Love Actually (Love By Design 5)

Similar to the enigma finally in front of me.

“So the cakes were excellent.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed them. I’m hoping Taylor will fall in love with at least one of them.”

Louisa shrugged and then added, “I’m kind of hoping they fall through a hole in the kitchen getting that coffee for us.”

I burst out laughing.

“Why is this so damn awkward?” Louisa looked up from her plate of cake samples licking her lips like what she wanted to taste wasn’t on the plate and instead was right here in front of her.

I swallowed the dry air in my throat.

“I’m not sure…” I hesitated which was probably the wrong thing to do or say.

Louisa reached for the knot in my t-shirt pulling me closer. I looked down at her as she looked up at me. I stood in front of her, my knees locked and wobbly. My skirt was on the poofy retro side and she touched my bare knee that barely showed at the bottom.

“I like you. I think you might like me.” Her hand skimmed a little higher hidden under my skirt.

I put my hand on hers over the fabric stilling her way. Her hands were finely boned, long fingers that I imagined doing very naughty things to me as she tugged me closer by the knot on my shirt. Sure she was forward, but I liked it because it prevented me from having to think too much.

Slowly she lowered her hand slipping it out from under my skirt as she spoke. “I also think we both have some past experiences that might make us a little gun-shy.” The cool air on my heated skin made me lightheaded and slow to process her words.

“I think you might be right.” The words came out sad and I reminded myself that I wanted this move to be a fresh start. There was no reason why I couldn’t date Louisa. I struggled to be more assertive and it was hard for me to be all in a relationship. That’s what my ex had said, I was never fully present, but I was starting to think that was more about him and less about me.

“Regardless, I’d like to try.” Louisa stood up and I realized how much taller she was than me. Even in my cute kitten heels I wore for today’s tasting I was still a good six inches shorter than her.

“Oh.” The one syllable was a breathless mess from my lips.

“Delicious, yummy, scrumptious, mouthwatering.” Louisa’s hands reached for my hips and then her fingers grazed my ribs making my chest tight.

“Huh?” I said caught in the daze of feelings. My heart seemed to beat faster with the stroking of her hands.

“Your shirt.” She chuckled and I looked down to see what she was looking at. It couldn’t have been my averaged size breasts, but anything was possible considering she had her hand up my skirt barely a minute ago.

“Synonym roll. Cute.”

I looked up at her face, her eyes were squinted behind her black framed glasses which I had a hankering to peel off so I could look at them unhindered. She was beautiful. She was also reading my ridiculous t-shirt. I felt my neck and cheeks heat with embarrassment.

“I have a thing for funny t-shirts. Since I can wear whatever I want in my kitchen I refuse to wear the typical pastry chef uniform. Who would see me anyway.” I brushed it off and took a step back.

I needed space. Air. I needed the chemical molecules between us to cool off before I called my doctor to ask if I was too young for a hot flash. The ovens weren’t on and Taylor was still hunting for coffee like a terrible matchmaker in my kitchen.

“I’d like to see you. More of you.” Louisa slapped her head gently. “God, what a shit pick up line, and I thought guys sucked at this.” Seeing her flustered made me feel better, like we were both a little bad at this and it was okay.

“I would like that too.” I wasn’t always shy, but for some reason the uncertainty of a date made me feel all of fifteen again. Awkward, gangly, like I had something in my teeth. I prayed I didn’t have something in my teeth.

“Now that we’ve worked that out, how about dinner?” She asked.

“Dinner sounds lovely.”

The excitement buzzed between us and maybe because I said yes or we realized we were on the same page, Louisa went back to her subtle touches that I didn’t realize I’d missed in the microseconds of this budding relationship.

“I know an Italian bistro that has the best cannoli and this cute outdoor area.”

Suddenly warning bells went off in my head. She mentioned something else, but she lost me at bistro.

“Uh, this wouldn’t be the one near the Speakeasy?”