No Strings Attached(70)

“Sheryl and I have a bunch of nieces and nephews, and I can assure you that they are the best-educated young adults on gender- and queer-related topics.” Kristin smiled. “She even managed to convince my very conservative Korean parents to embrace the fact that their daughter was never going to marry a respectable man. And this was years ago. But I guess when someone with Sheryl’s natural gravitas and intense stare looks at you and tells you it’s okay to be gay, you just can’t argue against that.” Kristin chuckled. “And once she’s on her soapbox, it’s really hard to get her off. Unless you’re waving around a bottle of 1999 Barossa Shiraz.”

Micky didn’t know what to say to that last remark, so she focused on what Kristin had said before. “I would really appreciate Sheryl taking the time to do that. Between her and Amber, my kids don’t stand a chance of not accepting the fact that their mother has a lesbian lover.” Micky was so grateful to be able to discuss all of this so openly at her workplace and with her boss, who was quickly turning into a good friend.

“In the end, the most important thing they’ll need is some time to adjust to the idea. They’ll come around once they see how happy Robin makes you, Micky.”

“Hm,” Micky hummed. She couldn’t wait to see Robin that night and to be able to spend every night with her until her children returned the following Wednesday.





CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT





“There’s nothing more I want from this weekend than to lie naked with you in bed,” Micky said. She might have only worked part-time at The Pink Bean, but this week, after all the emotional turmoil of the previous weekend and having taken calls from her mother every other day to ask whether she was still a lesbian, Micky was exhausted. And despite the brief sense of relief that came with the kids staying at their dad’s, she had missed them much more than during other weeks.

“That can easily be arranged.” Robin smiled at her. She’d come straight over to Micky’s house after attending good-bye drinks for a colleague. Her eyes were a little watery, and from the way she was slightly slurring her words, Micky concluded she was quite tipsy. Micky had fed her a healthy Moroccan vegetable stew that Amber had once showed her how to make. It was now one of Micky’s easy go-to dishes when she was tired but wanted to ingest some nutrients instead of getting fast food, which had been Amber’s argument exactly when she’d given Micky the recipe. Her dear old friend Amber. Micky had no idea what her life would be like if it weren’t for Amber. Would she ever have found the courage to even admit her true desires to herself?

“You don’t look like you’ll be able to stay awake very long tonight, though, babe,” Micky teased. “You’ve been hard at work managing diversity all week.”

Robin nodded. “This guy who is leaving, at first they weren’t going to replace him, but now there’s talk of perhaps combining his position with mine, which could possibly lead to a more permanent job for me here.”

Micky’s eyes grew wide. “Really?”

“It’s a possibility. Goodwin Stark is not a small corporation, and it’s definitely not a done deal yet. And you know how HR people love to blab on about career possibilities and positive changes and so on and so forth, but there’s talk.”

“You can tell whoever has the final say about this that Michaela Ferro, of the Mosman Ferros, is petitioning for you to stay for a good long while.”

Robin chuckled. “I’m petitioning for Michaela Ferro to take her ass upstairs and take off all her clothes.”

Micky glanced at Robin. She looked a little disheveled and a lot tired, but to her, she was still the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. “Sure, but I’m setting a timer to see how long my naked ass will be able to keep you awake.”

“You’re forgetting that I’m still a long way away from being forty. I have stamina.” Robin broadened her chest and beat her fists against them like a gorilla.

“Why don’t you get your ass upstairs then and show me,” Micky challenged.

“I shall.” Robin hopped off her chair and bounded up the stairs.

By the time Micky had put the half-empty bottle of wine in the fridge, rinsed a few dishes, and made it to her bedroom, Robin was cozily tucked in, only her head peeking out from under the sheets; her eyes looked heavy-lidded, as though she was seconds away from drifting into the most long-awaited of sleeps.

Micky slipped out of her clothes and under the covers with Robin, still astounded by the instant comforting effect a warm body in her bed had on her, and gazed at her lover. “Sleep tight, honeybun.” She kissed her on the nose and turned off the lights. They had all weekend to do what Micky had, again, been thinking of all day.