“I don’t have a type,” Julia retorted.
“Apparently stick-up-your-ass is your type.”
“Bah!” Keegan laughed. “You so have a type!”
“I can see you having a type,” Erin replied with a smile, enjoying every moment of the torture.
“Really?” Julia leaned in closer, determined to prove her wrong. “What exactly do you think my type is?”
Erin gracefully fell back onto the cushion as she studied Julia. She tilted her head slightly to the left, her lips pressed into a subtle smile. Her pink sweatshirt draped over her thin frame as she tucked her legs beneath her.
She held a posture that suggested she’d been there before, like she’d sat in that very chair with the same company and had this conversation already. Julia was wrapped in her presence again. She couldn’t name it–couldn’t put a finger on exactly where it came from or what it meant. She sat there and smiled, her eyes just as glossy as Erin’s lips.
“That is a tricky question,” she said, grinning.
“I’m a pretty simple person,” Julia argued, and then both Erin and Keegan erupted in laughter. “That’s so not nice!”
“You are anything but simple,” said Erin.
“How so?”
“Well, in the short time I’ve gotten to know you, I’ve found you to be the most intriguing and complex person I’ve ever met.” Erin spoke slowly, calculatedly choosing each word that fell from her flawless lips.
Her eyes were placed on Julia as if Keegan wasn’t even there–a single ray of sunshine peeking through heavy purple clouds.
“I promise you, I am nowhere near as mysterious and complicated as that.” Julia tried to break up the moment with a chuckle, but her voice was too quiet for casual conversation.
“I said complex, not complicated,” Erin corrected.
“Well, if I’m so complex,” Julia held down a gulp as she tried to sound interested and not argumentative, “what’s my type?”
“Hmm.” Erin hummed, taking a sip of her wine. Why was that little head cock so damn cute? “You like strong women–someone who can hold their own. Someone who wants you but doesn’t need you.” She paused as she studied her more, her eyes stripping layers of clothing off like an extraterrestrial radiograph. “Someone who takes your breath away, even though you wouldn’t admit it.” Her lips parted as if she wanted to go on, but Keegan interrupted.
“I don’t disagree! See, Lauren will be a great fit. She’s cut throat in her office and then goes home and helps Habitat for Humanity build houses.” Keegan turned towards Julia, pleadingly fluttering her lashes. “She’s actually pretty nice! Not too bad to look at either.”
“That’s not quite what I said.” Erin’s eyebrows arched as she took another drink.
“Well–” Keegan began.
“I’m sure she is nice,” said Julia through a forced smile. “Cancel it.”
“She’s hot too,” she added, as if that piece of information would help.
“Keegan,” Julia warned, “cancel it!”
“But she’s hot,” Erin cooed.
“I can’t cancel it. Ben already told her, and she’s excited to meet you.” Keegan’s eyes were pleading.
“She only helps build those houses for publicity, Keegan!”
She shrugged. “It’s still a good act.”
“You couldn’t have set her up with someone else?” begged Julia.
“How many lesbians do I know?”
She had a point. Even on the outskirts of the city, there weren’t many out and about lesbians. The city of Kleinton was all about the perfect picture, and that didn’t quite fit.