A Break in Communications

Chapter 7

Anna

I woke up with the worst hangover, and it wasn’t even from the alcohol. Just from Lucy Masters and her grimy mouth on mine.

“Fuck me,” I groaned, rolling over in bed and picking up my phone. I’d slept in late… it was a Friday off from the office today, little Christmas gift from management, hence the party Thursday night, but I’d still been planning on getting up, maybe even going into the office anyway, just something to get some work done. But I’d slept terribly, seeing Lucy’s smug face in my dreams, and I woke up feeling like I’d been run over.

I’d stormed home last night furious and spiraling over how she’d just grabbed me and kissed me like that, but now with the low glow of morning light coming in through where snow drifted past the window, I had to wake up sober with the even worse realization that I’d been the one to initiate it. Everything from the hazy dream that was that godawful party with too many damn lights, it all came into clarity with a fuzzy emotional distance like I was seeing somebody else’s memories, horrified at my own behavior. How I’d slipped a hand across Lucy’s lower back and gotten all cute and cozy and couple-y with her right after having agreed we’d play into the plausible deniability, and escalating it from there. How I’d taken her by the face and put my food in her mouth. Talked about putting something else in her mouth…

How I’d told her to kiss me. It was my own damn fault. I hated not being able to blame her, but I’d initiated that bullshit. And the only reason I was so upset was because it had felt good, and I was repulsed by my own reactions. I’d kissed her back. Why the hell did I do that?

I groaned, pushing myself up out of bed, nursing a headache and drinking from my water by the bed. Sitting with this, I guess I just… wanted a girlfriend. Something like that. Mortally embarrassing, but here we were. I was lonely and Lucy was right that I hadn’t been with anyone in a while, and I’d had enough to drink that I guess these things just came up to the surface, and—kissing was nice. Despite her being who she was, Lucy was attractive. Kissing an attractive woman was just… enjoyable. We’d been flirting all night, even if it was just pretend. A few glasses of champagne blurred the lines between real and pretend. Brain couldn’t always tell pretend from real. Maybe my drunk brain was just attracted to the pretend version of Lucy.

I wished I could stop replaying that damn kiss in my head. Her fingers on the back of my neck, teasing in my hair. Her hand had quivered, just a little. So at least I wasn’t the only one freaked out by that. Could dish it out but couldn’t take it… maybe she could take it. All too well.

When someone knocked at the front door, I groaned viscerally, my head in my hands, and I stood up, stumbling into the next room. “Get lost. Come back later if you want to annoy me for the documents.”

And as if I hadn’t embarrassed myself enough, it wasn’t Lucy’s voice through the door but Veronica’s. “Oh, shoot. Documents? Is there something I forgot? You should have texted me.”

Veronica—

Christ, I’d been so distracted by Lucy’s grimy face that I’d forgotten all about Veronica apparently making out with Kelcey. Did that part actually happen or was it just the fever dream? Did that party actually happen in the first place?

I opened the door, which was a mistake, because that scheming asshole had played her cards well—Lucy Masters, dressed up nicely in a plush white sweater and her red trousers, chic tan wool trench coat on over top, held up a shopping bag and waved at me with that smug smile she had, next to where Veronica just had random clothes thrown together. Of course, she could pull that look off, whereas I was here in pajamas having literally just rolled out of bed, and I didn’t want to know what my hair looked like. I was ready to see Veronica. I wasn’t ready to see Lucy.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Lucy said, her voice all saccharine sweet. My eyes betrayed me, flicking to her lips before I looked away.

“What are you doing here?” I said before I could think it through. Lucy laughed.

“Baby, we woke up together. You were so tired, I told you to go back to sleep while I got the things for breakfast. You don’t remember, do you?”

I almost gagged on her before I put the pieces together—Veronica here was as much a gossip as her apparent hookup last night, and if I started something with Lucy now in front of her then the whole world would know before nightfall.

I had told Lucy to come back tomorrow for the documents. I should have told her to come back never.

“Ugh…” I rubbed my forehead. “I’m so sorry… I normally never sleep in like this.”

Lucy stepped inside, and my heart jumped when she leaned in towards my cheek—not a kiss, but close enough to look like it was. Why—she was fine with grabbing me and making out with me before but now she couldn’t bring herself to kiss me on the cheek?

Ugh—as if I wanted her to? Jesus Christ, I was deprived. I hadn’t realized how bad I was. I needed to get back onto the dating scene, if I was thinking things like aw, why didn’t Lucy Masters kiss me on her way into my apartment?

“I’m glad you got more sleep, baby girl,” she said. “You work so hard, I worry about you. Now, you and Vern stay out of the way while I make breakfast, okay, baby?”

