She hated deluding herself, and she tried to be as honest with herself as she could be, but her interactions with Jaime, from the legal conference on, were making this habit difficult—likely a terrible sign.
Yet the cat-and-mouse game they’d been indulging in since Jaime had shown up with a cup of coffee during her run remained too enticing to resist.
She had planned to wait, to see if Jaime would suggest another such ‘coincidental’ run-in during their visit at the art exhibit, but after they’d been there for almost two hours and no such suggestion was forthcoming, she hadn’t been able to hold back and blurted out meeting here, in this weird way they went about setting up get-togethers.
Much like Olivia hadn’t meant to follow Jaime to the bathroom and kiss her atnerverending pages. But Jaime had seemed so distressed when she’d rushed off, and Olivia had wanted to make sure she hadn’t crossed any boundaries. Of course, it would be a lot easier if Jaime wasn’t made upentirelyof boundaries.
Not in bed, mind you, but Olivia had promised herself she’d not think of her in this way.
Sometimes she wondered if giving up would be smarter. It would prevent her feelings from getting hurt, but she’d never quit at anything, and she surely wouldn’t start now.
“You’re right. This is a great place. Thanks for telling me about it,” Jaime said in lieu of a greeting as she stepped up next to Olivia, tearing her out of her thoughts.
Olivia took a deep breath. At least the scent of sandalwood and jasmine should have gotten her attention. “I’m glad it meets your approval.”
“It does. Here.” Jaime held up a cup. “I wasn’t sure if they offered anything to drink.”
Olivia smiled, taking the insulated cup. She took a small sip and hummed as her tastebuds once more encountered perfectly sweetened coffee at the exact right temperature. “Thank you. That’s very thoughtful.”
Jaime shifted and seemed to avoid Olivia’s gaze. “So, what’s their selection here?”
Olivia rolled her lips. “They focus on fantasy and science fiction, but there’s also a horror and suspense section.”
“Are those your favorite genres?” Jaime followed Olivia through the aisles.
“I’m not sure I have one. I’ll read any genre if the book itself sounds interesting enough.”
“Huh. All right.”
“I take it you don’t?” Olivia’s gaze followed Jaime’s finger trailing over the spine of a novel.
“No. I don’t read fiction.”
“What?”
Jaime chuckled. “You sound offended.”
“No, no. I just… Why?”
“I never got into it. Suspension of disbelief and all that. I struggle with it.”
“But you spent your Thursday evenings atneverending pages?”
“I love books, just not fiction. Creative non-fiction is a thing, you know.”
“Oh God, you read biographies, don’t you?”
“I resent the judgmental tone, Counselor. I didn’t judgeyoufor being entertained by imagination-fueled constructs.”
“I suppose if your day job involves judging others, you might be sensitive when you end up on the receiving end, Your Honor.”
Jaime inhaled sharply, and her cheeks flushed. It didn’t look like anger, and she always seemed to grow slightly tense whenever Olivia called her by her title.
At first, she feared it was the reminder of their potential conflict of interest, but as time passed, she wasn’t so sure, and she also couldn’t deny the thrill rushing through her at Jaime’s reaction.
“Don’t they say you shouldn’t knock things until you’ve tried them?”
“Who are ‘they’? And I’d say it depends. There’s stuff I definitely don’t want or need to try. Meth and sex with a man come to mind.”
