Leala Linney Chapter 5

Leala doesn’t know when she’s had such a great date. In fact it’s been a long, long time since she had any type of date, actually. How many years ago? Like...nope. No. If she tried to count it would be too depressing. And right now, she’s pretty darn happy.

To be honest, as much as she was excited for it, this simple coffee date was touch and go for a little while. Before Phil turned things around for the better. They continue to sit at the coffee shop’s outdoor table, talking long after their refills are gone, until smells from a food truck somewhere nearby makes their stomachs growl. They stroll down the street leisurely, never stopping their back-and-forth conversation as they cover the blocks. By the time they reach the food truck, a line has formed but Leala doesn’t care about waiting and Phil doesn’t seem to, either. They just keep learning about one another and laughing. Leala loves Phil’s laugh. Hearty and deep, it both warms and cheers. She has half a mind to use her phone to record Phil laughing, that way she could play it back any time she craves a lift of her spirits. But the real thing is so infinitely better. How I’d love to bring her home with me. And not just for her laugh.

 

The more Leala learns about Phil, the more she wants Phil. Of course, Phil is hot and could fuel Leala’s fantasies even better than k.d. lang’s Drag. Oh, wow that cover. She had the CD propped up on her bookshelf for years, just so she could look at it any time she wanted. Okay. Focus, old girl. This is about Phil. Phil who’s sitting right here in front of her and whose craveable husky alto she could listen to reading encyclopedia entries for hours on end.

 

Even better, Phil is proving to be far more complex than just physically appealing to Leala. She has a good sense of humor – a must in Leala’s eyes. Phil is mature without being staid. And Leala can sense a playful side beyond simply finding things funny. 

 

When Phil insists on paying for Leala’s steak and cheese sub, too, she steps aside to watch Phil interact with the people in the truck. Her biggest pet peeve is witnessing people treat employees poorly, particularly those in hourly wage type positions. Serving the public isn’t easy. Nor is standing or hustling around on your feet all day or working in less than ideal temperatures or with heavy items. The rapport Phil strikes up with the young woman taking orders and payments tells Leala so much about who Phil is underneath all those muscles her fingers crave to explore. 

 

They carry their hot sandwiches a few more blocks down the street to one of the city’s parks. After Leala assures Phil that she doesn’t mind sitting in the grass in her sundress, they settle down in the shade of a large maple. Leala crosses her legs and spreads the skirt out to cover them. For a few minutes they eat in companionable silence. Leala enjoys the paprika-heavy seasoning on the beef, peppers, and onions and the provolone is perfectly melted over top. There’s just the right amount of mayo, too. She decides it’s the best steak and cheese sub she’s had in a long time. 

 

She looks up to see Phil staring at her. Leala can feel her face heat. “What?”

 

Phil’s eyes sparkle. “I love how you eat like you’re going to write up a food article.”

 

Leala laughs. “What can I say? I like to savor good food.” 
It’s been a long time since she enjoyed herself this much. She wipes her mouth and balls up the empty wrapper around her used napkin. Belly pleasantly full, she stretches out her legs and crosses them at the ankle, then leans back, propping herself up on her hands. She could get used to spending days like this. She tilts back her head and looks up at the green canopy spread over them, deciding she needs to do more of this on her time off.

 

Phil positions herself closer and mirrors Leala’s position. They’re so close, Leala can feel the heat coming off of Phil’s body. After a minute, Leala feels Phil looking at her and she turns her head, propping her chin on her shoulder. Phil smiles at Leala. “I’m glad you enjoyed lunch. I did, too.”

 

She quirks up a single eyebrow, something Leala’s never been able to do. On second thought, propping up this way doesn’t feel as good on these old shoulders as it did years ago. She pushes herself up and turns to face Phil.

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“But I can think of a few other things I’d enjoy savoring even more.”

 

The look in Phil’s eyes sends a thrill of anticipation through Leala. Half joking, she sasses, “Oh, yeah? Care to offer up an example?” 

 

Phil seems to consider her for a moment and Leala wonders if she’s going to turn it all the way into a joke. But Phil sits up and turns to face her, ending knee to knee with Leala. Leala has to fight herself not to look down. Not to scoot back and put a little distance between them.

 

Phil cocks her head, eyes exploring Leala’s face as though they haven’t been looking at one another for hours. Then her eyes fixate on Leala’s mouth. “I believe I’ll start with your extremely kissable lips.” Leala impulsively licks them and Phil smiles like Leala just gave the right answer. “Next I’ll explore the length of your neck, paying special attention here,” she reaches out and trails a finger from just below Leala’s ear, down the side of Leala’s neck, “where it slopes down to your soft shoulder. Yeah, I will linger here a long time. This I will savor.” She opens her hand and strokes across Leala’s shoulder, dragging the spaghetti strap down with her movement, before withdrawing, leaving Leala’s skin tingling in its wake. 

 

She hastily pulls the strap back up and rubs her shoulder self-consciously. It’s not like Leala to flirt like this, and Phil’s left her pulse galloping away. She can’t recall ever having such a strong, immediate reaction to someone. Since the first time she laid eyes on Phil, Leala has been drawn to her. Wanted to run her fingers through the close cropped hair, run her hands over the hard planes of her back. Take her time exploring every inch of Phil. And every interaction, every moment they spend together, builds Leala’s yearning, craving for more. 

 

“Leala?”

 

“Yes?” She hasn’t panted like this since she used to sweat in the 80s with Jane Fonda’s aerobics video.

 

“May I kiss you?”

 

Leala swallows hard. “God, Phil. I think I might cry if you don’t.”

 

With a deep chuckle Leala feels in her lower abdomen, Phil cups her face and leans in close enough for their breaths to mingle. She murmurs, “Well, we can’t have that, can we?”

 

Beyond any capability of answering, Leala just stares into Phil’s eyes as their lips meet. At first, Phil seems hesitant, barely touching her, rubbing her lips back and forth across Leala’s. But just when Leala’s ready to whimper with frustration, Phil stops teasing and gets serious and that’s the last coherent thought Leala has for a long time.

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