Baby. Ugh. Whatever, I could match her energy. I shot her the biggest, sweetest smile I could muster, and I said, “You’re the best, babe. I’ll just be talking to Veronica for one second.”

“Oh, you will?” Veronica said, standing up taller. “What’re we talking about?”

I stepped out into the hall, dignity be damned, wearing what I was, and I shut the door and turned to her with my arms crossed, shooting her a look. “What the hell happened last night?”

“You invited me to your party, it was fun.”

“I explicitly did not. Is Masters… is Lucy making things up, or did you actually go hook up with Kelcey?”

She shot me a look equal parts bewildered and horrified. “Oh my god, you’re going to give me grief? You explicitly told me to go talk to her.”

Oh yeah… I’d forgotten about that. I rubbed my forehead. “I didn’t think you actually would… so you did?”

She scratched her head, speaking idly. “Yeah, she’s kind of dumb, but she’s cute, so it was fun.”

It was too early in the morning for this. It wasn’t early, it just felt like five in the morning. I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Since when were you gay?”

She shrugged. “I’m not really gay or anything.”

“You—” I threw my hands up. “Are you for real? You made out with my coworker. Who’s a woman.”

She laughed. “Did a lot more than just making out—”

“Ew—Jesus, stop.”

She tried to suppress her smile, which only made it stand out more. “Invoking the Lord’s name in vain? At Christmastime?”

“Ha, ha, ha, very funny, Veronica.” Okay. My sister had fucked my coworker. That was fine. These things happened at holiday work parties. You know, when your sister showed up and your mom made best friends with your client. Christmas fucking miracle over here. “Okay—so you slept with a woman, which I don’t think I would categorize as heterosexual.”

“I mean, it’s just fun and stuff.” She scratched her head. “It’s not my first time. You remember Emily Lord?”

“What—” I felt the color drain from my face. “Veronica, I don’t want to hear about you with my high school classmates.”

She picked something off the cuff of her sleeve as she dropped, casually, “Apparently she likes getting tied up and degraded—”

“Stop. Stop. Please.”

She threw her hands up like I was being the unreasonable one. “It’s fun to fuck girls, but it doesn’t mean I’m gay—”

“It does .”

“I mean, I don’t think I’d date a girl. Just hookups and, like, orgies and stuff.”

Orgies. I wasn’t following that thought any further. If I had to hear one word about my sister attending a lesbian orgy, I’d have to pluck out my eardrums to make sure I’d never hear a second word. “Okay, okay, great,” I said, massaging my temples. “You’re a totally straight, one hundred percent bona fide heterosexual woman who’s also fucked my coworker.”

“You told me to fuck her.”

“That’s definitely not true.” I sighed, dropping my arms. “Well, I am so glad you had fun. So what now? You and Kelce one-and-done?”

“Nah, we went like seven times last night—”

“Not like that, Veronica.”

“Oh, like—” She shrugged. “Probably. I mean, it was fun, but I dunno. She’s kinda dumb. Why, are you into her?”

“What—no. She… I have a girlfriend,” I said, the words feeling hollow, now with the uncomfortable realization of just how badly I apparently wanted a girlfriend. Veronica rolled her eyes.

“Look, I dunno, maybe you want a third. Why do you ask, then?”

“Just—” I didn’t even know how to answer that. “Just making sure I’m not going to have to contend with my sister dating my coworker.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Oh my god, I already said, I’m not dating her, I’m straight.”

“Right. Of course you are.” Because straight women went seven rounds in one night with another woman. Hell, as far as I was aware, straight women were lucky to finish one round. “Okay, well, fantastic. Let’s circle back to that never. Why are you here?”

“Oh, I just ran into your girlfriend while I was out, and apparently she was buying some stuff for you, so I thought I’d tag along and get a cappuccino.”

Right. Frankly, I didn’t know why I asked. “Last time I gave you one, it was in exchange for keeping Mom from going to my work party, and not only did she come, but so did you.”

“So did Kelcey.”

“Veronica.” I rubbed my forehead. Christ, I was going to hear all the details once I saw Kelcey again… twenty bucks said Kelcey was going to get obsessed with her and ask me for more opportunities to meet Veronica. Veronica was pretty enough and flaky enough that she’d always been leaving a trail of brokenhearted men, and apparently there was a whole set of brokenhearted women I didn’t even know about too.

Emily Lord. She was the one from an uptight Christian family, too… I guess that was how these things went. I’d never think about music class again without thinking about how the goody-two-shoes girl playing flute next to me apparently liked getting tied up and degraded by my little sister.

I was going to throw up.

