My Secret From Vermont Ch 05

Chapter Five

We left around four and drove back slowly through the thinning crowds back to my flat. She stopped in front of my building, and for a moment I was torn between balancing wanting to be polite, and desperately wanting her to come inside, with a sudden shyness. Thankfully, she saved me from any awkwardness.

"Well, I had a really nice time today. I hope we can do it again sometime."

"Yeah, so did I! This was a lot of fun."

Was she only saying that she wanted to see me again to be polite? I fretted. Was this just her way of trying to let me down easy? Was this the same as all the guys who'd said they'd "call me" who ghosted me after the first date and I never heard from again? I hoped not, but it was impossible to tell.

I reached to grab my purse from where it was lying on the center console and was startled when I felt her arm brush against mine. I looked at her, and she looked back. She didn't move her arm. Instead she handed me the bag herself, her eyes holding my gaze, her hand touching mine deliberately as she placed the strap in between my outstretched fingers, closing her hand over mine for a brief moment before releasing it.

"Goodbye," I said quietly under my breath.

"See ya Sadie," she said softly.

I climbed up the steps and dared a quick glance behind me, and sure enough she was looking too as she slowly pulled away.

I closed the door behind me and leaned back against it. Maisie came running up to me, wriggling and barking happily. I set my purse on the table by the door and bent down to stroke her ears.

"Good girl." I said stroking her ears. Her attention was soon diverted and she ran scampering off. I ran my hands through my hair and caught a glimpse of myself in the foyer mirror.

Surely, what I had felt was real. I wasn't going crazy, was I?

I turned my head from side to side and massaged the back of my neck with my fingers. I was startled at how tense I was.

I made my way back to my bedroom and changed into a pair of comfortable lounge clothes and went to go and make Maisie her dinner. Afterwards, I heated up some leftovers from the night before and decided to have a night on the couch. I channel surfed for a while and landed on some old reruns of Grey's Anatomy, but I was quickly distracted by my own thoughts. I picked up my phone lying next to me and scrolled through the messages from a few nights before but was frustrated to find they were all hopelessly subtle and generic. Nothing about them said she was into me for certain.

God I really am gay, I thought to myself. Because I was more hung up on this woman I barely knew than any guy I'd dated, ever.

I was practically bursting with impatience! I wanted her so bad. Today had been amazing, it had only made me want her more, and I had to confess that when Nina had thought we were a couple I wanted it to be true. At least I knew she was gay now I comforted myself. The only question now was; did she want me as much as I wanted her?

***

Monday at work, I triumphantly placed a stack of glossy brochures on Sean's desk.

"Wow! What are these?" he said.

"Possible venues for the reception party. I made a few calls and found out that all of these places still have availability for May. I thought I should bring them in so Austin could approve them before we make a selection"

"That's awesome Sadie! You really have been busy!" he said, sounding impressed.

I beamed.

"Yeah, I got a lot of work done in the evenings at home the last couple days."

"Well, Austin will be very appreciative of your initiative I'm sure." He said. "This takes a major weight off of all of our loads. You're really invaluable."

"Well I'm not sure I'd go that far," I said modestly. "But you're good for my ego." I smiled.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," he replied. He ran his hands through his hair and for a moment he looked, nervous?

"Well, I better start making a list of caterers next I guess. We wouldn't want to serve bad food," I said, changing the subject.

"Definitely not. It's the main reason people go to these kind of things." He laughed and I headed back to my desk but I couldn't shake the feeling that something had seemed off about our exchange. Did Sean have a thing for me? Surely not! Here I was now assuming, everyone I interacted with had a crush on me. How full of myself was I anyway? I shook my head. No, Sean was just being friendly. A guy was allowed to be friendly to his coworker. And Sean was nice. If I'd been straight and not head over heels with Cara I'm sure he'd have made a perfectly good boyfriend. But that wasn't going to happen. Satisfied, I started looking at local eateries.

During my lunch break I pulled out my phone and noticed I had a message. It was from Cara! Swallowing the last bite of my salad I clicked open and read it.

Hey Sadie! I really had an amazing time yesterday. Did you still want to go to that party on Friday? I can pick you up again. --Cara

I could hardly contain the flicker of excitement I felt! Surely it was good she was reaching out so soon? She'd only waited a day to message me and who knows, she could have been busy yesterday. And she was inviting me again to the party! She had admitted she wasn't much of a party person and yet she was still offering because I'd said I wanted to go.

I texted back.

Sure! What time did you want to go?

She responded quickly,

Is around seven okay?

Yeah! That's perfect! I typed.

My heart skipped a beat as I closed my phone.

***

Late that night when I got home from work my phone rang as I was getting out of the shower. I wrapped a towel around myself and grabbed another smaller one to ring out my hair, juggling the phone in the other.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey! It's your sister." Liz said brightly.

"Oh hey Liz! I didn't expect a call from you so late. Aren't you usually out on the town this time of night?" I said jokingly.

"No! Oh Sadie you're so bad!" She said, laughing. "Clearly this chick has been having a bad influence on you."

I smiled. "Well then, what are you up to?"

"I'll have you know I'm sitting on my couch right this minute with a glass of wine in one hand and Cosmopolitan in the other." She said, trying hard to cover her laughter with mock effrontery. "I have a date with my vibrator tonight."

I laughed. "Liz! TMI! I didn't need to know that!"

