“Ahem.”
Genevieve nearly leaped out of her skin, although it was Aya who blushed the hardest once they both realized one of the other penthouse residents wanted to get to the elevator.
“Cindy!” Genevieve pulled her mask back up over her mouth. This is what I get for making out with my girlfriend in the hallway. “I didn’t know you were in town!”
The woman with a tight ponytail and bright red lips beneath her white medical mask shrugged. “I do live here.” Cindy glanced at the woman attempting to regain her composure behind Genevieve. “Do introduce me, would you? I don’t have a lot of time, but I’ve heard tales about your new lady. Is this her?”
All of that had been said in Mandarin, but Genevieve immediately switched to English for Aya’s benefit. Cindy was as fluent, anyway. “Of course. Forgive us, darling, we just got off the plane and, ah… anyway, this is my girlfriend, Aya Sugiya, of Tokyo. Aya, this is my neighbor and dear friend, Cindy Ling. She and her girlfriend live down the hall. She’s the reason I was able to snatch my penthouse as soon as it was available.”
Aya and Cindy lightly shook hands. Aya, the tallest one out of the three, practically dwarfed Cindy, who was outgoing enough to command a whole room by herself. She has. I’ve seen her do it. Sometimes at the biggest gatherings around, no less.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Cindy said. “I’ve heard a lot about you already.”
”Is that so?” Genevieve said before Aya had the chance to reply. “Dare I ask from who?”
“Oh, the usual. You know, Wendy Ahn is in town, too. So strange. I thought the borders were still closed. Ah, no offense, Ms. Sugiya.”
“Please, call me Aya. No offense taken. I’m simply along for the ride.”
Cindy’s impeccable eyebrows went up her forehead. “Is that so? Our Genevieve offers quite the ride. Have you been to her club yet?”
Jump in now before Aya is sucked into a game of Taipei Tattle-telling! Aya wasn’t prepared, no matter how mature or worldly she was. “I was going to take her there tonight, actually. She hasn’t yet had the pleasure.”
“Really? Perhaps Rose and I will attend as well. We haven’t been in a while, and she’s been getting cabin fever.”
”Is she in now?”
“Oh, no, actually. She’s out running errands. I’m actually off to a meeting myself.” Cindy nodded to Aya. “Nice to meet you. I shall see you two later.”
Aya bowed her head in respect. “Lovely to meet any friend of Genny’s.”
Cindy was impressed – or estranged – by that as well. People call me Genny, Cin. She would have known that if she bothered talking to Genevieve much those past few months.
“She seems friendly,” Aya commented, once Cindy was in the elevator.
“She’s either your greatest ally or your biggest threat in town.” Genevieve headed down the hallway. “In my case, she’s a fantastic customer. I stay on her good side. She has many connections in town.”
“My girlfriend, the social butterfly.” Aya massaged Genevieve’s shoulders while waiting for her to unlock her front door. “Whatever have I gotten myself into?”
Me, hopefully. They had places to get to later that day, but for right now, Genevieve wanted to go straight to her Taipei bedroom and get down to some non-verbal business.
Aya wasn’t allowed to wear the same outfit to Paradise as she had to Genevieve’s house party in Singapore. Oh, no, that wouldn’t do at all.
At least she didn’t have to hit up another fancy boutique, though. Genevieve had Aya’s measurements and knew her style well enough by now to have something delivered without trying it on. I can’t tell if I’m supposed to be impressed or terrified. Luckily for her girlfriend, Aya was confident enough in her life that it didn’t bother her. She has good taste, anyway. So thought Aya after she tried on the dark, deep blue pantsuit over her silk camisole. The pant legs were fashionably baggy and the jacket was office casual. If the point was to make it look like Aya had stepped out of her corporate office and into a den of depravity, well, it worked.
“Let me see!” Genevieve called from the bathroom, where she applied her makeup. Her black dress was as delicious as the body beneath it. Something summoned Aya straight to the bathroom once she was heralded. Hot. Damn. Genevieve was either a femme fatale out to shoot a stranger or a needy submissive catering to the right crowd. Aya couldn’t tell, and she didn’t mind. Between the slit on the side and the plunging neckline that barely held everything together with a simple gold clasp… We’ll never make it to the club. We’re doing it right here. “Ooh. That’s a good color on you.”
Aya felt up the slit in her girlfriend’s dress. “This would be a good color off of you.”
Genevieve’s mascara wand stopped moving. “I didn’t get enough earlier.”
“That was intentional, Gen.”
“I knoooow. So mean.” Her juvenile pout only added to her haughty look. “Should I leave my hair down? Or maybe do a big fat bun on my head?”
“Leave it down. Something I can pull if I need to drag you out of the club because you’re misbehaving.”
Genevieve shuddered beneath the weight of Aya’s shadow. “Don’t tease me.”