WMC - Hands Open (1/8)
Damn her. Lindsay could swear that the feisty redhead knew what she did to her. The gentle, seemingly mistaken brushes against her as they left the diner. The sly glances across rooms and tables that she sent. It was pushing Lindsay over the edge and fast. It was almost to the point where she felt as if the next time Cindy was within reach, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from grabbing the woman and kissing her, no matter who was watching. At first she had found the reporter a slight annoyance. Then she proved herself useful. And then Lindsay fell. And she fell hard. She tried her hardest every time she was in a room with the woman to pretend like nothing was going on inside her head. It would make her life hell if word got out that she was pining after the pesky reporter who was married to her job. There was no room in her life for something serious, and Lindsay knew this. Still, she couldn’t help but dream. “Hell, I could deal with a one night stand.” She muttered.
“What?”
Lindsay’s head snapped up to find Cindy and Jill scooting into the other side of the booth. “Nothing. Just thinking out loud.” She said, sitting up and moving over so Claire could join them. “Please tell me all three of you had a better day than I did.”
“I would have loved to have your day. Just getting to sit on your ass? Amazing.” Cindy said, sliding out of her jacket. Lindsay tried not to let her eyes dwell on the low-cut shirt she was wearing and instead tried to focus on her drink. “I had to run around this damn city all day. Not on an interesting story, or getting myself into danger, no. Nothing as fun as that. I was trying to get the massive amounts of errands done that I have let pile up. And I think I need to learn to handle them as they arise. Because that whole doing a months worth in one day was not a smart idea.”
“So, why don’t you seem as frazzled as you should, and who was that girl who you were giving such an affectionate hug to when I ran into you?” Jill asked, smiling.
“Are you suggesting that not only am I gay, but that I got laid today?” Cindy smirked. Lindsay knew that smirk. And it scared her that it caused a pang of jealousy deep in the pit of her stomach. “What if I said I wasn’t going to tell you anything?”
“I would say you are getting much better at the lying thing.” Claire said, a smile on her face. “So, who was she?”
“If you nosy women must know, her name is Michaela. I’ve known her since I was about seven or eight. And she was back in town for the day, and we hung out. Nothing more. Honestly.” She smiled at Lindsay, and the dark-haired woman saw the lie in her eyes. There was more, but she wasn’t sharing. For her own privacy, or for Lindsay’s sake, she didn’t know. Lindsay tore her gaze away from the redhead as Cindy’s phone started ringing. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She wandered off to the other end of the diner, leaving Lindsay at the table with Jill and Claire, who decided their new hobby was the younger woman’s sex life.
“Do you think there is more than what she is telling?” Jill asked, watching Cindy over her shoulder.
“Definitely. And I bet you anything she is talking to this Michaela person right now, judging by that goofy smile on her face.” Claire replied, suddenly looking at Lindsay. “What do you think?”
“I think it is stupid to sit here and discuss her sex life. If she even has one. Let me up.” She said, her voice harsher than she originally planned it to be. Claire silently let her out of the booth and Cindy cast her a confused glance as Lindsay passed her to leave the diner. She was almost safely to her Jeep when she heard the footsteps.
“Where are you going?” Cindy asked, jogging slightly to catch up with her. “What’s wrong?”
“So, you have a bed buddy?”
“Bed buddy? Did you seriously just use the phrase bed buddy with a straight face?” Cindy said, smiling for a moment before she realized Lindsay wasn’t joking around. “Lindsay, I am not sleeping with Michaela. I promise. Besides, at this exact point in time, my heart does kind of belong to someone.” Cindy could almost feel Lindsay’s heart snap at those words.
“I have to go. I just need to be alone for a while. Think about some things. I’ll…I’ll catch you later.” She climbed into her Jeep and Cindy silently watched her drive off.
“Well? I take it she didn’t exactly invite you home with her.” A voice said from behind Cindy.
“She thinks I am sleeping with you!”
“You passed up that boat a while back, honey. Why don’t you just tell her that you love her? It would make this whole thing a lot easier. And I wouldn’t have to threaten to tell embarrassing stories to your friends. Like, you know, that one time you fell in the Maumee River.”
“Michaela, shut up.” Cindy said, turning to face her friend. “This was supposed to make her grow a pair and actually approach me. But all it is doing is pushing her further away. At this rate, I am never going to get her. Anyways, don’t you have somewhere to be? Like, you know, taking care of your daughter?”
“She has this thing called a father. Trust me, he is a thing. She is safe at home.”
“When do you go back to Vancouver?”
“Well, the bitch’s funeral is in the morning, so, sometime right after that.”
“Do you have to refer to your mother as the bitch?”
“Cindy, you know exactly what I had to deal with involving that woman. Stop trying to change the subject.”
“So, this must be Michaela.” Claire said, leading Jill across the parking lot. She shook the woman’s hand. “I am Claire and this is Jill. We help keep this busybody out of jail for busting rules.”
“Someone has to.” Jill said, looking at the redhead. “Where did Lindsay go?”
