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Robin watched her thoughtfully. Though she’d changed her mind about digging deep into Sienna, it had happened anyway, naturally. And Robin was glad she’d left her list in her pocket.
‘What happened to your ex?’ she asked.
‘Married the yoga woman and, to my knowledge, they’re still together,’ Sienna said, her voice going tight. ‘Good for her, I guess.’
Without thinking, Robin reached over and laid her hand flat over Sienna’s fingers.
Sienna froze, her dark eyes dropping down to where Robin’s palm rested.
But she didn’t pull away. Not immediately.
They just sat together in the firelight, holding hands while the rain drummed on the roof, letting the tape roll on.
Sienna suddenly took her hand away to catch a cough from her mouth. ‘The fire smoke,’ she said, sipping her wine.
Robin nodded. She would not touch Sienna like that again. She’d been polite about it for a moment and then removed herself. The signal was clear.
It was a shame to learn how unwanted her touch was at that very moment. Because Robin knew that her crush had just deepened. And that she was completely alone in it.
Twenty-Five
They had been chatting for a while, drifting through easy topics—families (both only children), plans for the future (Robin had none, Sienna had far too many), and other assorted getting-to-know-you gubbins. It was a comfortable back-and-forth.
Yet underneath her cool exterior, Sienna’s mind was racing, completely fixated on what had happened earlier on.
Robin had reached across and laid her hand over Sienna’s, and for a handful of seconds, Sienna hadn’t moved. Because she hadn’t hated it. It felt almost… nice.
And then, for reasons she didn’t quite understand, Sienna had broken the contact. She’d pulled her hand back and faked a cough.
She didn’t know why she’d let her touch her. She didn’t know why she’d stopped it. It was all a mystery.
She checked her watch. Not long now.
‘What about you?’ Sienna asked. ‘How did you end up behind a microphone? I doubt you were auditing metrics.’
Robin chuckled. ‘It’s pretty simple,’ she said with a small, dimpled smile. ‘It was just something I always wanted to do. I’ve always liked talking to people, finding out what makes them tick, getting them to admit the stuff they usually only think in the middle of the night. And I like podcasts, always have. Plus, my friends always came to me about their love lives. Put it all together, and it was a natural choice.’
Sienna listened, fascinated by the simplicity of it. She just followed her desire and intuition wherever it led, no overthinking.
Must be nice.
‘And... your own love life?’ Sienna asked quietly, the question slipping out before she realised she’d asked it. ‘How’s that going?’
Robin looked into the firelight thoughtfully.
‘I thought I found love a few times,’ Robin admitted softly. ‘Two women, back in my twenties. Both times, I threw myself in headfirst. Full dramatic romance, moving in too fast, assuming we were written in the stars.’ She paused with a bittersweet smile. ‘And both times, they turned out to be completely different from who I thought they were. Big, horrible breakups, crying in the bath, calling them up at three in the morning years later and asking if they’d ever really loved me, the whole thing.’
‘In a group call or…’
Robin chuckled. ‘Separate occasions. Not even I’m that dramatic.’
Sienna felt a familiar, analytical urge rise. ‘If you had checked your basic compatibility—’
‘I know,’ Robin interrupted gently. ‘I know your podcast could have saved me from those experiences. If I’d called in to you, I probably wouldn’t have made it to a second date with either of them.’
Sienna awaited the punchline.
‘But I wouldn’t change any of it,’ Robin said quietly. ‘I learned things about myself through those breakups that I really needed to know. I learned what I’d put up with, what I wouldn’t, and how strong I actually am when everything falls apart. The pain sucked. But...’ She shrugged.
