Zoey's eyes opened as her phone alarm quietly sang, the gray dawn began to lighten the room. They had forgotten to draw the shades in their haste to get into bed the night before.
She turned off her alarm and turned back to Pia, replaying particular scenes from the night before. How Pia had stared into her eyes as she licked her fingers after touching Zoey. How Pia had tasted, the feel of her on Zoey's fingers, on her tongue.
Last night...
Zoey rolled onto her back, staring at the soft light of the window. Her stomach twisted — had she made a huge mistake?
She had enjoyed the hell out of herself, that was for sure. But had sleeping with Pia taken her attraction too far?
She turned back to the woman, watching her sleep.
Were they really on the same page about the sex just being sex?
Just her curiosity and intrigue, nothing more?
About their chemistry together being physical and that was it?
Even with the swirling emotions, she couldn't help but grin at Pia's content, sleeping expression. Even with all of the horrible ways the situation could go up in flames — and oh, she was envisioning all of those scenarios vividly — she didn't necessarily regret what had happened.
It had been fun, of course. It had been satisfying in ways she had never felt.
Just because she had enjoyed it... it didn't mean anything.
She wasn't dating Pia.
She wasn't suddenly a lesbian.
She hadn't ordered a U-Haul.
She wasn't "Pulling a Pia" and marrying the first woman she slept with.
She was just no longer a zero on the Kinsey scale. Okay, so she had never been a zero. A one, at most, of course.
But after last night...
Pia opened one eye. "Stop creeping on me. I know I'm gorgeous, but I'm trying to sleep," she teased, reaching out to wrap an arm around Zoey and pull her body close.
"I've got to go soon," Zoey whispered, trying not to tense under Pia's touch.
No, cuddling the morning after felt a bit too much like a relationship move.
Pia groaned. "No," she said, her grip on Zoey tightening.
"Unfortunately, I am a woman in high demand," Zoey said, pushing onto her elbows.
"Well, you're back in LA next week, right?" Pia asked, blinking her eyes slowly open to look down at Zoey.
Zoey nodded.
Pia sighed, looking disappointed.
And something melted slightly in Zoey. She didn't want to leave, either.
"Hey," Zoey started, feeling suddenly shy about what she was about to ask. "There's a secret show in New York tonight. Want to come?"
"To New York?" Pia asked.
Zoey nodded again.
"Let me see what I can do," Pia said, her hands slowly moving over Zoey's naked body. "Until then, do we have time for me to see what I can do about the here and now?"
Zoey's body came alive at Pia's touch. "I suppose I can pencil you in," she said with a laugh as Pia tugged her closer.
Chapter Eight
Pia
Pia had rearranged a couple of meetings and shifted one more meeting into a call — or, rather, she had Mark, her assistant, do the rearranging for her — but she had made it out to New York.
In fact, she had flown into the city with Zoey that morning.
She had also nearly become a member of the Mile High Club, but the thought of being able to look Archer in the eye ever again after he could potentially overhear or even see... Nope, she had to draw the line.
Zoey had been a bit quieter that morning, but she could understand why.
After having sex with Elle the first time, she questioned everything. Every relationship with a man she had ever had, every time she had lusted after a woman and tried to talk herself out of it...
The good news was that it didn't seem as though Zoey had a lack of physical interest.
Quite the opposite.
Pia touched her lips, smiling to herself at the thought of Zoey's kisses.
And other parts of her, of course.
"So," Freya said, looking at her over the edge of an Old Fashioned she held. "You fucked her."
Pia kept her face completely blank.
Freya was in town — something about an artist's conference, or something along those lines — and had agreed to tag along to the secret show that The Shrikes were playing that evening.
She was only going to the show because she liked the band and the new album, of course. And her good friend Zoey had invited her personally.
They were in a Lower East Side bar down the street from the venue. It was overpriced, dark, and crowded, and better yet, not a single person glanced her way as she walked in.
"You definitely fucked her," Freya said, shaking her head.
"Sorry, it's so loud in here," Pia said, gesturing to her ear as she feigned innocence.
"You're a bad liar," Freya yelled louder.
Pia grinned, sipping her wine. It was a touch too dry for her mood.
"Why?" Freya asked.
"Why what?" Pia said, not understanding.
"Why did you fuck her?" Freya said, over-enunciating each word to make her point loud and clear.
Pia lifted a shoulder. "I don't kiss and tell," she said, shaking her head.
Freya narrowed her eyes, scowling at her.
Pia set her glass down, lifting the wine menu again. It was short and left much to be desired. "Because I wanted to, and she wanted to," she said, trying to sound casual.
"I'm about to speak from a place of love and support, do you understand?" Freya said, straightening her posture.
"Why does that statement worry me?" Pia said, arching a brow.
"Do not fuck her again," Freya said, again over enunciating each word.
Pia tried her best not to make a face. "Your reasoning?"
"I'm not in the habit of handing out toasters," Freya said.
Pia laughed. "I'm not in the habit of trying to get toasters," she said. "It's nothing serious. It's just casual."
Freya fixed her with a stare. "You are heading straight for something that is going to blow up in your face," she said.
Pia shook her head. "Well, I will consider myself warned," she said, glancing around for the waiter while trying her hardest to not meet Freya's eye.
"One of you is going to catch feelings," Freya said.
"Catch feelings? That doesn't even make grammatical sense," Pia said, grimacing.
"My niece says it all the time," Freya said. "And I think it applies here."
"You know I don't do that," Pia said.
"Not usually, but this one is different and you know it," Freya said.
"I need you to cool your jets, Frey. I'm walking in with my eyes wide open," Pia said.
Freya didn't respond. She just glared at her.
"And if it ends badly, I'll supply all the wine as you listen to my woes," Pia said, lifting her glass in a toast.
Freya laughed, melting slightly from her icy mood.
"Thank you so much for coming out tonight and supporting our new album," Billie said into the microphone, smiling. "We know it's been a little while, so, uh, thanks for sticking around."