Spicy Sapphic Christmas

37. Bunny

THIRTY-SEVEN

bunny

“Seriously?” Siena approached the table where Bunny sat. “You chose a table outside?”

Bunny chuckled and stood. “Merry Christmas to you, too.” Bunny opened her arms and gave Siena a warm hug.

“Merry Christmas.” Siena returned the greeting as she untangled herself from the hug. Her eyes narrowed at Bunny as they took seats opposite each other.

“It’s not outside.”

“You could have fooled me.” Siena turned her head from one open side of the cafe’s veranda to the other.

“All right, so it’s a little outside.” Bunny chuckled. “But I wanted to see the fresh snow.”

“Wasn’t the other night enough for you?” Siena’s shoulders relaxed, and she broke into a far friendlier smile.

“What can I say?” Bunny shrugged and brought the cup to her lips and downed the last of the coffee, already gone from hot to just warm in the few minutes she had been nursing it before Siena arrived.

She was early, just like she had always been for her whole career. It was nice to be embraced for who she was, and encouraged to remain the person she had always been despite the world-shattering changes that had consumed her life the last three days.

Siena still stared at her, but her smirk and the twinkle in her eyes no longer held the suspicion that had lingered there when she had first arrived.

The cold air bit into Bunny’s cheeks and froze her nose. But she still couldn’t shake the happiness that shone brightly within her. She knew so much of it could be attributed to Bea. But since the show a few nights ago—had it really only been a few nights?—she realized this happiness was so much more than having Bea in her life. This was what everyone kept going on about when they rejoiced about living their own truth. The weight of hiding had lifted, and she reveled in the cool crisp air.

She also enjoyed being outside because she was still adjusting to the onslaught of recognition and celebration queer fans were giving out freely now.

“This suits you,” Siena interrupted Bunny’s silent thoughts.

“What does?” Bunny looked down at her outfit. Comfortable yet stylish, and loose. Nothing unusual. In fact, she was certain Siena had seen her in the exact same outfit more than once before.

Siena chuckled and reached over to place a hand over Bunny’s, on the table beside her empty cup. “Happiness. I meant happiness looks good on you.”

“Oh, thank you.” Heat warmed Bunny’s cheeks at the compliment and at her complete misunderstanding.

“Now…” Siena stood again. Her grace flowed from her with such effortless ease. It always had. “…I’m going to get us drinks. And then we need to talk.”

“All right.” Bunny was impressed the words came out normally even though they had to push past the instant lump in her throat.

It didn’t take long for Siena to return. Not nearly long enough for Bunny to work out how much she would have to suck up to Siena, or for how long.

But she knew there were going to be problems. There always were in cases like this, right? When Siena sat back down, Bunny didn’t hesitate before jumping right in. “All right. What’s the damage?”

“Damage?” Siena asked, her face scrunching in confusion and curiosity.

“For my colossal spontaneity.”

“Oh.” Siena smiled and nodded. “To me, to your reputation, or to the Holbrook Foundation? Which one are we talking about?”

“Oh shit. Did they lose supporters because of me?” Bunny slumped in her chair, deflated. She hadn’t thought about them suffering and what a disaster her decisions could mean for them.

“Yes, they did.” Siena moved back slightly in her chair for the waiter to place their coffee on the table. She waited until he had disappeared inside before continuing, “But none that anyone from the Holbrook Foundation is going to miss. Especially considering the Christmas Eve spectacular is officially their highest earning fundraising event.”

“What?” Even Bunny was surprised by how loud her voice was.

“I’m sorry.” Siena chuckled, belying her words. “I couldn’t resist letting you worry for a second.”

“You’re evil.” Bunny pursed her lips before lifting the fresh cup of coffee to her lips. The warm steam swirled in front of her, filling her nostrils with the strong bitter taste. She sipped the drink more because she wanted to hide her grin. She had never bought into the whole floating-on-cloud-nine thing, but she certainly understood it a lot better now.