“There’s a coffee shop just down the road,” I said, but apparently Lucy wasn’t done terrorizing me, because she swung open the door behind me, leaning in the frame.

“Not to interrupt sister talk, but breakfast is coming along, sweetheart. I made you both cappuccinos, too.”

Ugh… I forced myself to smile at her. “Aw, babe. You spoil me.”

Veronica rolled her eyes. “Flips like a switch as soon as it’s the girlfriend… thanks, Luce.”

Luce. Wasn’t that cute? I wondered if Veronica would make friends with Lucy and try to stick around even after the whole thing shook out, after the holidays… I wouldn’t put it past Lucy. Or Veronica.

Mom was probably never going to stop telling me to get together with Lucy for real once she found out. Maybe we’d have to stage a dramatic breakup. Why I’d ignored Lucy’s for-once reasonable advice and leaned into the stupid relationship act, I’d spend the rest of my life trying to figure out.

Once again, Lucy made breakfast, and as much as I hated it, I had to admit she was pretty handy in the kitchen. She made an omelet better than I knew how to, and of course she’d made a portion for Veronica, too, and of course Veronica let her know how oh you’re a much better cook than Anna . Lucy seemed to be having the time of her life, chatting to Veronica over breakfast while I fumed silently, and Veronica took her time with her cappuccino after we finished eating, which meant it took even longer than I was hoping to get rid of her. Went without saying that I gave her a polite smile the second she finished her last drop of drink, shaking the cup over her mouth to get the last bits of foam out, and I said, “Well, Veronica, it’s been nice having you and all, but move your ass out of here. I need to get work done.”

Veronica rolled her eyes, setting her cup down. “You can just admit you want to fuck. I’ll go more readily.”

I closed my eyes, letting out a long sigh through the politest smile I could maintain. I didn’t even like to think the thought.

Worst part was, I’d bet money Lucy was good in bed. And she’d lord it over me, and I’d refuse to ever admit it, but she’d know, and I’d know, and she’d know that I knew.

I really was desperate, if I was letting my mind dwell on things like would Lucy Masters be good in bed. Gross.

“Well,” I said, finally, “some of us like to keep a little mystique.”

“Ooh, mystique,” Veronica said, standing up. “Well, let me just wash my dishes so they don’t get in the way of some filthy mystique over the counter.”

I put my hands up. “Even if I was about to have sex, you talking about it like that instantly kills the mood, you know.”

Lucy hummed next to me, kicking one leg up over the other. “Doesn’t kill any moods for me.”

Ugh—I was not letting her get a rise out of me. I smiled at her, standing up. “She’s not your sister, darling. I’m going to go take a shower. You know—get in the mood.”

And it worked—that smug smile faltered a little, and she took a split second to get it back, with that glint in her eyes she got whenever I called her bluff. Like she was having fun with it? There really was no winning with this damn woman.

And she delivered the coup de grace, raising her eyebrows, and she said, “Need some company?”

My first thought was ew, and my second thought was that I kind of did. Just… not from her. I kind of thought I’d outgrown my horny college years—hadn’t had sex in a long time and hadn’t thought about it once—but the thought of a woman in the shower with me was just…

Just not Lucy Masters. I was going to feel dirty in the shower picturing her there.

“I’ll be fine myself,” I said. “You know—have to save a little mystique.”

Got kind of hard to focus in the shower, as mortifying as it was to admit. I was going to kill Veronica and Lucy for screwing with me as much as they had… I stood under the warm water washing my hair for an eternity, my mind spinning back around and around the memory of the sudden heated kiss from last night. Just… trying to strip away the fact that it was Lucy.

Was it so much to ask for someone else to kiss me like that? To offer to join me in the shower?

I seriously hadn’t been like this in years. I didn’t know what the hell was happening, but if this was Christmas magic, I wanted to send it back to Santa’s workshop.

I needed to get it out of my system. I turned the water warmer, and I leaned back against the shower wall to take care of the… situation. Felt gross knowing Lucy was in the next room, let alone the fact that it was still hard not to picture her there right next to the bathroom, but once I’d gotten into it, I didn’t give a damn. Almost—exciting in some way. Maybe I was an exhibitionist now too. I didn’t care anymore.

I felt embarrassed and awkward once I was done, like I didn’t know how to stand, how to position my arms or where to look, but I went through the motions dutifully getting cleaned up and heading out of the shower, toweling off and getting dressed, spending longer than I needed fussing over my hair. Mostly just to pull myself back together and be able to look Lucy in the eye without my face burning. No use, though—I got out of the bathroom, found Lucy at the kitchen table with her laptop out and another coffee half-finished next to her, and as soon as she looked up at me, I felt my face flare up hot. If I was going to think about masturbating in the shower every time Lucy looked at me now—I’d just jump from the window and hope there was enough snow to bury my body in one fell swoop.

