Domino: Why are you in Nashville?
How did Domino already know?
Zoey: What?
Domino: Nobody in this band respects Google Alerts!
Dom sent a link to a YouTube video of her playing on stage with The Blue Jeans.
Zoey held the phone out to Pia. "See? This is why I need to be careful."
Pia put her own phone in her pocket. "I get it," she said.
"Really?" Zoey asked.
Pia nodded. "I do. I wasn't publically out with women for years. I get it," she said. "I shouldn't have made you feel bad about it."
Zoey leaned against the building, kicking at the ground as she sighed. "And I don't want to make you feel like it wasn't the best evening," she said.
Pia stepped closer to her. “The best?"
Zoey rolled her eyes, grinning. “Damn hyperbole,” she said.
"Well, nobody's around now," Pia said, glancing up and down the alley. She put a hand on the wall beside Zoey's head.
Zoey hooked her hands around Pia's waist, pulling her in.
Pia's lips were gentle against hers, but only for a moment. The kiss quickly turned heated, demanding.
And Zoey felt helpless to do anything other than keep up.
Her lips parted on a gasp and Pia's tongue slid into her mouth.
The kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve had been incredible, but this kiss... it felt different. It wasn't a mischievous kiss. It was a kiss that promised more.
Zoey lifted her arms to wrap them around Pia's neck, if only to have something to hold onto and keep herself from floating off the ground with giddiness.
Pia wrapped an arm around Zoey and held her tight. As Pia pulled away, Zoey leaned forward, wanting nothing more than to keep kissing Pia Marino forever.
She'd never felt this way before. Pia's entire presence overwhelmed and surprised and fascinated her. Was this attraction? Or something more? Was it normal for her entire being to long to be closer to Pia?
A car pulled into the alleyway and Pia straightened up. Zoey saw that it was the driver from earlier who had driven them to the venue from the airport.
"Where to now?" Pia asked, tilting her head while staring at Zoey with a hunger in her eyes.
"Well, any other gigs you booked me for?" Zoey teased.
"No, that was my one surprise," Pia said, holding up two fingers. "Scouts honor."
"It's three fingers," Zoey said, pointing to Pia's hand.
Pia looked instantly mischievous. "Oh, is it?"
Zoey laughed, shaking her head. "Wow," she said. She stared in the passenger side door that Pia was standing in front of.
Pia had asked her to bring a toiletries bag. Pia had told her she'd have her back in the morning.
But it was only 9pm.
She felt instantly nervous, her mind reeling from the possibility of what could happen.
She knew what she wanted — she wanted Pia. That kiss had been the tip of the iceberg and she longed for more.
Her entire body was on edge, wanting to be near Pia.
Pia cleared her throat. "I can only guess what you're thinking, and if it makes you feel better, I got us a suite with two separate bedrooms," she said.
Zoey instantly felt relieved, yet at the same time, disappointed.
She nodded.
"If that's what you want," Pia said.
Zoey looked up and down the alleyway. stalling for time. She fidgeted, crossing and uncrossing her arms.
Pia's expression softened. "Why don't we go back there, sit in the living room, order room service, and hang out in pajamas?" She suggested.
Zoey couldn't help but smile. Pia was a perfect gentlewoman.
"Sure," she said, nodding.
An hour later, they sat in on the couch, drinking a glass of wine. Pia had ordered it and Zoey hadn't paid much attention.
They had held hands in the car on the way to the hotel, but now that the very real possibility of having sex with Pia was imminent, she wasn't completely sure what she wanted.
She sipped quickly at her wine, finishing her second glass. She picked up a glass of water, looking up to see Pia watching her with curiosity.
"Tell me something about you that I don't know," Zoey said.
"There's a lot about me that you don't know," Pia answered simply, resting her elbow on the back of the couch.
"Hence the question."
"It was really more of a demand."
"If you want to look at it like a demand, that's up to you," Zoey said with a grin.
"Something about me that you don't know. I didn't date women until I was in my late 20s. I barely dated men, to be truthful. I kind of thought maybe dating wasn't for me. I was so career-focused. I was still doing stand-up back then, and stand-up is a hard living. And I thought that if I wanted any kind of success, dating women certainly wasn't the best way for me to do that," she explained.
"Wow, your 20s were so long ago," Zoey teased.
"Watch it," Pia said, but she was grinning. "I was gay before it was cool."
"So, you're saying there's hope for me yet, being a woman in my 20s," Zoey joked.
"Well, I certainly think you've got a lot of potential," Pia teased back.
"How did you know that you wanted to be with women, then?" Zoey asked. "Asking for a friend."
Pia smirked. "Well, my first kiss with a woman changed my life," she said.
"How so?" Zoey asked.
"Well, reader, I married her," Pia answered.
Zoey had known that Pia had been married before. She had read something about Pia in an extremely innocent Google stalking session about how Pia's wife had died suddenly. "Oh," she said, not knowing exactly how to respond. "So, you married her because of your first kiss with her? It was that good?"
"Yep."
"That's a hell of a first date," Zoey said, grinning.
Pia nodded, an almost wistful expression on her face for only a second.
The room grew heavy with tension.
"Tell me something about you that no one else knows," Pia said, looking at her over the tipped edge of the glass as she took a sip.
"Something no one else knows?" Zoey repeated the request, unsure of how to answer. "Not just you?"
"Yeah."
Zoey considered it, then leaned forward to kneel in front of Pia, moving to place a gentle kiss on Pia's lips. "That."
"Well, you make a very good point," Pia said, setting her wine glass down as she took Zoey's hips in her hands.
"I like to think so," Zoey said.
Pia looked up at her like she was a goddess, meant to be worshipped. She felt adored in that moment. She felt as though Pia was awed by the situation as much as she was.
"We don't have to do anything you don't want to do," Pia repeated.
"I know," Zoey whispered. "And we don't have to do anything you don't want to do, either."
"Ah, believe me,there's so much I do want to do," Pia growled.
"Such as?" Zoey asked.
Pia moved her hands down, grabbing Zoey's ass. Pia yanked her forward until Zoey stumbled and grabbed onto Pia while giggling, steadying herself with a knee on either side of Pia's hips.