48. Jenna
Dragging the scissors across the top of another cardboard box, I ripped open the flaps and grabbed the coffee mug I’d been hunting for.
“A-ha! I knew it was in there.” I turned it around and presented it with pride.
From the floor of my bedroom, Sy laughed with a drill in her hand. “You were right, what can I say, your insane packing spreadsheet has paid off this one time.”
Rolling my eyes, I crossed the living room to her, most of my stuff still in boxes that never managed to leave this Chinatown apartment. I bent over, planting a kiss on Sy’s lips.
After the airport, we came back here and talked about everything. Sy confessed that she’d made the deal freshman year so that I didn’t feel obligated to date her, that she always wanted me, and vice versa.
And then we had long conversations about what our future looked like because there was no way we could put all of this back into some constraining friendship box.
Despite deciding to keep seeing each other, I chose to stay in New York just for a little longer. I hated leaving here on terms that weren’t my own. So I was trying my hand at cater-waiting while I kept applying to jobs.
It had only been a week but so far, the catering was kind of fun even if I knew its luster would fade quickly.
Sy gazed up at me. “Do we even need to rebuild your bed? You could just sleep in mine.” Her eyes were full of love and lust, enough for me to crumble.
But just because her romantic gesture had worked didn’t mean I would cave any time she flashed that charming smile.
So I shook my head and put my hands on her strong shoulders. “Nope, we need separate space. At least for a little while. But even if we didn’t, your macho bed certainly wouldn't be the frame that won out.”
Rolling her eyes, Sy bit her lip. “Wrestle for it?”
It had been hard enough to peel ourselves out of bed just to make coffee and take my shit out of these boxes. If we started again, we wouldn’t leave for days.
“Maybe after some coffee.” I raised an eyebrow as I walked back to the kitchen, feeling Sy’s eyes on my ass as I walked.
But as I set the pot to brew, a loud ring came from my phone, still perched on top of a box pile.
Jogging over, my bare feet padding along the floorboards, my forehead wrinkled when the screen came into view.
“It’s Tommy.”
Sy shrugged. “Take it.”
Before missing the call, I swiped on it. “Hey?”
On the other line, Tommy was gasping for air, the sound of city traffic noisy behind her. “Hey. Jen.”
“Is everything okay? You sound nuts right now.” I put her on speaker, making sure Sy could hear what was going on.
Tommy continued. “I just walked out of SDO. Were you serious about staying in New York to work with me?”
Sy’s jaw dropped before I’d finished processing the words coming through the static. I hadn’t even told her I decided to stay yet, the dust hardly settling in the week since I canceled my flight.
“Jenna?” Tommy pushed, clearly anxious despite the bold choice.
Shaking my head, I could hardly believe it. I never thought she’d actually have the balls to do it, to take her clients independent and remove herself from SDO’s bullshit. But here she was.
I couldn’t help but laugh, it seemed bold gestures had infected the city air over the last week.
Biting my lip, I nodded. “Tommy, I have a funny story for you.”
Thank you for reading Jenna and Sy’s story!
Want to read more of Tommy? Start with Book 1 in the Sapphics in the City stand-alone series to meet her coworker Ari as she falls in love with rebel Cass when they come up with a fake-dating plot to help Ari’s career.