A Place to Rest Part 8

CHAPTER SEVEN.

Good afternoon, Jori," Sawyer called as she strolled through the kitchen door.

"Hi there," Jori said, not looking up from the Bartlett-pear torte she was making.

As the weeks pa.s.sed, Sawyer had started hanging out in the kitchen on her breaks. She would drink a cup of coffee and drool over that day's dessert. Sawyer talked while she worked, and she rather liked the running commentary on whatever had Sawyer's attention that day.

Jori watched her pa.s.s through the kitchen picking up orders, often scowling or looking irritated. But by the time she pulled a stool close to Jori, she was smiling, relaxed, and chatting away.

At fi rst Jori had tried to keep up her end of the conversation and ended up distracted from her work. But she soon fi gured out that Sawyer liked to talk and didn't require more than the occasional remark to let her know Jori was still listening. Jori fell easily into the rhythm of her speech and responded when she sensed the expectant lull.

She smiled to herself as Sawyer talked about a movie that she, Matt, and Davis had rented the night before. Behind Sawyer, servers pa.s.sed through the kitchen and called out orders. Brady and Chuck spoke to each other in the shorthand they'd developed * 73 *

over the years, plating food and setting it on the counter to be picked up.

"Have you seen it?"

She quickly recalled the name of the movie Sawyer had been talking about. "Yeah." Surprisingly, she'd enjoyed Johnny Depp as an eccentric pirate.

"Well, the sequel just came out on DVD. Davis rented it, if you'd like to come over tonight and watch with us."

"That sounds fun. I'd like to run home and change fi rst."

"Great. I'll give you directions before we leave."

"Okay."

"Good. Well, I have to get back to my tables."

"Sawyer, service," Brady said as he slid three entrees onto the counter.

"Duty calls," she said with a sigh. She loaded the plates on a tray, then shoved open the swinging door.

Jori worked steadily through the dinner rush, barely taking time to look up when another server came to pick up desserts or shouted a new order. But every time she glanced up to fi nd Sawyer standing in front of her, she felt a thrill at the thought of spending time with her after they closed. She hadn't known she would agree to the invitation until she was already saying the words. But now she looked forward to the end of her shift.

She had just pa.s.sed a large order to one of the new waitresses and returned her attention to the orders still pending. When she heard a loud crash, she jerked her head up to see a waitress standing amid a scattering of broken plates and ruined desserts.

The slender redhead had been working at Drake's for only a week and evidently had little or no prior experience.

Erica and Sawyer burst through the kitchen door at the same time. Sawyer rushed over and stooped to help the woman clean * 74 *

up the mess. While she brushed broken bits into a dustpan, she smiled and talked with the waitress. Warmth infused Sawyer's murmuring voice and the waitress's eyes barely left her face. Her trilling laughter in response to something Sawyer said grated on Jori's nerves.

Erica crossed to Jori's counter. "Jori, I need-"

"Yeah, I've got it." Irritated, she began to fi ll the lost orders again.

"You okay?" Erica asked quietly.

"Has she ever waited tables before?" When Jori jerked a plate from under the counter and set it down with such force that she nearly broke it, she took a deep breath and forced herself to be gentler with the next one.

"I don't think so. She's trying to work her way through college, and I wanted to give her a break." Erica clearly hadn't expected Jori's burst of temper. "She dropped a tray, Jori. It happens. With or without experience."

"I know." With some effort, she reined in her frustration, only to have it fl are up again when she heard the waitress giggle at something Sawyer said.

"Is anything wrong?"

"I admit the girl is cute. But she's barely legal. Does Sawyer have to fl irt with every female in range?"

Erica laughed. "That? That isn't Sawyer fl irting. She's just being Sawyer. Our father says Sawyer has never met anyone who after ten minutes is still a stranger."

"So, what? She's just being friendly?"

"Yes." Erica glanced at her, looking oddly disappointed.

"Now, the way she looks at you-that's fl irting."

"What makes you think so?"

"There's something in her eyes, and in her voice, when she talks to you."

As Jori pushed the new desserts across the counter, Sawyer came over to load up the tray. "Thanks," she said with a wink.

* 75 *

Jori watched as she handed the tray to the smiling waitress, then picked up her own entrees and followed her to the dining room. There's something in her eyes. The warmth Jori had felt when Sawyer winked at her supplanted the tension in Erica's voice. Sawyer naturally hummed with energy, and being the singular focus of that energy was a powerful feeling.

Sawyer stood inside her apartment door and smoothed her hands over the front of her T-shirt. The doorbell rang for the second time, and she realized Jori was waiting in the hallway while she was worried about looking good in a T-shirt and track pants. It was just a casual night with friends. She had absolutely no reason to be this nervous. Jori was defi nitely not thinking of this as a date. Besides, she hadn't been this nervous about a woman since high school.

She took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hi," she said, wondering if she imagined the tremor in her voice.

Jori smiled. "I picked up some wine. You don't have to open it tonight, but I didn't want to show up empty-handed."

