Chapter 31
Chapter Notes
Whoops! I finished this like 2 weeks ago and forgot all about it. Well, better late than
never! Happy New Year, guys.
Alex's POV
Somehow I'm not surprised that we find Sam in the kitchen, surrounded by snacking carnage. Both
she and Kara look at me wide-eyed, their gazes flickering from me to where Lena stands at my
side, no doubt smirking.
"Well, I was going to offer to buy dinner, but I see you've ruined your appetite."
My dry admonishment only makes Sam giggle.
I'm enormously amused to watch Kara deflect Sam and Lena's wanting to help, her cheerfulness
relentless as always. "Nope. You're still our guests, no matter how much you've fit in. Now shoo!"
That was the easy deflection. A pouting Lily when she's told about our plans is a challenge.
"Can't we go with you?"
The sharp edge of whine is grating, but I get it. We've all been in one another's pockets for what
feels like forever.
"Not if we're going to go to the bar, kiddo. You have to be twenty-one, that's the law."
Lily looks mulish, but surprisingly neither of her moms make a sound. A glance shows me that
they are paying attention but clearly remaining neutral. Okay, time to find out if I can be a good
mentor when things are stressful and not easy. Like back in my doctor days, I school my expression
to kind, but firm, and after a sulky moment, Lily turns those big, beseeching eyes up. "Will you
make sure we're awake to see the chickens?"
I'll bet my face goes as sappy as my feelings and I crouch to sweep Lily into a big bear hug,
delighting in how she clings back.
"Of course I will."
Once out at the truck, I blow out a hard breath and rub my face. Warm lips pressed to both cheeks
makes me flush a little.
"Good job," is all Lena says, echoed in Sam's soft smile, and I feel like I could conquer the world.
On the brief drive to town, my high emotions settle a bit, the three of us falling to joking around.
As we get to our destination, Sam makes me laugh with her final shot.
"You guys should have a digital swear jar. Like, for charity!"
"Pfft, that would only encourage us," I scoff. "Winn hears that beeeeeep noise in his sleep."
'Ocean's 8' is an entirely unremarkable storefront that looks more wild west saloon barely updated
in the fifties than anything else. Honestly, I have no idea how I was even talked into this. How
interesting can our local hotspot be to a couple of successful club owners in New York? Still, I'll
take care of them as best as our little hamlet can. With that in mind, I have a few requests I
dutifully veer off to the bar to place.
I have to admit, it feels good to make the ever-unflappable Lou actually blink. Then she laughs and
fishes a twenty out of her pocket to hand over to a smirking Debbie.
"Hey, Action Danvers," Lou greets with a jovial tone that matches that enigmatic smile. "You've
been missed by the local wildlife and I can see why. First Lucy's ex shows up and takes her off the
market and now a couple hot city girls collar you? Rude."
I can feel the heat climb up my neck and face and Lou laughs. "I'm not that bad!"
"Oh sure, now you're not, but those cold months looking to warm a bed or twelve?"
I knew I was in for a world of teasing in coming here, and sigh expressively. Debbie snaps Lou on
the ass with a towel, sending her partner off, still laughing. "Ignore that ass. She has a history that
makes you seem like a nun."
"Kinky!" Lou calls out and I sigh again, a rare grin dancing around Debbie's mouth.
Laden with drinks and a snack basket, I head for Lena and Sam, noting how they look around
curiously. I get it, 'Ocean's 8' doesn't look at all what you'd expect for rural mountain Oregon.
The proprietor's past in the heartbeat of New York is very much in evidence.
"Not to shabby, eh?"
God it feels good to see them light up with delight when I join them. Down girl.
"I like the designer's style," Lena muses and takes the gin and tonic I hand over. "Not what I
expected."
"Not surprised. Debbie and Lou transplanted from what I understand was a very successful life in
Manhattan." Both of my New Yorkers look intrigued and even a little taken aback. "You'd be
intrigued as hell about some of the backstories in this town."
They clearly file that enigmatic comment away and we fall into chatting. Well, we chat in between
little visits from what feels like half the town. What can I say? We're a friendly bunch here. The
snack mix and little deli platter is an interesting window into Sam's quirks. When I set it where it
was accessible to all three of us, she barely touched it. The moment I tug it closer to me, but still in
Lena's reach, Sam is ogling and sneaking bits like a starving crow. She's been like this the whole
visit, but there's been a certain… desperation in the thievery today.
The arrival of a generous spread of bar nibblies and my usual mound of hot wings ups the game.
She picks at it with minimal interest until the food lands on my plate. I'm sure Lena would be
subject to the same shenanigans if she hadn't put me between them. Bet that wasn't an accident
either.
"You've been ruthless about raiding my plate all day," I finally tease and Sam freezes with a stolen
trio of fries nearly in her mouth. She looks like a deer in headlights, alarmed and undecided about
the next course of action. The last thing I want is for her to freak out over the endearing habit and
lean over to bonk my skull to hers.
It gets the giggle I'm after and she protests, "your dinner is tastier!"
Good, I'm pretty sure I can tease her in earnest now. "Oh, is that what it's been the whole time
you've been here?"
They make it easy to fall into the comfortable flirting.
It takes me awhile to pick up on it. I haven't had the time or proximity to pick up more than a few
of the subtleties of Lena, but like a great many things, once I've seen it, I can't not see it.
She's… jealous?
To be honest, I probably would have remained oblivious if not for Sam's sly amusement over
Lena's feline antics.
Of course, this is the same moment when Daphne walks in.
Okay, I'm not gonna lie, it's a bit of a rush when she is happy to see me. Normally, that would me
a fun night in the sheets, but now? There's no comparison to the fascinating couple that I've fallen
in with.
"There's my Alex," is Daphne's greeting as she sashays over with her typical drama. Now, I don't
exactly see her pause, after all, she's got a lot of acting under her belt, but I know her well enough
to sense it. Bet that has to do with the two women sitting with me! And I'll also bet there's money
changing hands between the lovable assholes who run the establishment.
"Hey, Daph," I greet her easily, but don't turn fully to give her access to me. Say what you will
about Daphne's dramatics, she can pick up a hint.