CHAPTER 1 #3
Reese didn’t make eye contact. She could tell that Jette felt vulnerable or uncomfortable, though she couldn’t discern which.
She turned away, shifting her attention back to the art-covered walls and replied, “That’s kinda beautiful.
I never thought of it that way…” Her voice trailed off.
“It’s like a little note left behind from ourselves. ”
Jette nodded, a sincere smile now on her lips, “Exactly. The permanence is actually part of the reason I love tattoos. They tell a story.” Reese nodded thoughtfully and found herself leaning in, wanting to hear more.
“Sometimes it’s a funny and embarrassing story, but y’know,” Jette shrugged and took a large sip.
“Sorry if I’m rambling,” she said hurriedly.
Her effortlessly cool and confident mask slipped for a moment, but it returned in the blink of an eye as she tossed a few locks over her shoulder.
“No, no, I like it!” Reese said a little too excitedly.
She cleared her throat and continued, “I never really thought about it that much but hell, you’ve convinced me.
” Jette flashed a smile that made her stomach flip.
Reese was already committed to the bit. She reached for her sleeve and rolled it past the elbow.
Leaning against the padded table between them, Reese angled her forearm towards Jette.
The paper crinkled under her elbows as Jette looked her over.
Reese felt a flutter of heat sweep over her chest as Jette’s eyes unflinchingly focused on her.
“So what do you think I should get here?” She paused, pretending to weigh her options as she twisted her arm back and forth.
“An infinity symbol? Dream catcher? Two treble clefs in the shape of a heart?”
Jette rolled her eyes and snorted with laughter before leaning in.
The laugh building in Reese’s throat caught when Jette’s cool hands lightly glided over her skin.
Jette hummed in indecision as she tilted Reese’s arm, studying the bare skin from every angle.
“Infinity symbol, definitely,” she decided.
“With ‘Carpe Diem’ in brush script right here,” she teased, just barely skating her nails along the surface.
Reese’s forearm tingled where Jette’s nails left tiny pink lines and she couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her lips as their eyes met.
Reese let out a nervous chuckle. “Oh god, you’ve actually done one of those, haven’t you?”
“More than one,” Jette admitted with a flush steadily rising in her own cheeks. Reese’s nose wrinkled as they laughed, the pleasant noise drowning out the distant sounds of a party still continuing a few rooms away.
Reese hesitated to pull away, her arm still resting in Jette’s grasp and her pulse thrumming so loudly in her own ears, she could swear Jette had to be able to hear it too.
Seemingly unphased, Jette pulled her hands back to her own drink.
The lights overhead buzzed softly. Self-consciously, Reese glanced around the room again, racking her brain for something else to say when Jette interjected. “So what do you do for work?”
“I’m a project coordinator.” The answer came out reflexively, though not entirely accurate. She paused before correcting herself. “Actually, no. I was a project coordinator,” Reese chuckled, “I just got promoted to project manager.”
“Congratulations,” Jette chimed in with another smile that left Reese blushing.
“Thanks,” Reese’s voice trailed off self-consciously.
“Was it recent?”
“Very,” Reese admitted with a quick glance at her watch. “I signed my offer letter about an hour ago.”
Jette’s lips parted in surprise. “Holy shit, that’s amazing,” she said, softly touching Reese’s arm in the process.
Their eyes met for a moment before Jette looked at the contents of her own plastic cup.
Dark eyes glinted playfully as she asked, “What are we doing drinking wine? I should’ve brought out the good stuff.
” Reese watched in quiet amusement as Jette reached for a bottle of dark liquid on the counter.
She didn’t know anything about bourbon, but based on the look of the ornate glass bottle, it had to be expensive.
Jette tossed her dark waves over her shoulder again before sending another charming smile in Reese’s direction.
Reese really needed her cheeks to stop blushing uncontrollably if she was going to keep doing that.
“You don’t need to do all that,” Reese offered as Jette reached for two small glasses from under the counter.
“You got a big promotion, Reese. That’s cause for celebration.
” The earnesty in her voice hit Reese in the chest. She hadn’t actually told anyone until just this moment.
