Damn you Mat. You don’t deserve this woman.
Kate sat in the car, trying to dampen the heat she felt. Her brother putting her in this position – again. He was sick, he said, and crashed out in bed.
‘Sick, my arse.’
She had met Aysha only once, but it was enough for Kate to decide she deserved better than her shambolic brother.
‘Surprise!’
Kate watched Aysha’s face flick through a range of expressions, from beaming with expectation to confused, to something else she thought might be disappointment veiled with politeness.
‘Kate?’ she said cheerfully, looking past her, for Mat, most likely.
‘Mat asked me to drop by and tell you in person, that he’s really unwell and won’t make it tonight.’
Kate fired the words out like a gatling gun, to get through the awfulness of being an accomplice to her brother’s suspected deceit. The silence made Kate want to turn and run with embarrassment. It sounded so lame. So sick that he couldn’t call or text? Why did she even agree to this?
‘I…I’m sorry – hey don’t shoot the messenger,’ Kate said, trying to insert some lightness. ‘I’ll leave you to your evening.’
She turned to go, when she felt Aysha’s hand on her shoulder.
‘Please don’t go. Come in, come in,’ Aysha said, opening the door wider to encourage Kate in. ‘I made dinner for two. Why don’t you join me instead,’ a thin smile to cover the hurt. Not the first time, Kate surmised. ‘A chance to get to know each other better,’ Aysha continued, warmly.
The fact that Aysha made no further inquiries about Mat was both a relief and a worry. A relief that Kate didn’t have to participate further in an obvious lie – a worry that it was so obvious, Aysha wouldn’t dignify it by commenting. Kate found that instantly attractive. A strength of character. She knew then that Aysha would not be Mat’s girlfriend for long.
Kate studied Aysha as she roamed around the kitchen, in movements that could have been choreographed for a ballet. Smooth, purposeful, hypnotic. She noticed Aysha’s arms, their muscular definition proudly shown off by the white singlet top. Kate found herself staring a little too long as Aysha lifted a large pot down off the shelf, the singlet coming away from the denim jeans to reveal a toned set of abs. Simple, but sexy as hell – a white singlet and jeans, bare feet, Aysha had no need for adornments of any kind. She was enough.
When Aysha turned to put the pot on the table, Kate felt caught out. She looked away awkwardly before turning back to find herself staring into Aysha’s deep green eyes.
Those eyes, my god. Mat’s a fucking idiot.
‘Can I get you something to drink?’ Aysha asked, her smile now full, disappointment no longer obvious.
She could barely get an answer out. Her words choked down by feelings she had not experienced for another woman before. She followed the outline of Aysha’s nature-bestowed lips – no fillers, no heavy lip liners, just an exquisite mouth that Kate craved to kiss.
‘Drink? Kate?’, Aysha asked again.
‘Yes, oh yes. Let’s have a drink,’ Kate said, when she shook herself from the orbit of attraction she’d found herself in.