“Quinn, it’s kind of dead right now. Why don’t you sit here with everyone and take your break. I’ll get us all some lunch.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Quinn smiled.
Quinn pulled up a chair and sat down. She fought against her desire to let her gaze rest on Autumn.
“When do you think your bar will be ready to open?” River asked.
“Well, I’ve done all the structural things. I’m waiting on licensing. But that should come through in the next couple ofweeks. I’ve done the big structural things like plumbing and electrical work. Most of what I have left is gutting the inside and rebuilding it to match Autumn’s ideas.”
“You don’t even know if you’ll like my ideas,” Autumn laughed.
“I guess not. But I have a good feeling about it.”
Her eyes met Autumn’s again, and Quinn felt a jolt as the earth shifted beneath her chair. Autumn’s blue eyes seemed to be an even deeper blue than before. From the glances around the table, Autumn’s friends had noted the tension as well.
It was all Quinn could do not to ask Autumn out on the spot. But she knew she wasn’t ready. Quinn wasn’t ready to date again. She certainly wasn’t ready to date a woman as classy as Autumn was. Besides, she needed someone to design her bar. Historically speaking nothing had the potential to fuck up a business relationship quite like getting involved romantically.
Autumn broke eye contact suddenly, and the spell ended. There were a series of knowing glances between the friends. Quinn tried not to chuckle. A little sexual tension wasn’t unheard of when you got a group of queer women together.
Mercifully, Mel made it back quickly with the food. Quinn was happy for the distraction. She liked Mel and her friends, even if Autumn was beyond distracting. Quinn could handle working closely with an attractive queer woman. Even if saidwoman had a habit of looking at her like she was a meal to devour.
She spent the rest of lunch trying not to meet Autumn’s eyes. She could feel the tension between them. They each wanted to look at the other, but, so far, they’d both refused to give into temptation. Quinn thought about the meeting she had set up with Autumn in two days and felt a knot in her stomach. As long as she made finishing the bar her priority Quinn knew everything would work out just fine.
Chapter 6
Autumn didn’t quite have words for the squirming feeling inside her. There had been something downright adorable about Quinn when Autumn had met her at the bar. Quinn had seemed so out of her depth. Now, seeing Quinn maneuver around the busy cafe she was the picture of confidence. Autumn couldn’t help but find this new side of Quinn hot.
What was she even supposed to do with all of the eye contact Quinn was making? Quinn’s small glances were subtle, but they left Autumn feeling dangerously exposed. She was aware that at least two of her friends were analyzing her. It was Piper that broke the silence. She bumped her shoulder against Autumn with a smile. Autumn tried everything to telepathically relay to Piper that she absolutely did not want to talk about Quinn. Her wires must have gotten crossed because Piper sent her a look that clearly said they were about to talk about her.
“You were right. Quinn is cute,” Piper began. Autumn swallowed hard.
“She’s not as much of a disaster as I was expecting though.”
“I’ll admit she seems to know her way around a restaurant.” Autumn admitted.
She watched as Quinn emerged from the kitchen balancing multiple trays and drinks on her arms. Damn her arms looked strong. The tight black shirt showed her figure more than her baggy tee from their first meeting. It was clear that Quinn was fit. Autumn pushed the thoughts out of her mind.
“Yeah, I was curious what was going on with you and Quinn? I didn’t realize the two of you knew one another,” River chimed in.
Great. Now everyone was on the subject of her and Quinn. She watched as all of her friends turned their focus to her.
“We just met. Like she said she wants me to design the layout and decor for her bar,” Autumn offered as nonchalantly as possible.
She watched as her friends twisted their faces, obviously working out the puzzle right in front of them.
“Sure. But there’s a definite vibe between the two of you, right?” Brianna asked.
“There’s definitely something,” Willow chuckled.
“What makes you think there’s a vibe?” Autumn asked.
“The fact that the two of you couldn’t seem to keep your eyes off of each other,” River stated.
“And it looked like you wanted to eat that girl whole.” Willow offered a smile nodding towards Quinn’s direction.
Heat exploded across Autumn’s face, and she knew that she was blushing. She forced herself to sit up a little straighter and leveled her best serious look at her friends.
“Okay. Yes, Quinn is cute, and definitely my type. However, I don’t date clients. Her bar project could be a big deal for me professionally. If I decorate this bar and it gets popular it could really open me up for getting more large projects. So, I absolutely will not be leaning into any attraction I feel for her.”