Kiran hadn’t given her the chance on the phone, and Reese definitely wasn’t going to call her parents willingly to tell them the good news.
“Thanks,” the word came out quietly.
Jette turned around and handed her a glass. She carefully regarded Reese before asking, “Is everything okay?”
Reese’s pulse raced as she hurried to answer. “Of course. That’s so sweet of you,” she blurted out. “I just realized that you’re the first person I told.”
Jette raised a single dark eyebrow. “Really? Kiran doesn’t even know yet?” Her piercing gaze left Reese’s chest feeling tighter than usual.
She shook her head and swirled the glass in front of her before taking a whiff.
It smelled better than any bourbon Reese had ever tried before.
Hints of woodsmoke and complex spices that she couldn’t begin to identify curled in her nostrils, stinging her sinuses in the most pleasant way.
“He knows I’ve been working towards it for months.
I just don’t think he remembered that I was supposed to find out today, that’s all. ”
The disappointed look in Jette’s eyes was unmistakable.
But rather than pressing the subject, she merely brought her glass to Reese’s with a small smile.
“Well,” she began, “I’m honored to be the first person to know.
” Reese swallowed with difficulty and she hadn’t even taken a sip yet.
“Here’s to your new job,” Jette raised her glass infinitesimally.
“And to your birthday,” Reese added with a chuckle.
Jette’s eyes sparkled as their eyes met and Reese could only hold her gaze for a moment before needing to look away.
The bourbon didn’t burn the way she expected.
It slid down her throat gracefully, sending heat into her stomach.
It wasn’t just the bourbon. She could feel the warmth of Jette’s stare.
It sent a prickly heat up her neck as she glanced around the room again, not ready to meet Jette’s eyes just yet.
Everywhere she looked was filled with small details, as though every tiny part of the space had been thoughtfully planned.
She caught a glimpse of a tiny rainbow flag propped up against what looked like a vintage red tool box.
“Cool flag,” she said, casually breaking the silence that hung between them.
“Thanks.” Jette answered plainly, but made no effort to contribute anything additional.
Reese’s nerves fluttered to life as she struggled to make small talk. It was this inescapable part of every party that left a pit of dread in her stomach. “Are you um…?” Reese began.
“Gay?” Jette supplied. Another hint of amusement made her dark eyes sparkle.
“Mhm,” Reese hummed while taking the last sip of her bourbon. She hadn’t planned to finish her drink so quickly, but she had always relied on frequent sips to mask her anxiety. A habit that had the potential to get her into trouble if she wasn’t more careful.
“I am.” Jette seemed completely at ease. Confidence radiated off of her, a stark difference from the nervous energy that firmly weighed on Reese’s shoulders. If she didn’t know any better, she would think that Jette actually enjoyed watching Reese squirm to fill the silence.
Reese nodded awkwardly. “I’m bi,” she offered after a moment.
Jette smirked slightly and said, “Yeah, I figured that.” She lazily gestured to Reese’s outfit and bit her lip to suppress a growing smirk. Reese’s eyes widened unexpectedly.
Reese laughed and retorted, “Okay, that’s enough. Now I know you’re mocking me.” Her cheeks flamed pink as she felt Jette’s eyes burning into her own.
“Okay, yes, sorry. That time I was,” Jette teased with a genuine smile.
“Unbelievable,” Reese drew out the word for dramatic effect and giggled.
She crossed her arms indignantly and playfully spluttered, “First you mock me for not having any tattoos, now you mock my clothes. I’m pretty sure you owe me another drink for that.
” Reese liked the way Jette’s laughter mixed and tangled with hers.
Jette looked into Reese’s eyes for a moment too long before glancing at the now empty solo cup in her own hand. “Deal,” she agreed. “Should we grab a refill and head back to the party?” she asked, reaching for the wine on the counter.
“Sure,” Reese answered, though to be honest she had completely forgotten there was a crowded building full of people just beyond the door.
She glanced down at her watch and realized it had officially been over an hour since she’d arrived.
It wouldn’t be hard to craft an excuse. After all, Reese had become somewhat of an expert at getting out of social obligations.
But as she looked over to watch the dark-haired girl pouring more wine, Reese decided she wasn’t ready to leave just yet.