“Don’t worry. I’m fine. You didn’t push me in this time.” Paige smiled. “Besides, I was clearly standing in the wrong place. They painted those red lines for dumbasses like me.”

  Seren wanted to simply stand there and enjoy the tingly feeling still running through her body from their brief contact, but she realized Paige was expecting her to say something. She glanced down at the red lines around her feet. “It is a bad design. Who makes a door that swings out when there’s a pool four feet away?”

  “Probably someone who likes pushing people into the pool. Maybe you know them?”

  “Very funny.” Seren smiled back at Paige. “Anyway. Hi.”

  “Hi. We should probably not be standing here talking.”

  “You don’t want to get pushed into the pool together?” She chided herself when Paige gave her a knowing look. Without a word, she said plenty: I know you’re into me and I’m into you. Seren swallowed, fighting back a fresh surge of arousal. She stepped away from the door, and then because she had a good excuse, she reached for Paige and tugged her out of the red-lined area.

  She let go quickly, but touching Paige did exactly what she’d expected. Made her hot all over and aching for more. Before she’d gotten her bearings, the door to the locker room swung open and Rita came out followed by two other women.

  “That was close.” Paige grinned. “Thanks for saving me. I’d better set up.” She glanced at the boom box positioned on the bench and then back at Seren. “Any chance we could talk after class?”

  “Sure.” Seren felt her heartbeat thumping in her throat. This had to be it. Would she really turn Paige down if she asked?

  The question still swirled in her head as she waded into the water, smiling back at the smiling faces around her. She tried to respond to the “Hi, how are you?” chatter but her attention was still on Paige. Paige, leaning down to start the music. Damn, she had nice calves. Paige, clapping her hands to get the class’s attention. Then Paige looking right at her as she winked and said something about nearly getting pushed into the pool again.

  The ladies around Seren laughed and patted her shoulders affectionately. She looked back at Paige and shook her head. If only…

  Before her fantasies could get far, Paige started marching and Seren fell into step. For the first time all day, when she breathed out, she felt truly relaxed. As much as she would have doubted it even a month ago, she loved water aerobics and realized she’d found her jam. Yes, Paige being the instructor helped more than a little. But she also loved simply being in warm water, surrounded by chatty happy women, with eighties music playing in the background. All stress slipped away.

  Paige had clearly upped her game, and by the end of class, Seren was out of breath from working hard to keep up. She’d never thought of water aerobics as a real workout, but tonight proved her wrong. Though lately simply getting through the day pregnant was sometimes a workout. She floated over to the stairs, hungrier than ever and dimly aware she couldn’t completely feel her legs. At least her ankles no longer ached.

  “You okay?”

  Seren looked up at the sound of Paige’s voice. The others had already cleared the pool and she realized now she was the last to get out. “I think I’m fine. A little…dizzy.”

  Paige’s brow furrowed. She kicked off her shoes, clearly ready to get into the pool to help Seren.

  Seren held up her hand. “I’ve got it.” She grabbed the guardrail, wobbling only a little, and made her way out of the water. As soon as she let go of the rail and straightened up, she wanted to sink right back into the water. Despite knowing Paige’s eyes were on her, and wanting to pretend everything was fine, she couldn’t. Her legs wouldn’t stay steady. When the room pitched, she reached for the rail. Paige caught her first.

  She heard the concern in Paige’s voice, but her words jumbled together. Shit. Vomiting was very likely in her near future.

  Paige led her over to the bench by the storage cabinet and she sank down.

  “What do you need?”

  She dropped her head into her hands and then leaned half over. “I’m gonna be sick.”

  “Don’t move.”

  Seren registered Paige leaving and then a moment later she was back at her side. She set a trash can down. “Sorry, but this is the best I can do.”

  “Thanks.” Vomiting into a trash can in front of Paige was going to suck.

  “You’re shivering. I’m going to put a towel on you. Is that okay?”

