“No, babe. I really can’t.” Billie stepped closer and took Debra’s hand. “I can’t expect Nina to sit around all day while I’m out having lunch.”
Debra lifted a shoulder and smirked. “I spoke to her this morning.”
“You…what?”
“She was great about it. She agreed that you should go out for lunch. I believe she also asked me to tell you to stop pretending that you don’t need breaks.”
“Babe, if I take a break, it means I finish later. I’d rather work through and grab something when I can, so I can leave on time and be with you.” Billie lifted a hand and cupped Debra’s chin. “Surely you’d rather I did that, too?”
“What I’d rather…is you looked after yourself and ate actual food when you’re supposed to. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the processed food wrappers in your office bin.”
Damn it.Debra was too observant sometimes.
“I can’t just—” Billie cut herself off when she noticed Debra looking at her likethat. The way she always did now. As though Billie was the easiest choice she’d ever made in her life.
“Come on, baby. It’s been weeks of you working yourself into the ground. The world isn’t going to end if you step away for an hour.”
“That’s not?—”
Debra lifted a brow.
“…entirely untrue,” Billie conceded, her shoulders slumping.
She glanced towards her office, then the fitting rooms, then back at Debra. Everythingwascovered, and Nina rarely had any issues handling the place while she was gone. The shop was running smoothly—better than it had in years, actually. She exhaled a breath and admitted defeat. “You planned this.”
“I did,” Debra said, unapologetically. “And before you ask, yes, I know exactly where we’re going.”
“Okay, okay.” Billie lifted her hand. “I’ll just get my things together. Give me five, yeah?”
“I’ll give you ten so long as you walk out of that door with me.” Debra leaned up and kissed Billie, one hand on her hip as she squeezed gently. “Go on. I’ll wait here.”
Yes, Debra should wait there. Because the last time she’d followed Billie into her office, they’d locked the door and spent an hour pressed against her desk.
Billie spun on her heel and rushed down the hallway. She would thank Nina later via a text message, and then she would make sure she had a bonus in her pay at the end of the month.
Once Billie had everything she needed, she was back in front of Debra and that divine smile she woke up to most days. “Okay. Done. I swear you just like to rush me because you know you can get away with it now.”
“Eh.” Debra shrugged. “You love me, though.”
Billie didn’t even waver as she said, “I really do.”
Debra froze, visibly swallowing as Billie took her hand and turned her fully around.
“I mean that, Debra. Idolove you. I’minlove with you.”
“I-I love you, too.” Debra pressed herself to Billie, looking up at her through those long lashes. “Everything you are, everything you’ve overcome…God, I’m so in love with you, Billie.”
Billie stroked her palm up Debra’s neck and cupped her cheek. “You’ve changed my life, babe. You’ve shown me that my past is not who I am. I couldn’t evernotlove you for that.”
Debra scanned the shop floor and smiled. “Maybe we should get out of here and discuss this later. I’ll only pin you to the nearest surface otherwise, and with the way I’m currently feeling, I wouldn’t care who walked in.”
A slow smile spread on Billie’s lips at that. “Come on. You’re mine. Not everyone else’s.”
They stepped out onto the pavement together, Debra’s hand finding Billie’s automatically, their fingers threading so effortlessly together as they did these days.
God, life had been good. Better than good.
They’d fallen into a rhythm that felt almost unreal. They spent every evening together unless Billie was working late, they enjoyed mornings that blurred into coffee and conversation, and weekends were spent wandering around London without urgency. They were ‘joined at the hip’ as Ella had teased after dinner a few weeks ago. Maeve had also agreed with Billie’s best friend’s assessment of the situation when she’d joined the three of them later on for wine and far too much laughter.
