“I can relate,” Michelle said. “I met my first wife at uni as well.”
“Oh?” Marin started rooting through boxes as they talked, looking for flutes so they could share a champagne toast.
“Yes, we were together for over twenty years, so I know a little bit about how it feels to get back into the dating game after so long.”
“I guess you do. Yeah, Andrew and I were together about twenty-five years.” She pulled three small wineglasses out of a box. “Think these will do?”
“Absolutely.” Audrey lifted the bottle of champagne and wrapped a dish towel around the cork, then twisted it off with a satisfying pop. She poured three glasses and handed one to each of them. “To Marin’s new house.”
They clinked glasses, and then Marin took a sip. The champagne was light and sweet, fizzing against her tongue. She rarely drank it, because she hadn’t felt as if she had many things in her life to celebrate, but she loved champagne. She ought to drink it more often. Shewould.
“Now let’s hear about whatever woman drama you’ve got going on. Someone you met on the dating site?” Audrey asked. She, Marin, and Michelle settled on barstools at the kitchen island with a view of the backyard. Ember was on the floor nearby, chewing on a Nylabone.
“I did go on a few dates with someone I met on the app.” Marin took another sip of champagne, deciding how much she could share. If Charlotte was questioning her sexuality, then she needed to remain anonymous in Marin’s story, at the very least.
“And?” Audrey pressed.
“And she should have been perfect for me. We had a lot in common, but there was just no chemistry.”
Audrey frowned. “Bummer, but yeah, you can’t force it if there’s no spark.”
“But there’s someone else you’re interested in?” Michelle asked.
“I’ve become a lesbian cliché and fallen for a friend.” Marin was suddenly glad to have friends to talk this through with, because it had been eating her up inside, and maybe they could help her sort it out.
“Sounds like us last year,” Michelle said, giving Audrey a fond look.
“We tried so hard to fight it.” Audrey laughed. “Then I invited her over for a lesson on the pottery wheel, and one thing led to another ...”
Michelle looked suspiciously flustered.
Marin found herself laughing. “I can see how that might happen. I mean, we’ve all seenGhost, right?” She pretended to fan herself.
“Right.” Audrey grinned. “I’d always wanted to recreate that scene with someone, and well ... it was even hotter in real life, but that’s a story for another day. Right now, we want to hear about this friend you’ve fallen for. Any chance she feels the same way?”
“That’s the question.” Marin stared into her champagne, watching as bubbles climbed the glass. “She had told me she’s straight, so I assumed I was the only one catching feelings. I was trying so damn hard not to let it interfere with our friendship. Being closeted for so long, married to a man while knowing I preferred women, I know a thing or two about keeping my feelings to myself.”
“That sounds miserable,” Audrey said.
“It was, and that’s how I started to feel when I was around her. I didn’t know how to move past it so I could focus on the women I meton the app. And then, about a week and a half ago, we were hanging out at my apartment, and we had a bit too much wine. I was telling her ...” Marin paused, cheeks heating. “I was disappointed because it hadn’t worked out with the woman I went on a date with. I’d been anticipating kissing a woman so much, and it was a bust. I was devastated about it, and the next thing I knew, Ch—my supposedly straight friend kissed me.”
Audrey straightened on her stool. “Oh shit! Maybe not so straight after all. Was it hot? The kiss?”
Marin’s cheeks were burning now. She felt as flustered as Michelle had looked a few minutes ago.
Michelle smirked. “I think it’s safe to assume the answer is yes.”
Marin nodded, then coughed awkwardly. “It was ... hotter than I knew a kiss could be.”
“Good for you,” Audrey said. “Sounds like you were overdue for that kind of passion. How are things with you and your friend now?”
“Terrible.” Marin sighed. “We’ve barely spoken since. I think it really freaked her out.”
“Butshekissedyou, not the other way around?” Audrey asked.
Marin nodded. “I was drunk, but I’d never lose control like that. I won’t even initiate a hug with a female friend for fear of overstepping boundaries. She initiated the kiss.”
“Sounds like it was pretty intense for you both.” Audrey looked thoughtful. “My guess is that your friend might have just realized she’s not straight, which you’ve probably realized, too, since you’re protecting her identity. She’s probably really freaked out right now.”
