Page 54 of The Last Lavender Sister

“I think we don’t give pets enough credit. Pickles is similar. There’s a level of gratitude whenever she looks up at me with those great big eyes. She’s a sweet girl. Calm and just interested in snuggling.”

“Which you’re good at. I now know.” She glanced behind her at the room. “What do you think of my little place here?”

“I like it. Your room is neat and tidy but also really welcoming in its decor.” Aster had decorated her space in the apartment with blues and yellows. She’d remembered the little things that really make a room pop, like curtains that pulled in the colors of the artwork on the walls. She’d always had an artistic eye, above and beyond Brynn’s own.

“Have you seen Nora’s room? Like a cyclone,” Aster said, laughing. She’d not met the famous Nora, but she’d heard about all the ways she contrasted Aster. Loud, messy, and energetic. It sounded like she’d been instrumental in pulling Aster out of her shell once she moved to Boston. Their friendship seemed like a helpful one. Brynn was grateful.

“Will I meet her tonight? I want to.”

“She’s usually around. You guys are very different, but I think you’ll like her.”

“She’s more fun than me.”

“No,” Aster said, leaning over casually and kissing her. “But you would definitely feel like the grown-up in the room, Dr. Garrett.”

“I like it when you call me that.”

Aster’s cheeks colored in pink and her eyes darkened. “I mean, maybe we can use it. And I’m kinda embarrassed I said that.”

Brynn rested on both her forearms, meeting Aster face-to-face.“Don’t be. I like your adventurous side. And the bedroom is the perfect place for it.”

“You were so sexy last night.” Aster covered her eyes, falling head first into the memory. “I didn’t quite know what to expect.”

“You thought I’d be reserved in the sack, like a proper science-minded person.”

“Maybe. And that alone was still mind-boggling hot, but the reality, the determination…” She let the words die. “Your tenacity was very much appreciated.”

It was fun to see Aster embarrassed. It carried shades of the early Aster, shy and tentative. “Oh, you mean when I took your clothes off and straddled you in my lingerie.”

Aster nodded, swallowed. “Yes. That.”

“Are you thinking about it now?”

She nodded.

“Maybe we can come up with more things to think about tonight.”

“Or right now,” Aster said, glancing at her bedroom. It was an offer. Brynn couldn’t remember the last time she’d had daytime sex, but she instantly couldn’t think of anything she wanted more.

With Dill busy tearing into a stuffie at the foot of the couch, Brynn crawled over to Aster and slipped a hand under her shirt and pulled the cup of her bra down, freeing her breast. She watched Aster’s face, the way her lips parted when she circled her nipple with one finger. “I’m in,” Brynn said, closing her eyes to the way her own body was beginning to respond to touching Aster. “Take me to your room and do decadent things to me.”

Aster crushed her lips to Brynn’s. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”

* * *

The get-together with Aster’s friends that night was laid-back and comfortable. People trickled into Mitchell’s decent-sized apartment until there was a group of about ten divided into two to three different conversations at any one point. Brynn enjoyed the vibe and this peek into their culture. Wine had been opened, and fantastic food that had been cooked that very night at various restaurants lined Mitchell’s countertops, deposited there by the handful of chefs who’d hung uptheir chef’s jackets for the evening. She got the feeling that this was a standing gathering where the friends talked about the culinary scene and life. They all seemed to run in the same circles and know the same people. The Boston food community was smaller than she would have guessed.

Brynn had herself a glass of white while she sat back and took in the overlapping conversations. She smiled as each person made a point of introducing themselves and saying hello. Aster moved about, chatting with this friend or that one before returning to Brynn and checking in.

“I’m doing great. Please have fun,” Brynn said, encouraging Aster not to worry about her.

Staying the entire weekend had been the right call because it afforded Brynn the opportunity to see Aster around the people who mattered to her. Similar to how she was in Homer’s Bluff, Aster wasn’t the loudest one in the room. She would never be that, but she was very much at home with this group who liked to reminisce and tease each other. Aster took everything in first before chiming in with a thoughtful contribution. Less was more for Aster, and it worked. People seemed to value her opinion as much as Brynn did.

Nora, the roommate she’d heard about, arrived after about half an hour. She was friendly enough and flashed a smile every time they made eye contact, but she also hadn’t taken her eyes off Brynn for a second since the moment she’d arrived. That was curious. Brynn felt the need to assure her she had no intention of pocketing Mitchell’s silverware and she could relax.

“How was your flight?” Nora asked, joining Brynn in the kitchen.

“Faster than I thought it would be and uneventful.” It was mundane conversation. The kind of thing you asked someone to check a box.

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