Gemma squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you think so.” She grinned and resisted the temptation to say that Rory’s actions at the hotel had been more than ample evidence of what Rory felt for her. They were settling into a rhythm as friends, and she didn’t want to mention anything that would upset that. Even though she sometimes caught Rory’s gazeon her and it was more than friendly. “Right.” Gemma slapped the table in the universally British way that showed she was ready to go. “Finish your coffee and let’s hit the sports shop. Their staff are young and bored and won’t give a toss which changing room you use.”
In fact, as they found out a few minutes later, there were only two changing rooms in the entire shop with no staff members anywhere close by and a ‘unisex’ sign precariously Blu-Tacked to the door. Gemma selected a new pair of trainers and a new crop top and then walked with Rory around the men’s section. She noted that everything Rory selected was baggy, and Gemma wondered if that was because she was unhappy with her appearance or if she was unsure about the prospect of working out in a public gym. Gemma surreptitiously grabbed a few vest tops in Rory’s size and threw them in her basket as they wandered round.
“Do you think I should get some weightlifting stuff?” Rory paused in front of the display and pointed at some gloves and straps.
“Why don’t we see what they have at the gym?” Gemma suggested.
“I’m still not sure about the gym, you know,” Rory added in a quiet voice. “I wonder if the ‘at-home’ workout program might be better.”
Gemma put a hand on her arm. “Well, let’s look at the gym, and if you’re unsure, then we can come back and get the equipment you need for home.” Gemma tapped her lip with her finger. “You know, the room off the kitchen could be a good workout space.”
“The one that’s meant to be a dining room?”
“Yeah. If you don’t like the gym, you could easily set something up there.”
“What is it about you organising and re-decorating my house?” Rory winked at Gemma, and she felt the now familiar butterflies flutter in her stomach. The problem with settling back into their friendship was that they were so natural with each other, Rory didn’t seem to notice when she was flirting with Gemma.
“Well, I can’t do much with my flat, so I have to live vicariously through you and your mini-mansion.”
Gemma’s voice was light, but there was an element of truth to her words. Since she had left university, she had bounced from flatmate to flatmate as her job changed. Being with Teagan was the longest she had shared with someone. Recently, as with her love life, she had felt something missing from not having her own home to do with as she pleased. They renewed their lease every six months, and there was no permanence in her life. She envied how put-together Rory’s life was. Despite everything else that was changing for her friend, she had a settled job and home to call her own. Ever since she had seen Rory’s house, visions of them making changes to it together danced through her head, and she rigorously pushed them away. That was not on the cards for them. They were friends. She just needed her heart and libido to realise that.
16
RORY
Rory blearily opened her eyes and squinted at the large TV in her living room. The credits of the film they had been watching scrolled up the screen. She looked around for Gemma and simultaneously rejoiced and groaned. Gemma was fast asleep in her lap, and it felt wonderful.
After the semi-disastrous trip to the shopping centre that afternoon, they had returned to Rory’s house for a takeaway and a movie. Rory had known it had been fatal to settle on the sofa together with a bottle of wine after they had eaten but was powerless to resist anything that meant she got to spend time with Gemma. After the heat of the day, Gemma had been chilly in her shorts and vest top and so it had been natural for them to pull a light blanket over their legs as they watched the film. Rory had noticed Gemma’s head nodding a few times during the film but, rather than suggest she make her way home, Rory had put a cushion on her lap and invited Gemma to lie down for a few minutes. Rory blinked at the clock on the wall and realised that had been over an hour ago. She rubbed her stiff neck and wondered what to do. While it was lovely tohave Gemma asleep on her lap, she couldn’t sleep here all night. Rory gently woke her friend up.
“Hmm.” Gemma sat up and looked deliciously befuddled. Rory felt an almost overwhelming urge to pull her towards her and kiss her gently. With a sigh, she pushed that thought from her mind.
“Hey, I think we both fell asleep during the film.” Rory kept her voice low as she knew her friend was always groggy when she woke up.
“Hmm, yeah.” Gemma looked adorably dazed, and Rory bit back a grin at her friend’s confused state.
“I’d better head home. It’s about an hour on the tube.” Gemma made no effort to get up from the sofa. Rory frowned at the idea of Gemma travelling across London on her own this late on a Saturday night.
“You could stay here?” Rory tried to sound light over the pounding of her heart in her chest.
“Mm-kay.” Gemma pulled the blanket around her and slumped back onto Rory’s lap.
“Not literally here.” Rory sighed and ran her fingers through Gemma’s long hair. Unlike her own reaction when Gemma had done the same thing to her, Gemma moaned in pleasure as Rory’s fingers trailed through the silky strands.
Reluctantly, Rory eased them off the sofa and pushed Gemma towards the stairs. After checking all the doors were locked, Rory climbed the stairs to find Gemma sitting on the end of her bed.
A lump took up residence in Rory’s throat as she looked at Gemma in her bedroom. Since Darcy, there had been no one else in her house, let alone her bed. Gemma’s sleepy eyes met hers.
“The guest bed has no bedding on it.” She shrugged, and Rory cursed. She had stripped the bed earlier before theirshopping trip, intending to remake it when she got home. Her grumpiness about the shopping trip, and subsequent takeaway and movie, had driven it from her mind. She tried to swallow through the lump in her throat but found her mouth was suddenly dry. She tried to form words but found that none were forthcoming. This was ridiculous. She made her living by having the right argument at the right time, by knowing when and how to pressure clients and adversaries. But it seemed that all that was needed to rob her of rational thought and speech was a sleepy woman looking delightfully dishevelled while sitting on her bed.
“Yeah, I meant to do that.” Rory mentally slapped herself. Was that the best she could come up with? “I can grab the bedding and do it now?” Rory offered with not much enthusiasm. She swallowed again.
“Don’t worry, I can bunk in with you” Gemma’s eyes were drooping, and her body slumped with fatigue. Rory finally found the capacity to move her body forward and pull the duvet back for Gemma. She eased her friend’s body back into the bed, but just as Gemma’s head was about to hit the pillow, her eyes snapped open.
“Oh, I don’t have anything to sleep in.”
Rory deftly spun around and opened a drawer of T-shirts. She grabbed the top one and thrust it toward Gemma. Wordlessly, she grabbed her own vest top and shorts from under her pillow and marched towards her bathroom to get changed. It had been enough for her system today to see Gemma in those short denim shorts, but to see her legs bare would be more than her equilibrium could stand.
Rory dithered in the bathroom and then chastised herself in the mirror. Some butch lesbian you are turning out to be, she told herself. Scared to go back into your ownbedroom because there’s a woman in your bed. But as she turned the lights out and stood in the doorway of her bedroom, she realised that this was not just any woman. This was Gemma. Her friend, her former lover, although she really didn’t want to go down that train of thought too much. She knew Gemma was rapidly becoming more than just a friend to her, and it was getting harder and harder every time they saw each other to keep her hands to herself. She just wanted to pull Gemma towards her and hold her safe. Then, there were moments like this afternoon when she had been upset at the shop. All she could think of was burying her head in Gemma’s shoulder and letting the other woman hold and comfort her. To hide in Gemma’s arms until the world was a little nicer to her.
