Jenny could hardly believe it. It was as if some brazen temptress had taken over her body. Had she really initiated a kiss with Juliana and then invited her to her house afterward? It must have been someone else.
Yet here Juliana was, gazing at her—at her!—with smoldering brown eyes after accepting Jenny's invitation. Was her luck finally turning?
You make your own luck was a frequent saying she saw in the self-help books she read. This turn of events wasn't luck. She'd made it happen. Because she wasn't a loser.
She smiled broadly. Jenny liked not being a loser. Liked the sense of bravery she'd mustered to ask Juliana to her apartment. Loved the rush she felt when the trainer had said yes. Was this what normal people felt every day? Jenny never realized how much she'd been letting self-doubt bog her down. Second-guess her every move. It was tiresome, she realized. When was the last time she felt this free?
Wait, was her apartment clean? She hadn't exactly planned on having visitors. She washed her dishes before heading out today, right? What about—
The warmth of Juliana's hand sliding into hers broke through the litany of doubts attempting to march into her brain. She turned her head and beamed at the woman with the smoldering eyes. This was what mattered.
Not the dishes.
Not any possible mess in her apartment.
This.
Juliana smiled back, radiant as always. "Everything good?"
That little what-if voice in her head—the one that loved to sink its claws into her good mood—attempted to clear its throat. Tried whispering it might be better to back out before she embarrassed herself. But Jenny recognized it this time. Knew that wasn't what she wanted. She was done letting anxiety run her life. Courage felt good. She wanted more of that in her life.
"Yes," Jenny replied, firming her grip on Juliana's hand. "Everything is fantastic."
And the best part?
It was true.
Thanks for following Jenny and Juliana's journey! I realize there's room to add more drama to their budding romance and turn this into a full-sized novel, but here seemed like a great place to end for novella length.
Looking for something similar? Try Falling for the Gun-Toting Accountant. Jenny's free-spirited mom has some fun scenes in it! Go check it out on my profile. (I'll put a link in the comments.)
Happy reading!
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Curves | ONC 2020 Shortlist
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