She only laughed harder.

"But seriously," I said, "what's up?"

"Well..." Liz drew it out for a long time, and I could picture her there lying on the couch, twirling her wine glass stem around her fingers. "How would you feel if I came to visit? Just for a little while of course! I won't overstay my welcome. Would that be okay?"

"Yeah! Of course that would be okay, that would be better than okay!" I exclaimed. "When were you thinking of coming?"

"Ummm I was thinking about, tomorrow?" Liz queried. "Is that okay?"

"Wow, yeah that's fine!" I said, surprised. "I can pick you up at the airport tomorrow after I get off of work."

"Really?" I don't mind getting a cab," She said.

"Nonsense. I'll come get you myself. Just let me know when your flight comes in."

"That would be awesome!" Liz said sincerely. "You're the best. Thank you."

"Great! I mean, unfortunately I have to work all this week so you might be on your own a lot, but we'll have all my nights together, I promise."

Suddenly I remembered, Nina's party was this week!

"Hey don't worry about it," Liz said. "I know you're busy and this was really last minute of me. And don't worry, I don't want to cramp your style or anything. I can't believe I didn't even ask if you had plans this week! Please don't cancel them on my account."

"Well I did kinda have a thing on Friday..." I said

I could almost feel her grinning through the phone.

"Oooh what kind of thing? She asked. Is it with a certain gorgeous stranger?"

I found myself blushing. "Well, yes actually. We're going to a party. It's kinda a gay party actually."

"That's awesome! Liz said. And you definitely are going don't even think of backing out because of me. I will be perfectly happy hanging in your apartment with some ice cream and a little TV."

I laughed. "Well, if you're sure. I Can't wait to see you!"

"Me too sis! Love you!"

"Love you too!"

I hung up and laughed a little to myself. I was surprised Liz had decided to pay me a visit just out of the blue, but then again that was Liz, just swooping in and out of life, living day by day. She'd always kinda been like that. Still...I couldn't seem to shake the idea that something was up. Something in her voice had sounded a little nervous. Eh, she probably was just a bit tipsy I figured. She'd be fine by the time she got here.

***

The next day after work I drove to the airport to pick up Liz. She waved at me from the terminal.

"Sadie!" She exclaimed, and came to hug me. "Oh my gosh I can't believe I'm finally here."

"Me too! Did you have a good flight?"

"Yeah, it was super long though."

I took a step back and looked at her. Liz looked beautiful as always with her gorgeous blonde sun-kissed hair and California waves. We looked completely different from each other but honesty, despite that, we were so close I sometimes forgot she was actually my step-sister. She looked a little thinner though and paler I noted, despite her bright smile.

"We should go get your luggage," I said.

"Oh, yeah we should!" She said.

We walked together over to the luggage carousel and waited. Luckily enough two leather suitcases with tags reading Liz Caraway on them came spinning around. I helped her move them off the conveyor belt. Is this all?

Liz blushed. "I wish it was," she said apologetically. "I'm sorry, I brought kinda a lot of stuff. I have two more bags actually."

"That's fine!" I said. But privately, I wondered. Liz wasn't exactly what anyone would consider a light packer, but four bags? That was more than one usually travelled with on a short trip like this. She had to have paid extra to check that many bags.

We waited a bit until they finally finished unloading the baggage and Liz's were unfortunately two of the last to be sent out.

After we had collected the bags, I asked Liz if she wanted to go to a restaurant and grab a quick bite but she said she was so tired she'd probably be asleep before her head hit the pillow. I drove us home and got Liz settled in the guest bedroom, and then headed to bed myself since I had work in the morning.

***

The next morning, I found Liz in the kitchen, looking refreshed wearing a blue, silk bathrobe.

"Morning," she said cheerily. Her hands wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee. "I made coffee."

"Morning!" I said, surprised. "I didn't expect to see you up so early!"

"Well it's the least I can do after you came and picked me up last night, and for letting me stay here."

"Liz, you're my sister, you're always welcome," I said, taking the cup she offered me and pouring myself a cup.

"Well, I really appreciate it." She said. "Seriously Sadie, you've always been there for me."

"That's what sisters are for..." I said, eyeing her from out of the corner of my eye.

Liz had a cheerful smile plastered on her face, but I was sure something was up. Liz never got up this early when she was on vacation. And even though she was wearing makeup carefully applied I couldn't help but notice that her eyes looked red.

"Liz, is everything alright?" I asked.

"Of course!" She said. "Can't a girl get up and make her sister coffee without there being something wrong?"

I could plainly see she didn't want to talk about it so I let the topic drop, for now. I put a bagel in the toaster.

"Well I do have to go to work today, but I should be home around six. How does that sound. Will you get too bored without me?"

"Of course not!" She said. "I actually thought I'd run to the store so you won't have to take the time to do it on your way home. I noticed you were out of a few things."

"Thanks, Liz I'd appreciate that," I said, "but make sure to have some fun as well."

"Don't worry, I spotted some lovely shops not far from here when we came in last night."

I tried to hide my smile. Liz hadn't been her twenty-four hours and she was already planning her next shopping haul.

"Well, have fun, and try to stay out of trouble," I said, as I pulled my bagel out, spread a quick layer of cream cheese over the top, and gave Liz a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I won't." She said. "Have a good day at work."

I grabbed my purse and headed out the door.