She took a drink of her beer and leaned back in her chair, a contented look on her face. “I really needed this night. And it doesn’t seem like you Vermonters pay attention to online memes. No one’s said anything to me since I got here.”
“Did people actually stop you in the street?” I asked. “I mean, I don’t think I’d recognize a person from a meme if I saw them in real life.”
“Mostly people who knew me, I guess,” she said. “Once word spread that it wasmein the meme, it felt like everyone was talking about it. And if you know Boston, it’s easy to tell where that photo was taken.”
“Ah.”
“I mean, to be fair, most people wanted to give me a fist bump and congratulate me on my badassery, but that meme imploded my life, so I didn’t really feel like celebrating.”
“Don’t blame you.”
“Someday, I’ll appreciate it…maybe.”
I grinned at her. “There are worse things to be known as than ‘girl against the patriarchy,’ that’s for damn sure.”
She lifted her beer and tapped it against mine. “I’ll drink to that.”
19
Phoebe
I was in a happy haze by the time we left the restaurant, thanks in part to the two beers I’d had with dinner. The food had been amazing, and I was so happy to be back on good terms with Taylor. Right now, I was wondering how I’d gone through thirteen years of my life without her in it. How had I been such a coward that I’d let that happen?
“I have an hour before I need to start warming up for my set at V and V,” I told her. “Want to walk along the waterfront?”
“I’d love that. It’s about a ten-minute walk from here, though. Are your shoes comfortable?”
I nodded. “They’re very comfortable.”
Taylor gave my sandals a skeptical look, but they only had a one-inch heel, and they were truly some of the most comfortable shoes I owned. “Let’s go, then.”
We walked down Main Street toward Waterfront Park. It was a welcome splash of green among all the bricks and cement, with tree-lined walking paths and a boardwalk, which was where Taylor led me. Before us, Lake Champlain glistened against the sunset, as wide and vast as the ocean, from this vantage point, at least. Gentle waves slapped the shore, and a vee of geese glided by overhead.
“Gorgeous,” I proclaimed.
“Doesn’t compare to Boston, I bet,” Taylor said.
“We do have some nice harbor views, but this has a different charm.” I rested my arms on the wooden railing, gazing out over the water. “It doesn’t look the same as the ocean. The water’s greener, and it smells different, although my mind boggles at a lake this big.”
“It’s nice. I guess I sometimes forget I live so close to one of the Great Lakes. My life tends to revolve around the forest instead.”
“Maybe you should make time for the lake too. Can you take a boat out on it?” I asked, glancing toward the marina, where neat rows of boats were moored.
“I’m sure you can, but I have no idea how.”
“Maybe we should find out while I’m here.”
“Maybe,” Taylor said. She was staring out at the water, her expression distant.
I couldn’t quite read her vibe right now. We’d had such a nice dinner, friendly and relaxed, but now she seemed to be pulling back. I didn’t think it was anything I’d said. Maybe she just felt like she needed some boundaries with me, lest we get carried away like we had the night the puppies were born.
I wasn’t the only one who still felt the tug of attraction between us. I’d seen her check out my dress earlier tonight and the way her gaze occasionally lingered on my breasts. We were both feeling it, but surely people could be friends with someone they were attracted to. It must happen all the time. And if things got out of hand, I could always head back to Boston early.
Or stay in Vermont a bit longer. I’d gotten a call that morning from a woman in town, asking for my financial advice after she’d seen my post in the local Facebook group. If I got enough of those calls, I might be able to stay until the puppies were weaned. In fact, as I stood at this windswept railing beside Taylor, I hoped I got that chance.
“We should head back soon, so you’re not late for your set,” she said, glancing at me.
“Yep.” I stared at her, mesmerized by the way the fading sun played through the russet layers of her hair and gleamed in her eyes. The pull between us was almost magnetic. I leaned toward her before I’d even realized what I was doing.
