Page 26 of She’ll Steal Your Heart
“I still can’t quite believe that happened.” She sighed happily as the credits began to roll.
When Mia didn’t respond, Lauren glanced at her. Mia was curled on her side with her eyes closed, her face relaxed and peaceful in sleep.
Oh.
Lauren’s heart squeezed at the sight. Andoof, there was that tingle in her belly again, but this time, it was for the woman on the couch beside her. Mia looked impossibly beautiful, fast asleep with her hair in her face and a cat curled over her feet. Lauren reached for the remote control and turned off the TV. Then she took the throw blanket that had been neatly folded over the back of the couch and draped it across Mia’s legs, careful not to disturb her.
Quietly, Lauren stood and put on her shoes. She picked up her bag and let herself out of Mia’s apartment, turning the button on the doorknob so that it locked behind her. And then she headed back to the hostel to write smutty fan fiction on her phone. Anything to keep from fantasizing about the woman whose apartment she’d just left.
8
Mia’s head was still sore as she opened the café on Wednesday morning. She’d woken in the dark hours of the night, disoriented to find herself on the couch with a blanket tucked carefully around her. And then she’d felt embarrassed that she’d passed out and left Lauren to fend for herself in Mia’s apartment.
But Lauren had locked the door behind herself on her way out, and by the time Mia made it downstairs to the café this morning, she had a link to a Google doc in her inbox, the new Clairantha scene that Lauren had told her about. Mia was still boggled that anyone could write on their phone, let alone write as well as Lauren did. She hadn’t had a chance to read the new fic yet, but she couldn’t wait to dive in on her lunch break.
Just as she was about to duck out to eat at her desk, she saw Josie coming through the front door of the café. Mia waved her over. Josie sometimes stopped in before the bar opened, and Mia had expected she’d be in today to check on Chaos and Mayhem, who had originally been her foster kittens.
“Your usual?” she asked Josie.
“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but make it a decaf,” Josie told her.
“Blasphemy,” Mia teased as she grabbed a cup to make Josie’s latte. “Cutting back on caffeine?”
“Mm,” Josie said with a somewhat wistful expression. “How are my troublesome duo doing so far?”
“No problems at all.” Mia gestured toward the cat enclosure. “I think the couple who adopted them just didn’t realize what they were signing up for. They seem like perfectly normal kittens to me, maybe a little more energetic than average.”
“I suspect you’re right,” Josie said. “But at least their adopters abided by the contract and returned them to me instead of taking them to the shelter. I’m sure we’ll have them adopted again in no time, and in the meantime, they’ll probably enjoy all the attention here.”
“They certainly seem to be enjoying it so far,” Mia said as she frothed Josie’s latte. “Sticking around for a bit? I was about to take lunch.”
Josie nodded, handing Mia her credit card to pay for her drink. “I’d love to sit with you while you eat.”
“Want anything to go with that latte? I was going to snag one of these biscotti for myself.”
“Yes, please,” Josie said with a smile.
Mia put two biscotti on a plate and led the way to her office, where she settled behind her desk. Josie sat in the guest chair, sipping her latte. They hadn’t seen each other since Mia brought Lauren to Dragonfly, and she hoped things wouldn’t be awkward between them because of it.
“Lauren’s working here part time now,” she said, just to get it out of the way.
Josie took another sip. “That’s fine. I’m glad she’s doing better. You’re a good friend.”
Mia shrugged. “I believe her when she says she did it for her brother, that she’d never do anything like that again. Hopefully, I’m not wrong about her.”
“I believe her too.” Josie sighed, settling in her chair. “And I respect the way she’s taking responsibility for her crime. She deserves a second chance, and I’m glad you’re giving her one.”
Mia nodded as she reached into her desk to pull out a protein bar. She took a dutiful bite, even though she wasn’t particularly hungry, and then she bit back a grimace because it was dry and flavorless. She really needed to get better at meal planning.
“That good, huh?” Josie asked with a smirk.
“Someday, I’ll learn to grocery shop for myself.” Mia took another unenthusiastic bite. “So what’s new with you and Eve?”
“Well,” Josie said. “Let’s just say…kittens may not be the only reason we’re up for middle-of-the-night feedings soon.”
“Oh.” Mia sat up straight, blinking at Josie in surprise. “You two are having a baby? Wait…” She glanced at the decaf latte in Josie’s hands. “Are you pregnant?”
Josie was practically bouncing in her seat, her excitement palpable. “Well, we’re trying. I don’t know if I’m pregnant yet, but I thought I should start weaning myself off caffeine just in case.”
