Page 37 of She’ll Steal Your Heart
A key turned in the lock, and Mia looked up as Lauren stepped through the door, her arms laden with brown paper grocery bags. “Hi,” she said breathlessly as she bent to set them on the floor.
“Hi yourself,” Mia said. “I thought you might have left. Where are all your things?”
“I put them in your linen closet. I don’t like to leave a mess. Why did you think I’d left?”
“Your bags were gone,” Mia said, realizing how silly that sounded. Of course Lauren had put her bags away.
Lauren gave her a quizzical look. “Is it okay that I put them in the closet?”
“Totally fine. Make yourself at home.” Mia gestured around the room, her spirits already boosted now that Lauren was here.
“Behold,” Lauren said with a smile, gesturing to the grocery bags. “You’re about to have food in your pantry. And I brought home a chicken we can roast in the oven for dinner, if that sounds good.”
“That sounds great, but you really don’t have to stock my kitchen for me.”
Lauren waved a hand. “I get an employee discount, and most of this stuff was on clearance, so it didn’t cost much. I’m an excellent bargain shopper.”
“I’d say so.” Mia set her laptop on the table and got up to help her put everything away, feeling vaguely frivolous that she’d never paid much attention to the price of her food. She tended to look for what was quick and easy to prepare.
Once the groceries were put away, Lauren took out a bowl and mixed several spices together with some olive oil, which she rubbed on the chicken. Next she prepared two potatoes, and then she put it all in the oven. The sight of so much food made Mia’s stomach rumble, reminding her that she’d only had a protein bar for lunch.
“Anything exciting happen at the café today?” Lauren asked as she worked.
“Not especially. It was busy, but uneventful.”
Lauren gave her a knowing look. “Doesn’t Beth usually come in on Tuesdays?”
“I didn’t see her today,” Mia said. “And honestly, what am I doing? I don’t think she’s interested.”
“I disagree,” Lauren said as she wiped down the counter. “She doesn’t seem interested in adopting a cat, so I suspect she’s visiting for an entirely different reason. But maybe it would be easier for you to start with a dating app?”
“Maybe,” Mia agreed, but she heard the skepticism in her voice. “I know it’s time for me to start dating. I’m just so intimidated by the process.”
“Let’s set up a profile for you while the chicken cooks,” Lauren suggested with an eager smile. “It’ll be fun. The app gives you control. You don’t have to say yes to anyone if you don’t want to, but it can be fun to browse profiles and see who’s out there.”
“Well, okay.” Mia had been putting this off for weeks now, and she really did need to take the plunge. She wasn’t getting any younger, and she didn’t want to be alone. “Can we make an account for you too? Or do you already have one?”
Lauren’s expression became hesitant. “I do have one, but it’s been deactivated for alongtime.”
“Let’s reactivate it. Then we can browse women together.” Mia glanced at Lauren over her shoulder as they walked toward the couch. “Or do you date other genders as well?”
“I dated a few men when I was younger,” Lauren said as she sat beside Mia. “I guess that makes me bi or pan, but lately, I only seem to be interested in women.” She shrugged. “I don’t really put a label on myself.”
“No reason you should have to.” Mia reached for her phone.
“I usually just call myself queer.”
“See, that word had a different connotation when I was younger,” Mia said. “I heard it used as a slur, and now I have a hard time using it to describe myself.”
Lauren nodded. “I get that, although I’m glad my generation has reclaimed it as an empowering word instead of a slur.”
“Your generation.” Mia groaned, elbowing her playfully. “Way to make me feel old.”
“Oh my God, you know that’s not what I meant.” Lauren looked horrified. “You’re not old at all, and I’m just going to shut up now.”
Mia arched an eyebrow at her. “Out of curiosity, how old do you think I am?”
Lauren’s mouth fell open, and then she gave her head a quick shake. “Oh, nope. I’m not going there. There’s no right answer to that question. Suffice it to say, I find you very sophisticated and beautiful and not even remotely old.”