“Well, karma had to get you sooner or later, and aren’t you lucky it was me?” Siena looked far too pleased with herself. Her eyes twinkled, and her grin couldn’t be hidden by her own coffee cup.

Bunny probably hadn’t successfully covered her own smile either. But that was all right. She didn’t have to hide her happiness or enjoyment of any of this. She didn’t have to hide at all.

It would take some time to get used to that idea, but Bunny pushed back the lifelong fear of showing emotions and clung to this blissful sensation.

“Now.” Siena placed the cup down smoothly. Her face no longer lit up with the joy of the moment.

Bunny knew Siena’s business face better than she knew her own reflection. Especially now with her fight to stop smiling any time of the day. But she wasn’t so far gone she didn’t know how to muster her professionalism.

She took a deep breath and put her own cup down. It clattered with an almighty rattle, spilling a few hot drops onto the back of her hand.

Pulling her hand back instinctively, she hissed in a breath.

“Are you all right?” Siena leaned forward in her chair, her body almost covering the circumference of the small outdoor dining table.

“Yeah.” Bunny shook her fingers before rubbing the affected area with the fingers of her other hand. “I’m fine.”

Siena took a moment to make sure before she continued in her thoughts. “What you did was completely unlike you.”

“I don’t regret a single second of it.”

“I need to know. I need to hear you say it. And if you want to get mad at me that’s okay, but I need to know the truth.”

“The truth?” Bunny didn’t understand what Siena wasn’t getting at. “The truth about what?”

“Is it real?” Siena asked slowly.

Bunny could see the worry and concern now, behind the twinkling that still lingered in her eyes.

“I’m missing something again.” Bunny frowned into her coffee, trying to figure out exactly what Siena wasn’t saying, but she couldn’t figure it out.

“Was it a stunt? Or are you and Bea actually together?”

“What the hell?” Indignation rose in Bunny’s chest, shocking her system like she’d been plunged into a cold ice bath.

“Okay.” Siena sat back, both hands raised with palms facing Bunny. “I know it might seem stupid to ask. But I need to hear it.”

“Why?” Bunny didn’t understand why Siena was being so insistent. She wouldn’t make these decisions lightly. She wouldn’t do what she’d done without just cause.

“Because I’m not the only one who noticed what a drastic change doing this was for you. Your reputation has… quite frankly been very buttoned up and private. You bleed for your fans through your lyrics, and I know they should never ask for more than what you’re willing to give. But please try to see it from the outside looking in.”

Bunny rolled her shoulders and let her head drop back. For a moment, she kept her eyes closed. She had to process all the emotions in such a short time and work through them as quickly as possible before she acted stupid again. Before she acted as though she always knew what she was doing, even if she had no clue whatsoever and made a complete fuckup of everything.

The first cold touch on her cheek made her flinch. The second made her open her eyes.

She smiled as she watched the first flakes of snow coming down.

Stop overthinking it, Bunny.

She scolded herself and brought her head forward to look at Siena. She smiled, and the relief in Siena’s body was obvious as she sighed, her face relaxing.

“It wasn’t a stunt. And it wasn’t something I’d planned either.”

“So you really do love her? The happiness isn’t some fake publicity thing like Jo and Piper?”

“No.” Bunny chuckled. She understood it as best she could. “I suppose asking you when I had ever lied would be the dumbest thing to do. But I’ve never lied to you, Siena. You always knew who I was. Right from the start. And I wouldn’t be faking this for you.”

“I know.” Siena smiled. “But this business makes people like me wary. It’s why I initially asked you to see the Sole Sisters and get a feel for them for me.”

“You thought they might be lying?”

“I thought there might have been the potential.” Siena shrugged. “But I didn’t want to say that and have you go in with any preconceived ideas.”

“Oh.” Bunny blinked as she truly processed what Siena was getting at. “That’s the thing you needed to know? If they were genuinely gay?”