  Numbly, Seren nodded. She hadn’t noticed that she was shivering, which was a problem all by itself, but the rush that went through her as Paige’s hands grazed her naked skin was a much bigger problem. Paige finished wrapping the towel over her shoulders, managing to get it adjusted without jarring her.

  She swallowed back the taste of bile, knowing that fighting it was usually a lost cause. Someone asked Paige if they should call for help. Seren didn’t look up. Didn’t recognize the voice. She heard the conversation the way she would in a dream. Dammit. She hated looking sick. Or weak. And if she passed out, Paige would be the one to catch her. That was not how she wanted things to go.

  “You okay if I step away for a minute?”

  “Um…” She didn’t want Paige to leave but felt ridiculous saying so.

  “Never mind. I’ll have Claia get the soda.”

  Claia. Another one of the spicy seniors. Seren recognized the older woman’s grumbly but reassuring voice as she promised Paige she’d be back in a flash.

  “Thank you, Claia,” Seren mumbled.

  “She’s already gone. Claia’s a quick one.” Paige squatted down so Seren didn’t have to look up to meet her eyes. “I probably shouldn’t have spoken for you earlier. Do you think we need to call you an ambulance, or will soda and a minute to sit here help?”

  “That’s all I need. I think I’m already feeling a little better.” She wasn’t making any fast moves, but at least the room wasn’t swirling. “I don’t really like needing help.”

  “No one does. But we all need it sometimes.”

  “In the real world, I’m usually the one helping.”

  “Rita told me you’re a massage therapist. That’s what I wanted to ask you about—I want to set up an appointment for my mom.”

  Paige had only wanted to ask that? Seren tried to push away the disappointment. Considering she wasn’t sure if she’d say yes to any date offer, it was silly to feel sad about not getting one. Particularly now. “I’d be happy to get her on my schedule.”

  “We can talk about it later, obviously. She won’t set something like that up for herself, but I know she could use it. She also doesn’t like being the one who needs help.”

  Seren sighed. “I probably need to get over that. I’m sixteen weeks pregnant.” She wasn’t sure why she’d added the last part. Because that was why she couldn’t date anyone?

  “It was either Sprite or Powerade.” Claia handed the soda to Seren. She turned to Paige and asked, “Want me to stay with her?”

  Before Paige could answer, Seren said, “Thank you for the soda, Claia. I’ll be fine in a minute. I think Paige can handle babysitting me.”

  Claia patted her shoulder gently and then murmured something to Paige. Oh, there’d be talk in the locker room for sure. Seren wished she could be there to defend herself. She was not someone who threw themselves at women. Ever.

  After a minute, Paige took the soda from Seren, popped it open, and handed it back. “It works better if you sip it rather than just hold it.”

  Seren didn’t pipe up with any comment about how Paige shouldn’t try to tell her what to do unless they were in bed. As much as she wanted to. The strangest part of all of it was that she was okay with Paige taking care of her. That never happened. Ever. She took a sip and tried not to think too hard about how it was nice that Paige was standing next to her even though she might vomit any minute.

  What a mess. She forced down another small sip, then took a deep breath. “Being pregnant kind of sucks.”

  “So I’ve heard.” Paige sat down on the bench. Not close enough to touch, but closer. “Growing a baby inside you is kind of awesome, though.”

  “Yeah. It is.” Seren took another sip. “I wish I felt awesome. I’m sorry I…”

  “Don’t be sorry about anything.”

  Seren looked down at her soda. She didn’t usually like Sprite, but at the moment it tasted amazing. And there was no denying it was helping.

  “Do you date much?” Seren wasn’t sure it was a good question to ask, all things considered, but she couldn’t help her curiosity. Besides, she didn’t have anything to lose as far as her image at the moment.

  “Not much. Why?”

  “You seem like someone who would be married already.”

  “At my age, you mean?” Paige laughed.

  “No—I’m not saying—I didn’t mean—”

  “It’s okay. I don’t feel like I’m old. Even if I am.” Paige shrugged. After a moment she added, “I’m not opposed to it or anything, but I don’t think marriage is for me.”

