At Your Most Beautiful by Harper Bliss (book recommendations based on other books .TXT) 📕

Nerves tingled in her fingertips as Maya dug her phone out of her purse and navigated to the pictures Quinn had sent her earlier. Maya made sure to only show Tommy the picture that Quinn had made for Acton.

“Wow,” Tommy said. “It looks like you’re flying over the floor.” He stared at it for a while longer. “Do you think you can get a high-res version of this?”

“Um, sure. I can ask. Why?”

“I can picture that on the wall right over there.” Tommy pointed at the wall opposite him. “It’s really well done. Quinn’s clearly good at what she does. How is she?”

“Well. I think.” Maya’s only intention was to tell Tommy that she’d seen Quinn. Nothing more. And to see how he reacted to hearing about the girl he grew up next door to.

“Married? Kids?” He grinned broadly. “Something tells me none of that is for Quinn. She never struck me as the settling-down type.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I always imagined her traveling the world with her camera, taking pictures of all the places she visited. Being a digital nomad or something like that.”

“She lives in Brooklyn.” Maya put her phone away. “But she’s not married and she doesn’t have kids. She’s, um, single, I think. She’s gone through a bad break-up recently.” Maya was skating on very thin ice, yet talking about Quinn set something alight inside her. “We had coffee after the photo shoot,” Maya clarified, as though she had to explain why she had all this information about their former neighbor.

“She’s a professional photographer?” Tommy asked.

“And retouch artist,” Maya said, as though she’d known what that meant all her life instead of first hearing about it a few weeks ago. “I think she said she has an exhibition coming up soon.” Now it felt like Maya was defending Quinn somehow.

“And that break-up she went through, that was with another woman?”

“Yes.”

“She never really paid me much attention when we were kids. Do you remember?”

“You were a bit too far apart in age to play together, I guess.” And thank goodness for that, Maya thought. If Quinn and Tommy had been actual friends everything would be different.

“I guess.” Tommy rubbed his face with his hands. “Good to know she’s doing well.” He let his head fall back. “God, I’m tired.”

“Take a nap, sweetheart. I’ll look after Ethan for a while.”

“Really?” Tommy looked at Maya as though he couldn’t believe his luck. “Because he kept us up half the night.” He nodded at the TV screen. “CNN must have a spectacular makeup department because Beth did not look like that when she left for work earlier.”

Maya chuckled. “Yes, really. You know I don’t mind.”

“Thanks, Mom. You’re a lifesaver.” He pushed himself up.

“Tommy, um, Quinn and I.” Maya’s heart was beating in her throat. “We’ve met up a couple of times. It’s been good seeing her again.”

Tommy nodded. “It’s great that you’re making friends, Mom.” Tommy sounded more condescending than surprised about Maya’s small admission. Or perhaps his brain was too tired to process anything but rudimentary information.

“Have a good nap.”

“I’ll just be half an hour or so.” Tommy didn’t bother suppressing his yawns any longer.

“Sure.” Maya remembered how easily a short nap could turn into a long sleep when you had a small baby.

She waited until he had disappeared from view to reach for her phone. She navigated to the picture with the green dress, and was again amazed by how Quinn had portrayed her. Maya felt like she had lived her life a little more intentionally by telling Tommy she’d seen Quinn. Although she hadn’t really told him anything, and she had no inclination to tell him anything more any time soon, she had left the door ajar. She had let some light in. Quinn was now someone who actually existed in her life and Tommy was aware of that. It was a small step but it was a first one.

Maya took a deep breath and texted Quinn back. She thanked her for the pictures and asked if she’d like to go dancing again on Saturday.

Chapter 34

“Sometimes,” Maya breathed into Quinn’s ear, “it’s better to dance than to talk.”

The song was about to end, and Quinn needed a break but ever since they’d arrived at the club, Maya had politely rebuffed the advances of anyone else who invited her to dance. Apparently, tonight, she only wanted to dance with Quinn.

Then again, Quinn didn’t much feel like rehashing all the reasons they shouldn’t be together. Her feet might be tired, but it was still easier to try and keep up with Maya on the dance floor than to start another conversation about their differences and what they stood in the way of. As long as they danced, everything had infinite potential. So that was what Quinn did. She clung to Maya’s body for dear life and moved her feet across the floor as elegantly as she could.

After two more songs, Quinn had no choice but to take a breather and get a drink. She didn’t know how or when Maya had gotten so well acquainted with the bartender, but she got him to procure them a table in a corner of the club, away from most of the action. Maybe, Quinn thought, as she plopped down in a chair, there was another dimension to the language of dance that she wasn’t privy to. Or some sort of secret hierarchy that was valid everywhere when dance royalty like Maya turned up.

“God, I love this place,” Maya said. “I could come here every weekend.”

“What’s stopping you?” Quinn asked.

Maya stretched her arm out over the table, her palm open to Quinn. Quinn responded by putting her hand in Maya’s. “Nothing, I guess.” She grinned. “Hey, look, um, later, when we leave, I’d like to go back to mine instead of your place.”

“Okay.” Quinn studied their joined hands. Talk about mixed messages.

“You’re welcome to join me,” Maya said.

Quinn nodded. “All