“Yes and no.” Siena bobbed her head from side to side. “I wanted to know if they were truly who they presented themselves to be. Their sexuality was only part of that.”

“Ah.” Bunny nodded, not even trying to stop the smile from spreading across her lips once more. “And now you’ve made your decision?”

“I have.” Siena didn’t continue but instead lifted her cup and took a slow sip.

“Siena.” Bunny snapped, but they both knew there was no malice in the tone. “Have you signed them or not?”

“I couldn’t possibly say. NDAs and all that.” Siena shrugged and laughed, seemingly unable to keep it together any longer. “All right. I got permission from them both first. We signed the contract earlier today. I will be representing them as of the new year.”

“Yes.” Bunny cheered. “That’s amazing. Can you make sure I actually get some time to see my girlfriend while you’re scheduling our lives now?”

Siena laughed. It was a laughter bigger than Bunny deserved with anything she had said.

“What’s so funny?”

“Bea said the exact same thing once we’d signed.”

“Really?” Bunny’s smile spread farther over her face.

“Absolutely. Then of course Jo was very eager to ensure she and Piper still got to see each other regularly as well.”

“Oh, this is going to be a whole new kind of hell for you, isn’t it?” Bunny chuckled, finally relaxing properly and putting one ankle up on her knee as she drank her coffee and watched the snowfall grow heavier. The soft silence hadn’t yet covered the world, and she hoped by the time it did she was curled up in bed with Bea, naked and working on being satiated, and satiating.

“It is. But talking about business and scheduling.” Siena relaxed in her chair as well. Not quite mimicking Bunny, but crossing her legging-clad legs, the skirt she wore riding up a little just above her knee.

“What hell have you planned for us now?” Bunny asked, her face relaxed and her worries not a real concern.

“Holbrook Foundation has requested a repeat performance.”

“What?” Bunny wasn’t entirely sure she understood what that meant.

“They would like to know if you, Bea, Piper, and Jo would be interested in performing again next year for a new Christmas Eve event. New songs, new costumes, no spontaneous kisses to out yourself.”

“Oh, I can’t promise the last one.” Bunny chuckled. “And I can’t say yes.”

“Why not?” Siena asked, shock and confusion crossing her face.

“I won’t do it unless all of us want to. And I won’t make them feel like they have to agree because I already have.”

“My my, Bunny. It looks like love really has softened that icy heart of yours.”

“Well, turns out the heart itself was fine. It just needed the right person to melt the ice it was encased in.”

The right person with perfect tits, Bunny added silently to herself, knowing Bea’s tits were only one of the myriad things Bunny loved about her.

“You should use that in a song.” Siena crinkled her nose.

“I already have,” Bunny said, face heating, and the urge to roll her shoulders needling at her again.

“You’re writing again? Love songs?”

“Well, maybe a little more love in between the angst.”

“I can’t wait to hear them.” Siena smiled, drinking the last of her coffee and setting the cup back down. “And I’ll talk to the others shortly about the Holbrook Foundation’s offer for next year.”

“Thanks, Siena.” Bunny stood up, and when Siena opened her arms for a hug, Bunny embraced her warmly.

“It’s going to take a while to get used to this.”

“Tell me about it.” Bunny chuckled as they both stepped back from the embrace.

“You’ll get used to it. Just don’t beat yourself up too much when you sometimes slip back into control-and-in-charge Bunny.”

“Oh, she’s not going anywhere. Dickhead-and-bad-decision Bunny, however, is going on a very short leash indeed.”

“Excellent.” Siena buttoned her coat up again and turned around. “I’ll see you in the new year. Say hi to Bea for me.”

“Will do.” Bunny waved, and Siena returned the gesture before turning around and walking away briskly.

Bunny didn’t bother sitting back down. She drank the last of her coffee standing, laughed as it clattered again when she set the cup down, paid, and left. Heading home had never felt so wonderful and warm.

Even on a cold snowy afternoon.