On Pride morning, bookish and reserved Rachel musters the courage to talk to her barista crush, only to discover she’s not alone in her desires.
Where does an introverted bookish dyke hang out on Pride morning? Her local LGBTQ bookstore, of course. While helping to put together the store’s annual float for the parade, Rachel reveals that she has a crush on the barista at the coffee shop next door.
The bookstore gang encourages Rachel to step out of her comfort zone and talk to the barista, even though Rachel is convinced she must have a boyfriend. Much to her surprise, the girl flirts with her and even shows up at the bookstore on her coffee break, where she introduces herself as Mavis. In spite of her shyness, Rachel lays bare that she has had a crush on Mavis for some time and Mavis—to everyone’s surprise—wants to know what Rachel is doing after the parade.
Beside herself with disbelief, Rachel skips through the parade. She is so unsure of herself and the new connection with Mavis and she’s convinced that Mavis is straight. When Mavis confesses she has never been with a woman, Rachel must face her worst fear—that she was right. But it doesn’t take long for Mavis to convince Rachel that she’s up for a new experience.
Rachel doesn’t want to be an experiment and she has a hard time trusting that Mavis wants more than just a bit of fun on Pride. Can she take the leap of faith so necessary in taking their connection to the next level?
General Release Date: 18th August 2015
Some years ago, on Pride morning, I volunteered to help my favorite bookstore with their float in the parade. I do this every year. It’s the best place for a bookish dyke like me to spend her day. I can’t deal with the over-the-top partiers and the semi-naked men everywhere, so helping my friends at the bookstore get their signs ready and marching with them is pretty much the epitome of Pride for me.
Carl, the owner, is always really generous with us helpers, probably because getting gays to show up for anything other than cocktails on Pride is like trying to train cats. It doesn’t work.
“Go next door and get yourself an iced mocha or something,” he said. “Put it on the store’s tab.” That’s how much he appreciates the handful of us that show up year after year to march with the store. Free food and drinks all day.
My crush was a barista at that shop. I didn’t know her name. She barely acknowledged my existence, but her Australian accent and her hippie dresses and nose ring drove me wild. I’d made up all kinds of stories about her but had never had the nerve to say anything other than, ‘Double Americano, please.’ How utterly unimpressive. Welcome to my world. That’s why I was perpetually single, forever falling for straight girls and getting in my own way.
But, being Pride, this day was imbued with some kind of magic that even my lowly expectations could not destroy.
The coffee shop was packed. Sparkly, sweaty, glittery people everywhere talked, yelled, lined up and danced on the spot. The neighborhood is flooded with young gay guys and girls on Pride. I don’t know where they are the rest of the time.
Behind the counter, the Aussie was cool and together. She was so composed in the midst of the chaos. As I was standing there admiring her, I noticed the strangest thing. She had a picture of Gertrude Stein on her T-shirt. Gertrude fucking Stein. I wrote my Honors thesis of my first literature degree on Stein. I reminded myself that she probably had a boyfriend. It’s a little known fact that most Gertrude Stein readers are actually straight, therefore the Aussie was straight and that meant she definitely had a boyfriend. Even without a boyfriend, I reckoned while rehearsing my coffee order in my head, she’d still be unattainable.
My turn came.
Romance heroines have saved my sanity numerous times through break-ups and life changes. I find escaping into a romance both soothing and revitalizing—and even better when there are some steamy scenes to tantalize the imagination.
For most of my adult life, I’ve concentrated on carving out a serious career, but a number of love-hungry, sassy characters keep taking over my mind, insisting that I daydream, live vicariously through them and tell their stories. Watching these women emerge on the page gives me a different sort of satisfaction than I get from my day job. It is a joy to share them with readers.
I live in a tiny apartment in a crowded city and I like to think there is something romantic about this. I did manage to find my soul mate here.
Reviewed by The Romance Reviews
Rachel is celebrating Pride the way it should be! With lots of kisses. A Kiss is a Kiss is a Kiss is hot and sweet.
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Reviewed by Inked Rainbow Reads
This was a fun, spicy short story. There wasn't much to it other than a sweet, hot girl-meets-girl story. Rachel and Mavis are both likable, and their time together ranged...
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Destiny Moon - Exclusive Author feature
Why did you choose to set this story during a Pride event?
I find Pride to be such a delightful, over-the-top time in most cities. It’s full of partiers and people being loud and fabulous.
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