"Thank you." Sawyer took the bottle and read the label.

"It's Shiraz. I thought you'd like it because it's fruity and spicy with a hint of mocha."

"Fruity and spicy? You're right. That does sound like me."

Jori had changed into blue jeans and a light pink polo that clung to her. The gold clover was once again nestled against the base of her throat, and Sawyer wanted to press her mouth to the skin there. When she realized she was staring and rudely leaving Jori standing in the breezeway, she fl ushed and moved aside.

"Come in. The guys are in here."

She led Jori to the living room. Matt sat at one end of the sofa and Davis half-reclined against him.

* 76 *

"Jori, you remember Matt. And this is Davis. Guys, what would you like to drink? I'm having wine." She held up the bottle.

"Beer," Matt and Davis answered in unison.

"Jori?"

"I'll have a gla.s.s of wine with you."

As she went to the kitchen to open the wine, she heard Jori exchange pleasantries with Davis.

"Jori, how's the car?" Matt asked.

"It's great. Thank you again."

Sawyer returned and pa.s.sed around their drinks, then moved to sit on the fl oor at the corner of Jori's chair, which was perpendicular to the sofa.

"Are we ready to start the movie?" Matt picked up the remote.

Two and a half hours later, as the credits rolled, Jori turned her attention to the woman whose shoulder pressed against the outside of her leg. Sawyer had settled back and her outstretched legs were crossed at the ankle. Her proximity had been distracting during the movie; she was so close Jori caught hints of her fresh citrus scent. She noticed the curve of Sawyer's neck where it met the worn cotton of her T-shirt and wondered if her skin was as soft as it looked. But she would never know since, other than some fl irting and heated glances, Sawyer hadn't made any moves toward her, and Jori certainly didn't plan to pursue her.

She wouldn't even know where to start. In the few relationships she'd had, she'd never been an aggressor and had always taken a long time to feel comfortable with a woman's advances.

Davis and Matt leaned close together in the darkened room.

As they whispered, Jori noticed Sawyer watching them. Her shoulders sagged and Jori wished she could see her expression. In spite of the fear in the back of her throat, she casually dropped her hand on Sawyer's shoulder, intending only a comforting touch.

But when she should have removed it she squeezed instead, then * 77 *

smoothed it over the back of her neck because the skin there was even softer than she'd imagined. What in the world did she think she was doing? She braced herself for the expected panic, but it didn't come. Instead of scaring her, touching Sawyer excited her.

Davis stood and gathered their empty gla.s.ses and bottles.

"Leave that, sweetie. I'll get it," Matt said, trying to pull him back down on the sofa.

"It'll just take me a minute." Davis dropped a kiss on Matt's head. "Be right back."

"So, Matt, how long have you two been seeing each other?"

Jori asked.

"About a month."

"You guys are cute together." Her fi ngers slipped of their own accord into Sawyer's hairline and ma.s.saged the base of her skull.

"We clicked from the moment we met."

"I sure hope so, since you brought him home that fi rst night,"

Sawyer teased.

"Well, what can I say? I'm irresistible," Davis said as he came back into the room. "From what I hear, Sawyer, we have that in common."

"Hmm, you're right about that," Sawyer said, trying not to moan under Jori's ministrations. Her touch was at once relaxing and arousing. Her fi ngers soothed away her tension, but when she raked her nails against Sawyer's scalp, neurons fi red all the way down Sawyer's spine.

"And you're both so modest, too." Jori tugged on a lock of Sawyer's hair and Sawyer grinned at her.

"Ladies, thank you very much for joining us." Matt stood and pulled Davis toward the bedroom. "But this one has to get up early in the morning, so I need to put him to bed."

"Good night, boys," Sawyer called as they disappeared.

Jori and Sawyer sat in silence in the room lit only by the glow from the television. Sawyer didn't move to the now-vacated sofa.

* 78 *

Jori's fi ngers still played in her hair, almost absently, and she marveled that such a simple touch could turn her on so much.

She let her head fall forward as Jori traced down her neck.

She remembered watching Jori slice strawberries and wondering what it would feel like to have her agile fi ngers on her.

"You have amazing hands," she murmured, caught up in her memory. "I love watching you work."

"Why?"

"Your fi ngers are quick yet somehow still graceful. I don't know how else to explain it. Not to mention you do sinful things with chocolate."

"Well, you did let me know your weakness the fi rst day we met. So now I could have you just where I want you with little effort."

"You think so?" You have no idea how easily you could have me-any way you want me. Sawyer's stomach fl uttered at the thought.

"Sure." Jori twined her fi ngers in Sawyer's hair and pulled her head back. "I could just melt some chocolate and pour it..."

She leaned close until mere inches separated their mouths.

Sawyer's brain fi nished that sentence in a dozen different ways, and they all made her weak. Her heart pounded so loudly she swore Jori must be able to hear it. "...over some fresh fruit."

Jori released her and sat back. She wondered if Jori was simply a tease, but she saw the heat leak from Jori's eyes and decided that something had caused her withdrawal.