing sex. She’d always romanticized making love, had lookedforward to it, waited for the right moment to take that leap. Grayson hadseemed like the one to take it with. The end result had been fast,uncomfortable, and without pleasure. Thinking it had been a symptom of it beingher first time, she’d not rushed to any conclusions. But her continued sexualrelationship with Grayson, and the handful of men who’d come after him, hadresulted in one lackluster sexual experience after another. It hadn’t been afluke.

While her experience thus far with Gia had been markedly differentthan with the men she had dated (and her lust meter was reading way off the charts),she still carried fear that sex would once again leave her on the outsidelooking in, wondering why the rest of the world found such power in an act shefound relatively forgettable. On the other hand, where she and Gia wereconcerned, how could that be possible? The sex dream alone had been better thananything she’d experienced in real life. Still…as much as she looked forward tothe night ahead, the fear shoved at her uncomfortably.

Selecting a casual white dress, Elle blew out her hair, opting toleave it down with a slight curl. She found her bag just as the doorbell rang.“You got this,” she said to herself, and took a deep, fortifying breath.

Gia looked gorgeous, of course, and Elle’s heart clenchedpleasantly as she followed her out to the car. She wore black pants, heels, anda form-fitting blue top. But it was the way her gaze moved across Elle’s dress,her body, that sent sparks racing across every nerve ending Elle possessed.

“I think white might be your color,” Gia said once they were inthe car. Elle kissed her, not caring if she ruined her lip gloss.

“If it always makes you look at me like this, then I may have toadd to my wardrobe. Where’s dinner?”

“Probably not somewhere you’ve heard of before. Is that okay?”

“I love new places. Take me there.”

“I love how automatically adventurous you are.”

Elle shrugged. “That’s one of the best parts of life, discoveringnew things.”

“I’m beginning to agree with that statement.”

Gia was right. Elle had never heard of the small, out-of-the-wayrestaurant she had selected for them. The Orchard Inn, just beyond theoutskirts of the city, was just as it sounded. The winding road up to the housewas reminiscent of a fairy tale and the interior just as quaint. A small inn,complete with a downstairs dining room on the grounds of an apple orchard. Darkwooden floors and dark walls were accentuated with small candles on each tablethat gave the room an intimate, romantic feel. Dinner was served at 7:30 in onesitting to the various guests of the inn. Apparently, Gia pulled some stringsto get them included.

“I don’t know the owner or anything,” Gia said, referencing Elle’soutgoing disposition and the fact that she knew everyone. “Just a place Ireally like.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Elle said, feeling special.Gia had put some thought into this. “It’s perfect for tonight.”

The menu was set and included a hearty green salad, likely fromingredients grown fresh on the property, filet mignon, vegetables, and a sideof the most decadent potatoes, the likes of which Elle had never tasted.Dessert came in the form of a slice of lemon cake with a miniature chocolatemilkshake on the side, a tiny red and white straw included. While the food wasamazing, expertly prepared, it wasn’t the star of the show. Gia was. The wayshe looked at Elle across the candlelight, listened to her with those big,brown luminous eyes like everything Elle said held the utmost importance forher. Their conversation came easily, too. Elle had never dated anyone whoshared her affinity for surfing, and with Gia, she could lose herself on thesubject for hours.

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