Just One Kiss (Fool's Gold #10)(56)
Patience pressed a hand to her stomach and wondered how she was going to get through it. Talk about being on edge.
But despite her nerves, she knew she’d made the right decision. Great-Aunt Becky had given her a wonderful opportunity. The store had been her dream for a long time. She wanted to be a part of the fabric of Fool’s Gold. To be one of the small businesses in town. To have a place in people’s memories.
Because that’s what this place was about—making memories. Mrs. Elder, the head librarian, had been the one to hand Patience her first Judy Blume book. Years later, Patience had been in Morgan’s Books when she’d realized her feelings for Justice weren’t just friendship. She’d been fourteen, it had been a Tuesday and they’d been browsing. He’d turned to tell her something. She remembered how blue his eyes had been and how his hand had accidentally brushed against hers. She’d felt the tingles clear to her heart.
Later, in high school, she’d had her first kiss in Pyrite Park, after the Fourth of July fireworks show. A couple of years later, when she’d realized she and Ned would have to get married, she’d gone window-shopping at Jenel’s Gems. Not that they’d bought her ring there. Ned had claimed it was too expensive and why did she need an engagement ring? He’d purchased a plain gold band somewhere in Sacramento and she’d convinced herself it was enough.
Good and bad memories, she thought. But all in this town, and she wanted future generations to remember being at Brew-haha. Which meant she was going to have to pull herself together and survive the terror of opening in the first place.
She walked into the main part of the store only to find someone stepping through the unlocked front door. Patience recognized the tall, beautiful redhead at once.
“Felicia. Hi.”
Felicia gave her a tentative smile. “I know you’re not officially open, so don’t worry. I won’t try to buy anything. I just wanted to talk to you. Or check with you. Check in would be more accurate, of course.” Long, slender fingers twisted together. “It’s about the dinner the other night when I shared far too much information. When I get nervous, I talk too much. Overexplaining and babbling are a way to show a person isn’t dangerous or trying to obtain higher social status. Animals do that all the time, in their own ways.” She pressed her lips together. “And I’m doing it right now.”
Patience pointed to one of the chairs. “Have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
Felicia sat down gracefully. Patience settled across from her.
“You’re unique,” Patience said. “I’m now picturing you as a very elegant dog, maybe a poodle, showing your belly to us.”
“That’s a good description. Not the poodle part. I like to think I’m more like a pit bull.”
“Sorry, no. You’re all poodle. Besides, they’re considered very intelligent.”
Felicia nodded, her expression resigned. “Yes, there is that. But I would like to be intimidating and tough.”
“If it helps, you’re intimidating.”
“But only because I’m freakishly smart, right?”
“Isn’t that enough? I’m not intimidating at all.” Patience wasn’t sure how they’d gotten into this line of conversation, but she found herself having a good time. Apparently she really did like Felicia.
“You’re very warm and welcoming,” Felicia told her. “I can see why Justice likes you so much.”
“He does?”
“Yes. I can see it in the way he looks at you.” She leaned forward. “He never looked at me that way at all. He sees me as his baby sister. I like it. He’s my family. But back when I was younger, I desperately wanted to belong in a more romantic way. I thought my virginity was the problem. I was twenty-four years old and I’d never even been kissed. So one night I begged Justice to get drunk enough that we could have sex and...”
Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened. “I’m doing it again, aren’t I?”
“Yes, you are,” Patience said, not sure if she was more stunned or amused. She supposed that because they were discussing Felicia trying to sleep with Justice, stunned won. “And you’re going to tell me what happened.”
Felicia seemed to crumble in her seat. “Nothing. Nothing happened. He wouldn’t even consider it. He put his arm around me and told me one day I would find a man who would appreciate all of me. Then he walked away. I was crushed.”
“I’m sorry,” Patience said, and found she actually was. She wouldn’t have liked knowing Justice and Felicia had been intimate, but she could understand the other woman’s pain. No one liked being rejected, no matter the circumstances.
“I got over it.” Felicia shrugged. “I went to the local bar where the security guys hung out and got one to buy me a drink. He took me back to his room and...”
This time when she paused, it was to smile. “Let me say I discovered I was very fond of orgasms.”
“Virginity cured.”
“It was.”
“And the guy?”
“That was an unhappy ending. Justice and one of his friends broke down the hotel room door the next morning. Justice thought he was saving me, but he wasn’t. I never saw the man again.” She hesitated, as if she was going to say more.