Page 86 of For the Record
“I don’t like that your friends call you that. Do they realize how that makes you sound?”
Coy faltered, not wanting to have this conversation here. The problem was, shedidknow. Now. Years ago, when she’d first been dubbed the city’s playgirl, she thought it was something to be proud of. No one could lock her down. She was living for a good time, not a long time, and for the most part, she hadn’t taken life too seriously. Somewhere along the way, though, that way of thinking slowly changed. Watching Abi fall for Tess, or Taunya with Derek, or maybe even how Sloane consistently tried and failed to meet someone who just …gother.
When she’d met Sawyer, Coy hadn’t truly realized how ready she was for a relationship. Ready to slow down. To discover something worth sacrificing everything else for. To understand she’d been lying to herself for far too long.
“Come, darling.” Sawyer’s hand slipped into hers, and together, they made their way across the pub to her friends. After introductions were made and drinks were ordered, Sawyer clinked her glass. Conversation around the table fell silent, andCoy eyed her girlfriend curiously. Sawyer wasn’t a shy person, not like Tess, for example, but Coy had never seen her go out of her way to garner attention. Her palms ached to touch Sawyer. She didn’t overthink it, just reached out and placed her hand on Sawyer’s thigh in quiet comfort.
“First, I’d like to give thanks for including me in your celebration.” Sawyer’s smile seemed forced, if the tension around her eyes and the rigidness of her spine was any indication. “I look forward to getting to know you all, as I plan to stick around.” She turned to stare directly at Sloane, who was seated as far away from McCoy as possible. “You lost the bet, my dear. Now get over it. And for everyone else at this table, there is no playgirl here. If you can’t call McCoy by her name, then come up with a less demeaning nickname.”
If it weren’t for the noise outside of the group bubble, Coy was certain they’d be able to hear a pin drop. The utter silence, and the multitude of facial expressions, from shock to annoyance, staring back at her and Sawyer was overwhelming. Coy had to close her own gaping mouth.
What the fuck just happened?
That was the last thing she expected Sawyer to say, and her brain was still grappling to catch up. Hell, should they leave? What if Sawyer wasn’t welcome now that she’d stuck up for Coy?
Then, a slow clap started. Coy’s gaze flew up to see Taunya doing the honors. Andgrinning. The others joined in, causing Coy to sag in relief.
“Finally. I genuinely hated that nickname,” Tess, of all people, admitted.
“Ditto.” Krystal clinked her mug against Tess’s.
“Damn, you’ve got a good woman, Coy,” Taunya said, raising her beer up high. “Raise your drinks, ladies and queers. Let’s do another toast—this time to the end of an era.”
Whoops and hollers went up around the table. Coy shook her head and laughed, leaning in to plant a kiss on Sawyer’s satisfied smirk. “Fuck, I love you.”
“What about ‘lovergirl’? Is that nickname off the table?” Abi called out, earning a chuckle from Sawyer this time.
“I think I’ll come to love your friends,” she said, loud enough that only Coy could hear. Sawyer brushed her thumb across Coy’s bottom lip, a thousand emotions swirling beneath the grayness of her eyes. Coy rode that turbulent rollercoaster, soaking up everything Sawyer couldn’t put into words. It was all consuming. Her heart started to race in the intoxicating stare-down, and Coy felt the breath whoosh through her lungs when Sawyer finally smiled. “Not how I love you, though, darling.”
Epilogue
McCoy
Eight Months Later
“When you two mentioned baking together, you said nothing about me and Sloane being some kind of judge,” Coy said, perched on one of the island stools beside her twin as Sawyer secured a blindfold over her eyes. Memories of the first time she’d done so brought a grin to Coy’s lips, and she puckered them for a kiss.
Sawyer obliged, her mouth caressing Coy’s before she uttered a quick, “Behave, darling, or you’ll leave me no choice but to punish you later.”
Coy’s grin only widened. Hell, if the punishment was anything like what she’d endured the night before, she was so down. She quickly reached for Sawyer, circling her arms around her waist. “You’re getting exceptional with those knots, ma’am.”
“I’m gonna barf,” Sloane grumbled, though she didn’t move off the stool to sprint to the bathroom. Instead, she swatted Coy hard on the thigh.
“Oow.” Coy jabbed her elbow in her sister’s direction but met nothing but air. “You can’t tell, but know that I’m glaring so hard at you right now.”
“Hold still while I tie this,” Bree instructed Sloane. Her melodic laughter rang through the kitchen. “You think you’ll barf? At least your bedroom isn’t a few doors down from theirs. No offense,Maman, but I think you and I have different ideas of what punishment means.”
“Bree Sophia.” There was a high, almost nasally pitch to Sawyer’s voice that hadn’t been there a moment ago. “Why didn’t you say anything? McCoy’s been living here for, like … five months now!”
A contented sigh left Coy. And what a fantastic five months those had been. Waking up wrapped around Sawyer each morning was not something she’d ever take for granted. Their relationship grew stronger each day, and what Coy loved the most was how they helped one another grow. Sawyer wasn’t clingy and still valued her alone time but also encouraged Coy to do the same. It made those moments they were together all the sweeter.
Not wanting to embarrass Sawyer further, Coy drummed her palms on the countertop. “Okay, ladies, back to the task at hand. My sniffer and stomach can’t take it anymore.”
The results of Sawyer and Bree’s bake-off that morning had left a drool worthy aroma throughout most of the downstairs. Sloane had shown up prior to and set up her camera equipment. Her beef with Sawyer was a thing of the past—most of the time, anyway. Coy suspected it didn’t help that her twin had a lowkey crush on Bree.
Coy shuddered just thinking about it.
“I figured since we’re on camera anyway, why not make a true game of it and give your viewers something entertaining to watch?” Bree’s voice sounded from across the kitchen somewhere. By the oven, perhaps. Coy had a terrible sense of direction once the blindfold went on.