Leave Before You Love Me

THE WOMAN

That's the reason she's there, to clear that. "That's a co-worker."

"And that co-worker likes you?" Ann was surprised at the question.

"What? I can tell, too obvious, by the way. She got slightly territorial on you when she saw us outside and put her arm on your back. Is it gonna be okay with her, you're going to do this with me?"

The woman in question didn't want to talk about her co-worker or anyone for that matter during this time that they're together. So she straddles the bartender's thigh. "She doesn't have to know about my business with other people and we're not together. So let's end it at that. Now, less talking, more kissing."

—

"Are you staying the night?" Michelle asks while they are eating in her spotless kitchen. The two got hungry after their evening activities.

"Already?" Ann teases.

Michelle grinned at her playfully. "A girl could try. But are you?"

"I don't stay over during the first time."

"Well, that's okay, because this isn't our first time. You also don't have to say yes if you don't want to. I won't force you."

She was about to decline her invitation to stay the night with her when Michelle's phone rings. The bartender stared at her phone first, looking at the caller ID before she accepted the call.

"But I'm busy. Can Abe do it?" Michelle said, scratching her forehead. She glanced at the woman in front of her.

"Can you bring her over, then? I can't go there right now."

She put the phone down on the table. "Who was that? Everything okay?"

She exhaled. "Yeah, just my sister. She's picking her husband up in the airport and she wants me to look after her daughter for a few minutes or hours, depending on the traffic."

There's a knock on her door, a sign that her sister has arrived.

"That was fast."

She chuckles. "They live just two floors down. Is it okay if she sees you? You can hide in my room if you want," Michelle offered.

Anntonia did that, she skipped into Michelle's bedroom before the bartender could open the door. She's not ready to meet anyone in Michelle's family, except for maybe her niece. Maybe Michelle feels the same too, if she were to ask her to meet her brother and her parents maybe that's going to be a bit of a stretch into their arrangement, since they weren't dating at all.

She didn't close the door thoroughly, and she could hear her partner speaking. She couldn't decipher what they were talking about, but she can hear her niece excited to spend time with her aunt.

"You can come down if you want. My sister already left." She yelled from downstairs.

When she comes down, Michelle is in the kitchen feeding the little girl.

"Hi." She greeted the pair. The child turned her head to see who the other person was in the room. Seems like she has already forgotten her from their encounter earlier today.

"You want a pancake?" Bella adorably offered a piece that she's currently holding with her tiny hand.

Anntonia smiled.

"No, thank you. Is it good? Your auntie made it?"

"Uh-huh. Good, auntie you want?"

"No thank you, sweetheart. But it's for you, mama said you want a snack when you should already be in bed," Michelle cooed, poking the child in her chubby stomach. Bella giggled, playfully taking her aunt's hand off of her.