was she so confused?
* * * * *
Marquita was onstage wearing a sequined, crimson gown,
singing an aria that reverberated off the back walls of the crowd-filled hall.
By all accounts every eye should be trained on her, and yet Ella couldn’t look
away from Lindsey.
Ella’s insides should have been a jangle of nerves as she
awaited her turn. There was always the chance she could drop her baton or go
blank during her routine, but tonight none of those things vied for prominence
in her thoughts.
She’d spent every night since her arrival in Lindsey’s bed.
In Lindsey’s arms. And now that only one more night of the competition
remained, Ella couldn’t imagine her life going back to the way it was before.
She could move. She could go to a bigger city where she’d
get lost in the crowd, where she could teach without her private life being the
focus of the school board and the parents. Where no one knew or cared who Joe
Northington was.
And yet, other than their initial conversation, neither of
them had spoken about any sort of future plans, but Ella knew Lindsey would
move on to her next project and be gone from her life other than an occasional
text.
A lump welled in Ella’s throat and she drew in a deep breath
in an attempt to stave off tears.
Lindsey’s stance widened as she dropped to get a more
dramatic shot of Marquita without compromising the integrity of the stage. Ella
adored the way her lover set her tongue between her lips when she was deep in
thought. Her heart warmed.
“Ella,” Chelsea’s harsh whisper came from behind her.
“What’s wrong with you? You’re on. What on earth were you looking at?” Her gaze
drifted from Ella to Lindsey and her lips parted.
But Ella didn’t have time to ponder the ramifications of her
competitor’s suspicions. Her music began and she raced onto the stage to begin
her routine.
* * * * *
Lindsey’s thumb hovered over the Send button. She reread the
text five times. Wanna fuck? Indecision surged through her. She squeezed
her eyes shut but all she could see was Ella’s long blonde hair strewn across
the white pillow slip. Gritting her teeth, Lindsey growled in frustration.
Shit. Why was she hesitating? It was the last night of the pageant.
She would be packing up to leave as soon as the winner was
crowned. Maurice had already sent most of the footage they’d taken to the
editor since the show was on a tight deadline.
There wouldn’t be another night to spend in Ella’s arms.
Lindsey stared at the text. “Fuck it,” she muttered and hit
Send.
Ten seconds later, she received a reply. On the way now.
Her stomach knotted with desire and expectation. She was
being silly, entertaining thoughts that there could possibly be anything
between them after tonight. After all, wasn’t she the one who’d laid out the
rules in the beginning?
She tossed her phone across the bed before padding into the
bathroom to swish some mouthwash around before Ella arrived.
Lindsey eyed herself in the mirror and clicked her tongue
bar against the roof of her mouth. What was she thinking? Beautiful girls like
Ella rarely came out. When they did, they didn’t hook up on a permanent basis
with tattooed, body-pierced butches.
Cold chills broke out on her flesh when Lindsey raked her
fingertips over one half-sleeve of colorful tats. Ella had traced the tribal
swirls with her fingers, with her tongue. She’d flicked the little ring
dangling from Lindsey’s bellybutton. Surely Lindsey couldn’t have mistaken that
look of admiration in her lover’s eyes.
She swallowed thickly and dabbed at her lips with the towel
just as a knock sounded on the door.
When she opened it, Ella was standing with her back against
the wall on the other side of the hall. She looked beautiful, her face freshly
washed and makeup-free, her hair brushed and flowing over her shoulders. Her
flirtatious smile beckoned Lindsey who inhaled and boldly crossed the deserted
hall. She cradled Ella’s face in her
* * * * *
Marquita was onstage wearing a sequined, crimson gown,
singing an aria that reverberated off the back walls of the crowd-filled hall.
By all accounts every eye should be trained on her, and yet Ella couldn’t look
away from Lindsey.
Ella’s insides should have been a jangle of nerves as she
awaited her turn. There was always the chance she could drop her baton or go
blank during her routine, but tonight none of those things vied for prominence
in her thoughts.
She’d spent every night since her arrival in Lindsey’s bed.
In Lindsey’s arms. And now that only one more night of the competition
remained, Ella couldn’t imagine her life going back to the way it was before.
She could move. She could go to a bigger city where she’d
get lost in the crowd, where she could teach without her private life being the
focus of the school board and the parents. Where no one knew or cared who Joe
Northington was.
And yet, other than their initial conversation, neither of
them had spoken about any sort of future plans, but Ella knew Lindsey would
move on to her next project and be gone from her life other than an occasional
text.
A lump welled in Ella’s throat and she drew in a deep breath
in an attempt to stave off tears.
Lindsey’s stance widened as she dropped to get a more
dramatic shot of Marquita without compromising the integrity of the stage. Ella
adored the way her lover set her tongue between her lips when she was deep in
thought. Her heart warmed.
“Ella,” Chelsea’s harsh whisper came from behind her.
“What’s wrong with you? You’re on. What on earth were you looking at?” Her gaze
drifted from Ella to Lindsey and her lips parted.
But Ella didn’t have time to ponder the ramifications of her
competitor’s suspicions. Her music began and she raced onto the stage to begin
her routine.
* * * * *
Lindsey’s thumb hovered over the Send button. She reread the
text five times. Wanna fuck? Indecision surged through her. She squeezed
her eyes shut but all she could see was Ella’s long blonde hair strewn across
the white pillow slip. Gritting her teeth, Lindsey growled in frustration.
Shit. Why was she hesitating? It was the last night of the pageant.
She would be packing up to leave as soon as the winner was
crowned. Maurice had already sent most of the footage they’d taken to the
editor since the show was on a tight deadline.
There wouldn’t be another night to spend in Ella’s arms.
Lindsey stared at the text. “Fuck it,” she muttered and hit
Send.
Ten seconds later, she received a reply. On the way now.
Her stomach knotted with desire and expectation. She was
being silly, entertaining thoughts that there could possibly be anything
between them after tonight. After all, wasn’t she the one who’d laid out the
rules in the beginning?
She tossed her phone across the bed before padding into the
bathroom to swish some mouthwash around before Ella arrived.
Lindsey eyed herself in the mirror and clicked her tongue
bar against the roof of her mouth. What was she thinking? Beautiful girls like
Ella rarely came out. When they did, they didn’t hook up on a permanent basis
with tattooed, body-pierced butches.
Cold chills broke out on her flesh when Lindsey raked her
fingertips over one half-sleeve of colorful tats. Ella had traced the tribal
swirls with her fingers, with her tongue. She’d flicked the little ring
dangling from Lindsey’s bellybutton. Surely Lindsey couldn’t have mistaken that
look of admiration in her lover’s eyes.
She swallowed thickly and dabbed at her lips with the towel
just as a knock sounded on the door.
When she opened it, Ella was standing with her back against
the wall on the other side of the hall. She looked beautiful, her face freshly
washed and makeup-free, her hair brushed and flowing over her shoulders. Her
flirtatious smile beckoned Lindsey who inhaled and boldly crossed the deserted
hall. She cradled Ella’s face in her
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