  “Why not?”

  “Having a contract for love seems kind of counterintuitive. I think if you love someone, you stay with them. If things get hard, you try to work it out—if you think the relationship is worth it overall. I wouldn’t want someone to stay with me only because we’d signed a document.”

  Huh. Not the answer she expected. “I feel like I should say that there’s legal benefits to being married and it’s important that queer people have the same benefits for their relationships. But…the truth is I agree with you. I’d rather know someone was staying with me because it’s what they wanted to do. And that they loved me.”

  “Exactly.”

  “That doesn’t mean two people can’t be happy in a long-term committed relationship.”

  “Right. But who needs a contract?”

  “Okay, let me try this again. Why are you single?”

  “Want to ask my ex?” Paige shook her head. “Never mind. I’d rather you didn’t. Someday, I’d like to be in a relationship that felt like it might last. And if it happens, great. If not? I’ve got other life goals and plenty of friends.”

  “How old are you?”

  “Ancient. Thirty-seven.”

  “Hey, now. I’m thirty-eight.”

  Paige’s eyes went wide. “I was joking about the ancient thing. I thought you were younger, but—”

  “Yeah, try and talk your way out of this one.” Seren laughed.

  Paige shook her head, laughing now too.

  “It’s refreshing talking to someone who’s not thinking about marriage or looking for a long-term partner.”

  “You mean at our age?” Paige’s smile lingered on her lips, making her more attractive than ever. “I should probably admit my ex and I almost got married.”

  “What happened?”

  Paige hesitated answering, and Seren quickly said, “It’s none of my business.”

  Paige’s gaze fell to Seren’s belly for a brief moment before meeting her eyes. “We were trying to start a family. It took a lot of money and it was a lot of stress and, well, we worked together, too, so everything felt hard all the time. After a year trying and her never getting pregnant, she wanted me to try. But we were having all these other problems and I wanted to focus on fixing our relationship first. Then one day at work she admitted she wasn’t in love with me, and that was that.”

  “Oh. Damn.”

  “In the end it was a good thing. I started over at a new clinic, which I love, and I’m way happier overall.”

  Seren wanted to ask if Paige wanted kids still, but the question stalled on her lips. She didn’t want to co-parent and yet she wanted to know Paige’s answer. Why? Because she couldn’t date someone who hated the idea of kids?

  “Are you sorry you asked?”

  “Not at all. Thanks for telling me. Most people aren’t so honest.”

  Paige lifted a shoulder. “I’m maybe not telling you all the ways I can be annoying in a relationship.”

  Seren smiled. “It’s good to keep some secrets.”

  “Are you feeling better? Your cheeks have a little more color.”

  “I am. Thanks.” Seren took another sip of the soda. The nausea was definitely ebbing, though by the way her stomach churned, she knew she needed more calories. “I don’t think I ate enough today.”

  “Me neither. I was rushing from one appointment to the next and then skipped dinner to get here on time. About halfway through class, this image of a BLT came into my head.” Paige’s eyes closed for a beat. “Mm. Now I’m thinking about it again.”

  Paige looked entirely too sexy when she closed her eyes and moaned. “I’m sorry if you missed out on a BLT because of me.”

  “Oh, I won’t miss out. Café Ernesto’s open late. I’m going straight there.” Paige added, “I realize bacon isn’t for everyone, but if you like it and you’ve never had a Café Ernesto BLT, you don’t know how much better your life could be.”

  At the mention of bacon, Seren’s stomach rumbled. “Bacon might not be for everyone, but it definitely is for me. I love a good BLT. In fact, now it sounds like the best thing ever.”

  “No pressure, but you could join me if you like. I’d love the company.”

  Was Paige asking her out? Or was she only being friendly? She literally couldn’t remember a time when she’d felt less attractive. Still, she wanted to say yes. She glanced down at her damp bathing suit. “I need to change. Are you okay waiting?”

  “Sure.”

