Greta pressed her lips to hers in a brief, chaste kiss. “Just like Philly—and actually just like in Manhattan before I knew your name—I’m not here just for sex, Kaelee. I want to see you, talk to you, and be around you. Plus, since I have work to do while I’m here, and I grabbed dinner before I caught the train, an early night sounds perfect. Work during the day, and after work…” She gave a sort of shrug, limited by the fact that Kaelee still held her close.
“After work tomorrow, we have dinner plans.” Kaelee swallowed visibly. “To go out.”
“Oh?”
“I made reservations, and then a show.” Kaelee nudged her forward, taking her hand now, and then led her through the station. “There’s a ballet I wanted to see at the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Center. I wasn’t going to spend a night alone there, and I don’t really think going as a third wheel with my friend and her fiancée is a great plan.”
“I wondered why you said to bring a nice dress.” Greta flashedher a warm smile as they dodged a man scurrying toward the departure area. “Are you taking meout?”
“On adate,” Kaelee said, pausing before weaving through an oncoming crowd.
“Is that so? Are we…datingnow?” Greta was trying to keep up on Kaelee’s acceptance or categorization of what was happening between them.
“We are going on a date, and I’m hoping to seduce you after that date.” Kaelee sounded less pained each time she said the word “date.” She motioned toward the parking garage sign. “This way.”
Greta followed along, her bag clacking behind her. “Well, I have it on good authority that your date is very attracted to you, especially if there’s great conversation and you’re dressed up.”
“I’m not wearing a dress.”
Greta smiled. “Excellent. I will be, and I’m hoping that my date will be wearing something with buttons I can slowly open after we are back at her place. I’ll have you know I am exactly the sort of woman to round all the bases on the first date if things go well.”
Kaelee led her to a worn BMW and opened the trunk. “I have to tell you something, darlin’.”
“Yes?”
“I think this isn’t ourfirstdate.” Kaelee put the bags in and slammed the lid. She turned from the trunk to face Greta. “I mean, ‘a rose by any other name,’ right?”
“So we’re doing this?” Greta rested both palms on Kaelee’s chest and leaned up to kiss her chin.
“If it quacks like a date, walks like a date, has sex like a date… Am I wrong?”
“No. I thought the same thing.” Greta reached out and cupped her face. “Are you okay with that?”
“I think I actually am.” Kaelee turned her head and kissed Greta’s palm. “I can’t give you a dating-toward-a-commitment promise right now, but I can date casually. Is that okay?”
“Of course it is.”
Kaelee walked to the passenger door and opened it. “I thought about it last weekend. About what I’m feeling. About what we’re doing. We’redating, and I like it.”
“It certainly looks like that.” Greta slid into the car. It was pristine, despite age. “You take good care of your car.”
“I take good care of anything that’s mine,” Kaelee said before closing the door and walking around to the driver’s side. When she got in, she turned on the car and then reached out and took Greta’s hand.
Greta didn’t resist or comment. What was happening between them seemed to move along at its own pace, and realizing they had both admitted that they were dating after the weekend in Philly basically just meant they were on the same page—even though they had both initially sworn they had zero interest in dating.
They were both quiet as Kaelee drove toward a building that looked more like a house than apartment. The harsh streetlights didn’t do it any favors, but it was surprisingly large. Greta asked, “You have a house?”
“No. I have a studio on the third floor.” Kaelee pulled into a parking spot and came around to open Greta’s door. Kaelee extended a hand to her to steady her while she stood.
“You don’t have to do that. I’m stable on my heels. I told you that when we met.” Greta followed her to the trunk.
Kaelee held her gaze and said, “I told you, Greta: I take care of anything that’s mine, and I want you to be mine.” Then she pulled out Greta’s two bags as if she hadn’t just said something momentous and continued, “My place is small. It’s not fancy.”
“Will you be in it?” Greta paused and when Kaelee nodded, Greta added, “Then it’s perfect. I’m here to be with you.”
Kaelee’s nod was brief, and her expression tightened as she looked at the building.
“If this is not comfortable for you, I can stay in a hotel,” Greta offered. “Honestly, it’s—”
