Page 38 of Stay Here Tonight
Grinning, Lydia yanked her clothes off the bed and leaped into the space next to the woman she now called girlfriend. “I want to sleep with you,” she said. “With one condition.”
“Name it.”
“You’ve gotta take my undies off again. I accidentally put them on.”
Maxine’s hand searched for an elusive waistband. “Can I use my teeth?”
“Baby, you can use whatever you want.”
The pet name made Maxine think of the phrase “baby steps.” Some would say that’s all she took that night. What was the shame in that? Maxine was tired of living in her sad, uninspired bubble. With any luck, Lydia Kellerman might help her pop that beast.
Epilogue
Lydia hopped out of the Lyft, eyes glued to the cute map Maxine had drawn in the late hours of her day. The driver had barely pulled out of the parking lot when Lydia glanced up and saw the maître ‘d standing before the entrance to a new, chic restaurant built on the riverbank.
They were on the outskirts of town, where the river was slow and the mosquitos a damn force during the peak of summer. Yet it was barely spring now, and the day cool enough to keep the bugs at bay. Lydia was instructed to wear something light and airy, so she left her studio apartment wearing a daffodil yellow sundress with strappy white sandals and a belt made of glass daisies.
Her hair was left down. A terrible idea, since a cool breeze picked up and tossed her hair in front of her face. The maître ‘d was polite enough to not comment on Lydia’s fight with her own hair as she pushed forward and entered the riverfront restaurant.
All day she had followed subsequent instructions sent from Maxine Woodward, the woman she now officially called her girlfriend. It wasn’t PR for them anymore. Two weeks after first spending the night in Maxine’s room, the heiress suggested they make the relationship real – and take things slowly, of course. The slow part was for both of their sakes. Maxine needed time easing into her first real relationship since breaking up with Penelope (who was officially kept away with two fresh restraining orders) and Lydia needed to become acquainted with what it meant to date a multimillionaire. Oh, and to explore some more… salacious fantasies, since Maxine was concerned that her girlfriend often tried to take on more than she could handle. Maxine’s favorite phrase was “baby steps,” which sometimes included the names Liddie and Honey.
Today was their two-month anniversary since deciding to take the dating thing seriously. Two months of casual dates and not-so-casual bouts in bed. The relationship was openly acknowledged at the resource center, where a surprised Francis and a shocked Joanie gave their blessings and insisted that the wedding be held there. (Joanie suggested that, actually. Once the words were out of her mouth, everyone else paled to hear the words “Maxine” and “wedding” appear in the same sentence.) That didn’t stop Lydia from fantasizing, though.I want to get married outdoors. Maybe at the manor? Ah! I could wear the prettiest dress!She never brought it up, though. That was a topic for another day. Maybe another year down the road.
Lydia was sure about one thing: that this relationship felt unequivocally “right,” and that she and Maxine had a strong future ahead of them. So what if they didn’t spend every single day together? Not only because of scheduling conflicts, but because both Maxine and her therapist agreed that having some time apart each week was good for longevity. Honestly, that only made what time they had together all the more special.
Having a bouquet with the instructions to dress “light and airy” and to follow a treasure map to a new destination for their anniversary brunch? Special!
Maxine had paid for them to have the whole balcony section to themselves. A beautiful view of the river and mountains was the backdrop of their brunch. Maxine sat with one leg swung over the other, arm resting against the guardrail beside a table set for two. Her lackadaisical demeanor was the kind of look Lydia treasured whenever she saw her girlfriend having a moment to herself.It means she’s relaxed, that she’s not thinking of the bad things that’s happened to her.Those moments became more frequent the longer they were together. Lydia wouldn’t take credit for it, but she liked to think she helped.
Every time Maxine asked her to stay the night so they could wake up together… that was a strong enough sign for Lydia to enjoy.
Of course, there were still some things that Lydia had to get used to. Like having a girlfriend who could buy out half a restaurant so they could enjoy their anniversary in peace.
“Ah, Liddie.” Maxine’s face lit up with a kind smile when she noticed Lydia’s presence. She offered to take her girlfriend’s light sweater before helping her sit down. A loving kiss landed on Lydia’s cheek. Would she ever get used to those giggles that always overtook her whenever Maxine treated her like this? “Glad you figured it out before I had to call and give you directions.”
Lydia put the map in the center of the table. “It’s not that hard. You have an eye for detail. Although I daresay my Lyft driver was a bit dubious at first.” He also thought it was hilarious and claimed to now have his own anniversary idea for his wife.
“Lyft driver?”
“Oh, right. You have a personal driver. You have no idea what Lyft is.” Lydia meant that as a lighthearted joke, but the look on Maxine’s face made her remember something. “Oh, riiight. You invested in Uber. I’m a dirty girl.”
Maxine chuckled. “Not dirty enough sometimes.”
“That can be corrected.”
Maxine’s smile plummeted off her face, in time for the waiter to approach and ask them what they would like for their appetizers.
In all honesty, as soon as Lydia reached the table, her girlfriend took on a different air from usual. Gone was flirtatious, affable Maxine who always made sure Lydia was comfortable with the situation and spoiled silly. She forgot to order extra bread for the both of them. She didn’t pay attention to something Lydia said about her mother – who was coming to visit soon.My mother! Once she realized I meantthatMaxine Woodward, she changed her tune about me finding a man.Whatever got Mrs. Cruz to Shut. Up.
“Are you all right, Max?”
Maxine had made a big deal about allowing her girlfriend to call her Max. (It was either that or Maxie, and that sounded too much like maxi-pad.) Only Lydia and Francis were allowed to call her that.I don’t recall giving her permission to call me Liddie, but here we are.Lydia insisted on some kind of name for her girlfriend, and Max was the one that stuck.
That woman now reached across the table and took Lydia’s hand. Skin as soft as the breeze brushed against Lydia’s knuckles. “I’m fine. Suppose I’m nervous, that’s all.”
“Nervous? About what?” Did she have an event coming up? Apparently, Lydia was not invited. That happened sometimes.
Maxine wetted her lips before finally shooting Lydia a strong, sultry gaze.Oh, my. Okay, then.“Suppose I’m nervous about saying that I think I love you.”