  She took one last sip of her soda and Paige held out her hand. Instead of handing off the soda, as she realized Paige was expecting, she took Paige’s hand. Paige didn’t say anything as she helped her to her feet.

  “Do you want me to follow you into the locker room in case you get dizzy again?”

  Considering the thoughts that had run through her head for the past week, ungracefully peeling off her wet bathing suit in front of Paige would be even more embarrassing than nearly fainting on her. “I’ll be fine. Meet you in the lobby in ten minutes?”

  Paige glanced at her watch. “Ten minutes.”

  “Let me guess—you’re coming to check on me if I’m not out in eleven minutes?” She’d meant it as a joke, but one look at Paige and she realized she was serious.

  “I promise I won’t look anywhere that would get me in trouble with Rita. See you in ten minutes.”

  Before Seren had a chance to respond, Paige pushed open the door leading to the lobby. Seren exhaled. She’d gone from shivering in her wet suit to blazing hot.

  “I don’t think I can be responsible for my decisions around her.” But no way was she turning back.

  Chapter Thirteen

  After a week sweating how to ask Seren out, she’d done it with possibly the least amount of class. So much for making her swoon with a grand first date. Instead, BLTs at a cheap café and they were driving separately. Still, Seren had said yes—even after she’d brought up her baggage with her ex, Miranda.

  She couldn’t stop smiling. What a dork she was. But Seren had said yes! Gone was all the conversation in her brain about focusing on work and the goal of buying a ranch. Why had she insisted she couldn’t date while working toward those other goals anyway? Because she hadn’t met anyone like Seren.

  They passed Fifth Street and she wondered which part of town Seren lived in. Leslie had mentioned that she and Seren had been friends in high school and rekindled the friendship when Seren moved back home. Paige got the feeling that Seren hadn’t been back long. She wondered what had brought her back. Something else Leslie had said made her wonder if Seren was planning on staying. How many questions could she ask on a first date without making it like a job interview?

  Two spots were available right in front of the restaurant and Paige parked behind Seren. She waited for Seren to get out but when a minute passed, she went over to check on her. The driver’s side door opened but Seren didn’t get out. “Feeling dizzy again?”

  “A little.” Seren didn’t look like she wanted any help, however. With a sigh, she held up a granola bar wrapper. “I had to take a bite of this on the way. It’s my second granola bar for the day. I’m starting to hate peanuts. And chocolate.”

  “I can’t imagine hating chocolate.”

  “You’d hate it if you only ate it when you were about to vomit.” Seren swung her legs out and stood. “You sure you want to go out to dinner with a slightly nauseous, not-sure-I-can-manage-a-conversation, pregnant woman?”

  “One hundred percent sure.”

  Seren gave her a wry smile. “I wonder about your judgment.”

  Inside, they had their pick of tables. The place was more of a breakfast and lunch spot and the waitress motioned for them to sit wherever they wanted as she continued to chat with a young woman sitting by herself.

  Paige snagged two menus as they passed the front counter and followed Seren’s lead over to a spot in the far corner. Seren motioned to the sign for the bathroom. “I never thought I’d pick tables based on proximity to the bathroom.”

  “Do you have to pee a lot already?”

  “Yes. I also vomit a lot.” Seren shook her head. “I’m sorry. That’s gross. And we’re about to have dinner. It’s gotten better, really. The vomiting part. Everyone said it would second trimester, and they were right.” She sank into her seat and quickly opened the menu as if she wanted to hide behind it.

  “I can do gross. Doesn’t bother me at all. Try to gross me out. I dare you.”

  Seren lowered her menu, a half-smile on her lips. “Honestly, I’d rather not. I have to remember I’m talking to the person who puts their arm up a cow’s butt.”

  “Exactly. Wait.” Possibly Seren was using the example as a theoretical thing but what were the chances she’d bring up the same thing Leslie had? “Were you talking to Leslie about gross things vets do or something? She asked me why a vet would put their arm up a cow’s butt.”