“Home, I guess.” Cindy replied, starting to head towards her car. “Michaela, do you need a ride back to your place?”
“Yeah. I could use one. Easier than other ways.” She said, smiling. “It was nice meeting you two.” She called, climbing into the car. As they drove away, Claire and Jill looked at each other.
“If they aren’t sleeping together, they will at some point. I swear I saw sparks flying.” Jill said.
“What?”
Lindsay’s head snapped up to find Cindy and Jill scooting into the other side of the booth. “Nothing. Just thinking out loud.” She said, sitting up and moving over so Claire could join them. “Please tell me all three of you had a better day than I did.”
“I would have loved to have your day. Just getting to sit on your ass? Amazing.” Cindy said, sliding out of her jacket. Lindsay tried not to let her eyes dwell on the low-cut shirt she was wearing and instead tried to focus on her drink. “I had to run around this damn city all day. Not on an interesting story, or getting myself into danger, no. Nothing as fun as that. I was trying to get the massive amounts of errands done that I have let pile up. And I think I need to learn to handle them as they arise. Because that whole doing a months worth in one day was not a smart idea.”
“So, why don’t you seem as frazzled as you should, and who was that girl who you were giving such an affectionate hug to when I ran into you?” Jill asked, smiling.
“Are you suggesting that not only am I gay, but that I got laid today?” Cindy smirked. Lindsay knew that smirk. And it scared her that it caused a pang of jealousy deep in the pit of her stomach. “What if I said I wasn’t going to tell you anything?”
“I would say you are getting much better at the lying thing.” Claire said, a smile on her face. “So, who was she?”
“If you nosy women must know, her name is Michaela. I’ve known her since I was about seven or eight. And she was back in town for the day, and we hung out. Nothing more. Honestly.” She smiled at Lindsay, and the dark-haired woman saw the lie in her eyes. There was more, but she wasn’t sharing. For her own privacy, or for Lindsay’s sake, she didn’t know. Lindsay tore her gaze away from the redhead as Cindy’s phone started ringing. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She wandered off to the other end of the diner, leaving Lindsay at the table with Jill and Claire, who decided their new hobby was the younger woman’s sex life.
“Do you think there is more than what she is telling?” Jill asked, watching Cindy over her shoulder.
“Definitely. And I bet you anything she is talking to this Michaela person right now, judging by that goofy smile on her face.” Claire replied, suddenly looking at Lindsay. “What do you think?”
“I think it is stupid to sit here and discuss her sex life. If she even has one. Let me up.” She said, her voice harsher than she originally planned it to be. Claire silently let her out of the booth and Cindy cast her a confused glance as Lindsay passed her to leave the diner. She was almost safely to her Jeep when she heard the footsteps.
“Where are you going?” Cindy asked, jogging slightly to catch up with her. “What’s wrong?”
“So, you have a bed buddy?”
“Bed buddy? Did you seriously just use the phrase bed buddy with a straight face?” Cindy said, smiling for a moment before she realized Lindsay wasn’t joking around. “Lindsay, I am not sleeping with Michaela. I promise. Besides, at this exact point in time, my heart does kind of belong to someone.” Cindy could almost feel Lindsay’s heart snap at those words.
“I have to go. I just need to be alone for a while. Think about some things. I’ll…I’ll catch you later.” She climbed into her Jeep and Cindy silently watched her drive off.
“Well? I take it she didn’t exactly invite you home with her.” A voice said from behind Cindy.
“She thinks I am sleeping with you!”
“You passed up that boat a while back, honey. Why don’t you just tell her that you love her? It would make this whole thing a lot easier. And I wouldn’t have to threaten to tell embarrassing stories to your friends. Like, you know, that one time you fell in the Maumee River.”
“Michaela, shut up.” Cindy said, turning to face her friend. “This was supposed to make her grow a pair and actually approach me. But all it is doing is pushing her further away. At this rate, I am never going to get her. Anyways, don’t you have somewhere to be? Like, you know, taking care of your daughter?”
“She has this thing called a father. Trust me, he is a thing. She is safe at home.”
“When do you go back to Vancouver?”
“Well, the bitch’s funeral is in the morning, so, sometime right after that.”
“Do you have to refer to your mother as the bitch?”
“Cindy, you know exactly what I had to deal with involving that woman. Stop trying to change the subject.”
“So, this must be Michaela.” Claire said, leading Jill across the parking lot. She shook the woman’s hand. “I am Claire and this is Jill. We help keep this busybody out of jail for busting rules.”
“Someone has to.” Jill said, looking at the redhead. “Where did Lindsay go?”
“Home, I guess.” Cindy replied, starting to head towards her car. “Michaela, do you need a ride back to your place?”
“Yeah. I could use one. Easier than other ways.” She said, smiling. “It was nice meeting you two.” She called, climbing into the car. As they drove away, Claire and Jill looked at each other.
“If they aren’t sleeping together, they will at some point. I swear I saw sparks flying.” Jill said.