Page 11 of About that Fling
“Seriously?” Mia gaped.
“Seriously. I kinda want to keep things private. I know that’s lame, but that’s how I feel.”
Gertie smiled and patted her hand. “You’ve always been like that, ever since you were a little girl. Never one to kiss and tell, not even with your friends in high school.”
“You’ve never been one to kiss, period,” Mia said. “I’ve known you almost two years and this is the first time you’ve even dated.”
“It wasn’t exactly a date,” Jenna pointed out, cutting into her pancake with a knife and fork. “But we’re going to have one. Friday, maybe. No sex. Just getting to know each other.”
Mia smirked and picked up a piece of bacon. “Sounds like you already got to know each other pretty intimately. At least tell me if he was good.”
“He was good.” Jenna felt her cheeks grow warm, and she bit into her first piece of pancake. “Okay, better than good. Incredible.”
“Come on, was he one of those slow, romantic types, or more of a sexy alpha male?”
“Mia—”
“You can share with us, dear,” Gertie said. “Indulge a little old lady.”
Jenna tried to muster up a bit of indignation, but all she felt was warm and tingly at the memory of her night with him. “Fine, if you must know. He was definitely an alpha guy. Very dominant and in control.”
“No kidding? I never pegged you as the submissive sort,” Mia mused. “Not that I fault you one bit. That’s always been the sexiest thing about Mark. The whole master-and-commander thing is ridiculously hot.”
“Agreed,” Gertie said.
Mia sighed. “Especially after six years of marriage to a guy who used to bicker with me about whose turn it was to be on top.” Rolling her eyes, she poked at the edge of her pancake. “Suffice it to say, my ex didn’t want to be. Too much work.” She glanced at Gertie and winced. “Sorry. Overkill with the sex talk?”
“Not at all, dear. Sex talk is my favorite. More bacon?”
Jenna accepted a piece and tried to think of a way to change the subject. Thankfully, Mia obliged.
“I almost forgot,” Mia said, dropping her fork and grabbing for her purse. She rifled through it, her mouth still full of bacon as she rummaged through the contents of her oversized tote. “I had some extra wedding photos printed for you, Aunt Gertie. Jenna said you wanted to see them.”
“Oh! Just let me wash up. This is so exciting!” Gertie bustled over to the kitchen sink and returned moments later wiping her hands on her apron. She took the envelope from Mia and sat down. She slid the pictures out and began to flip through them, clucking the whole time.
“You two look so in love—oh, would you look at this one? These lavender rosebuds look gorgeous with that red hair of yours!”
“Thanks, they’re called sterling silver roses,” Mia said. “My mother had them in her wedding bouquet. That’s her veil, too.”
Gertie beamed and flipped to the next image. “This must be your mom here?”
Mia nodded, and Jenna blinked back an unexpected wash of tears. Her own mother had died after an awful fight with cancer when Jenna was just sixteen, leaving Aunt Gertie to tend to Jenna for her remaining high school years. It was one of many reasons Jenna had been eager to repay the favor by taking in Gert last fall.
As though sensing a shift in Jenna’s mood, Gertie met her eyes. Gert’s expression didn’t change, but she reached beneath the table and touched Jenna’s knee. Jenna swallowed and placed her hand on Gertie’s. Gert smiled, then turned back to Mia.
“Here’s another great one of you and Mark,” she said. “This neckline is so flattering on you.”
Mia laughed. “Gotta show off the pregnancy boobs while I’ve got ’em.”
“You look beautiful,” Jenna said, squelching an unwelcome twist of envy for her friend. She was thrilled for Mia, delighted to see her moving on with her life after a rocky divorce and the loss of a pregnancy just a month after moving to Portland two years ago. It was how the two of them had bonded, as the only unmarried people in a support group for women who’d suffered miscarriages.
She reached for Mia’s hand and gave it a squeeze, releasing any jealous feelings she might’ve had.
Gertie gasped. “This photo—this must be the first time he’s seeing you in the dress?”
“I know, isn’t that amazing?” Mia said. “I’ve never had anyone look at me that way before. Not ever.”
“I wish I could have seen it in person,” Gertie sighed.
