ChapterNine
Bar Rainbow was the hottest queer venue in Seattle, yet until tonight, Bianca had never set foot inside.
Although she was confident in her identity, she had other things to consider. She didn’t like going to bars and clubs by herself, but whenever she floated the idea of a night out at Bar Rainbow to her friends, none of them were interested in going. And there was the fact that the bar had been one of her sister Parker’s frequent haunts in her single days. While those days were behind her, she and her girlfriend Julia probably still came here on date nights, and Bianca wasn’t ready to have ‘that’ conversation with her sister yet. The only reason she felt comfortable coming here tonight was because she’d overheard Parker lamenting to Julia that she needed to get up early tomorrow when they’d run into each other in the elevator that morning.
Bianca didn’t regret taking the leap and coming here by herself tonight. From the dance floor packed with people, to the busy bar tittering with conversation and laughter, to the risqué music videos playing on a large projector—the energy was electric. And there were women as far as the eye could see.
A few had said hi to Bianca. None of them had been serious about striking up conversations, let alone flirting, but she still appreciated the attention. It beat sitting alone at the bar with her Coke Zero and making trite conversation with the drag queen bartender who was a hit with everyone who ordered from her.
And it beat thinking about Sam. That was why she was here, wasn’t it? To take her mind off Sam, preferably by finding another woman to distract her? But Bianca wasn’t interested in anyone here.
No one in the entire bar held a candle to Sam.
Bianca sighed. She’d put in so much effort to sneak out, all so she could have some fun without her bodyguard lurking over her shoulder. Yet Sam was all she could think about.
Yet again, her infuriatingly sexy bodyguard was ruining her fun. And Sam wasn’t even here!
“Aren’t you a standout in the crowd?” A woman in a shiny shift dress with short, light blonde hair appeared from the shadows. She looked much older than Bianca, although how much older was hard to tell in the dark of the bar. Ladies’ night didn’t discriminate when it came to age. And given that there were so few gay bars left in the city—at least according to Parker—women of all ages flocked to whatever venues allowed them to meet others like them.
The older woman passed some cash to the bartender, exchanging it for a fancy red cocktail with a lemon wedge on the rim. Bianca was immediately jealous that she hadn’t asked the bartender for the same thing this woman had. Let’s not push my luck. While Bianca could drink alcohol, it usually wasn’t worth the havoc it wreaked on her blood sugar levels. The Coke Zero was as crazy as she was willing to get tonight.
The woman turned back to Bianca. “That hair of yours is to die for. And what a cute dress.”
“Thank you.” It was the flirty purple dress she’d bought on her shopping trip. Given the reaction it had garnered in Sam, Bianca figured it was perfect for a night out. Her bodyguard had practically started drooling right there in the changing rooms. She’d been five seconds from ripping the dress off Bianca’s body before that sales assistant came along and ruined everything.
Ugh. Why am I thinking about Sam again?
The woman stirred her drink lazily. “Are you here alone?”
For a moment, Bianca heard Sam’s voice warning her to be wary of strangers approaching her in case they had sinister intentions. Then, the more likely alternative occurred to her. The woman wanted to know whether Bianca was ‘available.’
But she wasn’t interested in a woman old enough to be her mother. “I have a girlfriend,” she blurted out. Realizing how silly she sounded, she added, “I’m not looking to meet anyone tonight. I just needed to get away for a bit.” That much was true. It was becoming more and more clear that the only person Bianca would be satisfied with was Sam.
The woman laughed. “Sweetheart, if I were putting the moves on you, I wouldn’t be wasting my time with idle conversation. And I’m not some kind of cougar. I prefer women my own age. I just noticed a pretty young lady sitting here alone looking like a kid in a candy store, so I thought I’d come and offer you some sage wisdom from a seasoned lesbian. Is it your first time here?”
Bianca’s cheeks grew hot. “Is it that obvious?”
“You’re positively radiant in your baby gayness. Half of the club has their eye on you. Guaranteed.” The woman removed the lemon wedge from her glass and wrapped it in a small napkin before depositing it toward the far end of the bar. “Let me give you a piece of advice. Men aren’t the only ones who can smell fresh meat from half a mile away. You’ve got to watch out for these girls, too. Trust me. I’ve been chewed up and spat out more times than I care to admit. Mostly when I was your age.”
“While I appreciate you worrying about me, I can take care of myself.”
“I thought so too when I was 20. Just don’t be like me and fall for the first pretty pair of eyes you meet. That can only lead to heartbreak.”
Maybe the woman had a point. While Bianca wouldn’t describe Sam’s eyes as ‘pretty,’ she’d been lusting over them—over her—since the day they met. But it was futile. And it was driving Bianca crazy.
The woman picked her drink up from the bar. “Anyway, I’d love to stay and chat, but it looks like your girlfriend has found you. See you around.”
Bianca snapped to attention. “My girlfriend?”
But the woman had already slipped away into the crowd.
And in her place, appearing like a strike of lightning, was Sam.
“Aw, fuck.” Bianca turned on her stool, elbows on the bar top as she stared into what was left of her drink. “Don’t you have anything better to do than to stalk me?”
“No.” Sam created a formidable wall around Bianca. One that radiated ‘Touch her and die’ to everyone in the room.
No wonder that woman thought Sam was my girlfriend. My possessive, domineering girlfriend. The fantasy of it sounded hot. In reality, she wanted to slap Sam across the cheek.