“Nice shower?” she said, and I swear there was just a touch of something in her voice like she knew and was rubbing it in my face. I guess I didn’t normally take that long in the shower. How the hell would she know that, though?

Or maybe I was just paranoid. Probably that. Like how you smoked weed and suddenly thought everyone was an undercover cop out to bust potheads, I rubbed one out in the shower still seeing Lucy’s face and suddenly thought everything was a sign Lucy knew.

“Water wouldn’t heat up properly,” I lied, walking past her with my dirty laundry. “So, awful, all things considered.”

She leaned back in her seat, closing her laptop halfway. “Need something to warm you up, darling?”

I fumbled a little, shooting her a look. “Don’t be disgusting, Masters.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’m offering to make you coffee.”

She—was absolutely not. Ugh—of course she was. Like I thought she was propositioning me? Lucy didn’t want to sleep with me any more than I wanted to sleep with her. Or—I guess—she was making it sound like that on purpose to rile me up, and—and she was winning, by how long I’d just been quiet. I felt my face boiling hot now, and I rolled my eyes hard, huffing and looking away.

“I’m not giving you access to the documents just because you offer me coffee.”

“And if I offer you something else?”

I shot her the most withering look I could manage. She smiled.

“I’m not talking about sex this time either.”

Ugh—she had me on a string and was making me dance. I needed to just leave and go to the office. Except Kelcey would probably go to the office today too, and then I’d have to hear her talk about fucking my sister, and have Lucy on my back making thinly veiled sexual innuendos.

Or maybe she wasn’t actually trying to make sexual innuendos and everything just felt like one because I’d just masturbated in the shower with Lucy in the next room.

“No,” I said, finally, opening the closet and dumping my clothes in the hamper.

“I didn’t even tell you what it was yet.”

“Don’t need to.”

She sighed. “I guess I’ll have all the cookies myself, then.”

“Cookies?” I stood up, shutting the door and leaning back against it, shooting her a look. “Really? Like I’m five years old?”

“You’re never too old for homemade, fresh-baked cookies, Preston.” She took a Tupperware from her bag, setting it down on the table, and she popped open the lid, pulling out a snickerdoodle and taking a bite, absently. “Veronica told me they’re your favorite.”

That damn woman. I rolled my eyes, picking my laptop up out of my bag and sitting down at the table across from her. “You’re not bribing me with cookies, Masters. You really put in the time to bake a batch of cookies thinking I’d hand over the documents for that?”

She laughed, leaning against the table, her chin in her hand, elbow propped on the table. “You’re so cynical, dear. It doesn’t suit such a pretty face.”

I rolled my eyes, opening my laptop, and I didn’t know what made me smile drily. Probably just the tackiness of it all. “Are you this much of a flirt with every girl you meet?”

She laughed brighter this time, eyes twinkling as she finished off her cookie. “What’s that? Is Anna Preston getting jealous over me? Possessive?”

“Ew.”

“I baked them together with my grandmother to spend some quality time with her. And we had some of them together over tea and talked about you.”

I arched my brows painfully at her. “You hang out talking to your grandmother about me, Masters? Isn’t that a little… obsessive, just for someone you’re competing over a promotion with?”

She put a hand to her chest. “Preston. Is that really all I am to you?”

God, everything really rolled right off this woman. “No… silly of me. Of course, you’re the love of my life.”

“That’s better,” she said, sliding the container of cookies my way. “Seriously, though, have some. My grandmother and I already had more than we should.”

“I’m not giving you the documents in exchange for cookies.”

“Ah… shame. Just take some for free then. You win.”

Seriously, what the hell was she thinking? That I’d actually hand it over for a cookie? Did she take me for a child? Even went out of her way to find out my favorites… I took a cookie, and she stood up, turning on the coffee machine. I didn’t really even register it until she’d finished an americano and set it down for me, and I raised an eyebrow at her. She smiled serenely.

“Can’t have a Christmas cookie without a hot drink, dear.”

Whatever… if she was this desperate, I could use it to my advantage. Get some work in while I had Lucy Masters as my personal assistant to bring me coffee and snacks. I picked up the drink, sipping lightly. “Little overextracted,” I said, and she didn’t take the bait, just went back to her laptop and tapped something out.

“Noted,” she said. “I’ll scale it down to twenty grams next time.”

Hm. Yeah, this could work. “I look forward to it,” I said.

“You should,” she said.

Well, if Lucy was happy with it, that was the only thing that mattered, now, wasn’t it?

Ugh. The cookies were good, too.