Thinking briefly back to the fact that two past lovers were now working together in close proximity, Lily wondered if they were in there exchanging notes or if they’d already gotten through the entirety of theLily Miller Experience.That’s what Lily had overheard it referred to. It did wonders for her prospects at the retreat. She didn’t work hard to make them last, but the other women didn’t usually work hard to make it lasteither.
Notwifey material,let alonegirlfriend material—but no one had ever really asked. Not that she was interested in being tied down; she’d seen what heartbreak had done to her mother. Diana had been in love with her father, Gavin, and he appeared to be in love with her. Turned out all those business trips Gavin took for his “top client” were really just him visiting his second family on the other side of the country. How someone could act and lie so convincingly–that’s what had devastated Lily themost, and then there was her mother’s devastation. She didn’t speak to her father—aka sperm donor—to this day, nor the family he ran to after the divorce. He didn’t reach out, ever. It was like she had just been an experience to him, too.
“Earth to Lilith,” Maya’s voice cut through the haze of ugly thoughts.
“Sorry,” Lily muttered, and her eyes landed on Maya’s brown eyes, sturdy and strong. They centered her. “Wait, where’s Hanna?”
Maya turned and pointed to Hanna, who was spinning to the delight of the few children skaters on the ice.
“Show off,” Lily said, but she was smiling.
“She’s fantastic,” Maya said.
“That she is. You think she’d want hot chocolate? I wanna get you both some.” Lily didn’t really wait for Maya’s answer. She needed some space to knock the previous thoughts clear out of her head so she could enjoy her time here in the now with not one, buttwohot as fuck women.
Lily skated over to the designated guest area where they had left their stuff. With the practiced ease of someone in their element, Lily slipped off her skates and put on her boots. She walked over to the small kiosk whose sole purpose was to provide a place for whoever had booked it to sell their hot chocolate. Today it was some teens from the local youth center. There was a small line, and Lily got behind a family of five. She remembered coming here with her parents before Julia had purchased more land and built the retreat.
“I never grew up with this,” her father had once said, as they spun and laughed on the ice. “Thank you for being my amazing daughter, my family,” he’d said. And Lily had believed him. She had no reason not to. Now, she realized, he had been thanking her for theexperience,not for truly being Lily, his daughter. She was wondering if he was somewhere else skating with his newfamily, or if he was off experiencing other things when someone cleared their throat behind her. She turned and as soon as she saw the fiery red curls, she knew who she’d find.
“Hey Fe, I mean Felicity,” she said, meeting the mossy green eyes that used to drive her crazy.
“Fe’s fine,” Felicity said dryly. She wasn’t one for long drawn-out speeches or apologies, so Lily took it as the peace offering that it was. She’d put on her signature beanie and the dark green only drew out the color of her eyes.
“Okay, hey Fe,” Lily started again. “Taking a break?”
“Getting some hot chocolate for me and Sruti.”
“Ah, I see,” Lily said, but she really didn’t, so she looked at Felicity, hoping she’d fill in the blanks.
“Yeah we’ve had some staffing changes, given the growing business. Julia had me shuffle the staff—one being Sruti—to new posts, so I’m training her out here.”
Okay, so Felicity was going to make Lily work out some things on her own. “Wait, you hired someone?”
“Yeah I was promoted to being one of the managers, helping Julia out since I’m around all year and it allows her to step away from the business more.”
Felicity had been working for her aunt since she was in high school and went full time soon after. That had been six years or so now. The fact that she was a manager had more to do with her having always done the work, and Lily knew her aunt trusted Felicity completely, hence why she wasn’t currently present on the property.
The line moved and they followed a few paces forward.
“I was surprised you didn’t come up for the summer,” Felicity said after a moment.
Lily looked into her green eyes. Felicity was tall, about 5’10, all long lines. Her almost waist-length hair made her seem even taller.
“Yeah well, my mom needed me on the orchard,” Lily lied. Truthfully she had been avoiding Felicity, and Lily had a suspicion that was what Felicity was getting at. The question was if she was going to let Lily get away with it.
Felicity scoffed.
So that’s a ‘no’ then.
“Wow, so the thought of coming up here during the summer was so terrifying that you opted to stay on the orchard with Maggie.”
“Whoa, what does that mean?”
“You hate the orchard during the summer, managing the staff. Unless there’s a newbie who makes you want to stay.”
Lily grimaced. “Fe, I don’t spend my time chasing the staff members of the orchard and the retreat. Jesus you make me sound so—” Lily couldn’t find the right word. Yes she liked to play, but she rarely shat where she ate. Sruti and Felicity had been exceptions and clear examples of why they shouldn’t have been.
“Okay, so what, you’re here with friends? Your new winter snow bunnies?” Felicity said, looking over from the line at the people skating. “Or are you the third wheel? Afraid to come up here alone?”
