Page 63 of She’ll Steal Your Heart
“I snuck out for a few minutes this afternoon.”
“That’s so romantic.” She stepped forward to press a kiss against Mia’s lips, the scent of fresh flowers mixing with Mia’s freshly applied perfume. Here she’d been worried that getting ready together in the same apartment would take something away from their date, and Mia had still managed to surprise her in the most wonderful way. “You really made my night with these flowers, Mia. I love them so much.”
“I’m glad,” Mia said, looking awfully pleased with herself.
Tonight could have been weird or awkward. Their friendship had undergone a monumental shift since Mia went out with Beth last night. But it didn’t feel weird or awkward at all. On the contrary, neither of them seemed to be able to stop smiling.
“Here, I’ll get you a vase.” Mia walked to the kitchen and pulled a slender glass vase out of one of the top cabinets. She filled it halfway with water and showed Lauren how to mix in the packet of plant food that had been tucked in among the stems.
Lauren snipped the stems and spent a few minutes arranging the flowers in the vase, adjusting them this way and that. She was mesmerized by how pretty they looked. “Gorgeous,” she said as she carried the vase to the kitchen table.
Mia smiled. “Ready?”
“Yes.” Lauren looked around for her jacket, then froze. “Wait! I almost forgot. Quinn sent me a cover concept, but I was waiting for you so we could look together.”
“Oh, exciting! Let’s see it.” Mia moved to stand beside her.
Lauren pulled out her phone and clicked on the email, and then she held her breath as the image loaded. This was a moment. Her first book cover. Her first bouquet of flowers. Her first date with Mia. So many firsts tonight, Lauren’s head was spinning.
The cover showed a woman’s silhouette from behind, backlit by the glow of the city. Her hair billowed behind her, and a crescent moon and a canopy of stars lit the night sky above her. The title,Meet Me at Midnight, was overlaid in a swirly font. And there was Lauren’s pen name at the bottom of the cover. Lauren White. Her breath caught in her throat.
“It’s beautiful,” Mia said. “It fits the tone of the book perfectly, and the image is so eye-catching.”
“Yes,” Lauren whispered. “I love it.”
Mia wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “How does it feel, seeing your cover?”
“Big,” Lauren said. “Like a ‘remember when’ moment. I think it feels a little more real now that I’m going to be a published author.”
“And soon,” Mia said.
Lauren nodded, still staring at the cover. She hadn’t had a clear idea of what she wanted when she started chatting with Quinn about it, but Quinn had come through in amazing fashion. This was perfect. Lauren wouldn’t change a thing. “Let me just send Quinn a quick text to tell her how much I love it, and then we’ll go.”
“Sure. No rush.”
Lauren sat on the couch, tears in her eyes as she texted Quinn, using an abundance of exclamation points and emojis. Once she’d sent the text, she looked up to a most distracting view of Mia’s ass as she bent to fill Lola’s food dish.
“I’m ready,” Lauren said.
Mia straightened, turning to face her. “Let’s go, then.”
Lauren zipped her jacket while Mia put on a black coat that belted at the waist. Then she extended her arm. Lauren hooked her arm through Mia’s like it was the most natural thing in the world, like she’d done it a million times, and together, they headed out on their first date.
18
Mia tapped her wineglass against Lauren’s. “To our first date and your first book cover.”
Lauren was luminous tonight. With the added effect of the candle flickering on the table between them, she seemed to glow with happiness, and Mia couldn’t look away. How had she ever thought she’d find someone more interesting, more beautiful, moreanythingthan Lauren?
Mia had been so afraid of damaging their friendship that she’d ignored what was right in front of her. Already, she was having a better time than she’d had on any of her other dates.
“The first of many,” Lauren said. “Many dates and many books. I’m calling it right now.”
“Agreed.” Mia tasted her wine. They’d chosen a bottle of rosé to share, and it was good, crisp and fruity. “Any idea what you’ll write next?”
“I have a few ideas,” Lauren told her. “I’ve got notes in my phone, random thoughts I’ve jotted down over the years when something inspired me. All sapphic romance, all set here in the city. I’d love to do an enemies-to-lovers romance next, or maybe rivals-to-lovers between two lawyers, sort of vaguely inspired byIn Her Defense.”
“I’ll read anything you write, but I really like that second idea. Plus, you’ve got me as your legal expert.”
