CHAPTER 29
“So, how’s it going?” Arlowe asked.
“Fine. How’s it going with you?” Gabi asked back.
“No; I mean, how’s it going with Sarai?”
“Fine,” she repeated and took a bite of her chicken wrap as she stared at Arlowe, who was sitting across from her at the table.
“Are you two going out tonight?”
“No plans. Why?”
“Just wondering. Enya and I are hanging with Vi and Stella over at their place.”
“Okay. Well, have fun.”
Arlowe squinted at her and noted, “You came out of Sarai’s bedroom this morning.”
“I did, yes.”
“And she came out of your room yesterday.”
“Yup,” she said, nodding.
“And the night before–”
“I’m going to save you some time here, Arlowe. We’ve been alternating the room we sleep in since last weekend. So, not sure what you’re going for with this, but maybe that helps you get to the point faster.”
“Sarai tends to tell us everything, so I knew that part, but I wondered if she was holding something back, considering she’s dating a roommate.”
“Holding something back?”
“You two have been weird all week. Like, you’ll be in the same room, but not near each other or touching each other, and you’re dating, as far as I know.”
“Oh. That? We’re trying to figure things out. It’s weird. We like each other, but we live here, so we’re learning on the fly here.”
“Learning how to be together?”
“As roommates with two other roommates who also happen to be Sarai’s co-workers, if not mine, too. We didn’t think we should be all over each other in front of you two or anyone else. I worked from home on Thursday, and the guys were here. We don’t want to make them uncomfortable.”
“All over each other? So, you two have finally… progressed, I take it?”
“Wait.” Gabi leaned back in her chair after she set down her lunch. “Are you just angling for information on our sex life?”
“So, you have a sex life with Sarai?”
“Arlowe!” Sarai exclaimed, walking in just in time.
“What? You normally tell us these things.”
“Oh, my God!” Sarai said and moved to the table to sit down next to Gabi. “You can’t just ask Gabi things when I don’t tell you now.”
“So, there is something to tell?”
“Stop it,” Sarai told her with a little laugh. “It’s none of your business.”
“That’s never stopped us before.”
“That’s because we might tell each other everything, but Gabi might prefer that you, Enya, and the rest of our company not know details about our relationship.”
“I don’t care,” Gabi said.
Sarai turned to her and looked surprised.
“What? I don’t care. They can know whatever.”
“So, there is something to know?”
“Arlowe, get your own girlfriend and leave mine alone,” Sarai said.
Gabi’s eyes went wide.
“Was that the first time you called Gabi your girlfriend?” Arlowe asked after taking in Gabi’s shocked expression.
“It slipped out,” Sarai replied without turning to Gabi. “How is she taking it so far? Freaked out? Does she look happy? Sad? Confused?”
Gabi smiled and let out a little laugh at that.
“I think it’s safe to turn around and take a look for yourself,” Arlowe answered.
Sarai turned then, and Gabi’s smile softened.
“Arlowe and Enya are going to be out tonight. Want to curl up on the couch and have a chill night in with your girlfriend?” she asked.
Hearing Sarai use that term for her really only made the amazing week they’d had that much better.
Yes, it had been a little awkward because they were dating and living together, but they’d tried to deal with that the best they could.
During most workdays, Gabi had been at her own office while Sarai had been working here in the garage.
When Gabi would get home, they’d usually disappear into one of their bedrooms for a while to talk, hold each other, and make out like teenagers until Arlowe or Enya would knock and ask if they were joining them for dinner or doing their own thing.
They had fallen asleep holding each other every night and had woken up next to one another every morning, and Gabi wasn’t sure that she had ever been this happy.
It was Saturday afternoon, and they hadn’t talked about whether or not they’d go out that night or stay in, but now that Gabi knew that the house would be empty, all she wanted to do was stay at home and have the place to themselves.
“I love that idea,” Sarai replied.
“Okay, okay, I get it: you’re obsessed with each other. Now, tell me.”
“Oh, my God! Arlowe, take your damn food to your room and stop asking us about sex.”
“Fine. But now that I know Gabi is okay talking about it, I plan to grill her again later.”
“My lips are sealed unless Sarai wants to share, so good luck with that,” Gabi told her.
“Yeah, yeah,” Arlowe said and stood up with her plate, where she had a sandwich and some chips.
“We’re leaving around five and will be gone until probably eleven or so because Violet wants us to go to this place for dinner that’s, like, an hour away.
I’m sure it’s a nice place, but you know Vi…
She’s going to want an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. ”
“Plus, some after-dinner drink to go with it,” Sarai said.
“Yup.” Arlowe nodded. “So, have fun tonight. We’ll be quiet when we come back so that we don’t wake you if you’re asleep already.”
“Okay. Thanks,” Sarai replied.
“So, we’re girlfriends now?” Gabi teased when Arlowe left them alone in the kitchen.
“I swear, it just slipped out. I was trying to protect your honor.”
Gabi laughed and pushed her plate over to Sarai.
“Have you eaten lunch?”
“No.”
“Want the rest of that?”
“Want to finish eating and go outside with me? It’s a nice day. We can bring a blanket and just lie there,” Sarai suggested before she picked up the wrap and took a bite.
“That sounds really nice, actually. And I finished what I needed to do for the hardware, so I’m free for the rest of the day.”
“I like the sound of that,” Sarai said and winked at her.
After they finished their lunch, they carried supplies out to the backyard, and Gabi laid out the blanket for them. Sarai then set down some bottles of water and snacks and lay down first before Gabi moved to snuggle into her side.
“I like it out here,” Gabi said.
“Yeah?” Sarai asked, wrapping her up tighter.
“It’s quiet, except for the neighbor’s dog barking every few minutes.”
“His name is Rocco, and he’s a sweetheart. I’ll introduce you one day. You should prepare to be bowled over, though. He’s a Great Dane.”
“God, they’re huge. What are your thoughts on dogs? Or are you a cat lesbian?”
“I’m a neutral lesbian. I like both cats and dogs. Cats are easier to take care of, though, so I could see myself getting one in the future since they’re so low-maintenance. You?”
“I could go either way. I had a dog as a kid, but when we started moving for my parents’ jobs, we had to give him away to someone in the family. We never got another pet. I think a cat would be cool since I have very little practice with pets. Then, maybe a dog later.”
“That could be fun,” Sarai replied and began rubbing Gabi’s back.
“You’re down for that?”
“Maybe. I feel like work is going to get even busier soon, so depending on how long that craziness goes on, that might change things, but yeah, a cat could come first, at least.”
Then, Sarai yawned loudly, making Gabi smile.
“Didn’t sleep well last night?” she asked, lifting herself to look up at her.
“I slept well. I just didn’t sleep much,” Sarai reminded. “You were there, and there was this kissing… I had to wear a sweater to cover up the mark on my collarbone.”
“And they’re very nice collarbones, too, so it really is a shame,” she teased and pulled down on Sarai’s sweater a bit to see the mark she had made the previous night before she leaned down and kissed the spot. “Want to take a nap out here? I could sleep, too.”
“Out here?”
“It’s honestly quieter than it is inside that house, with Enya reciting words in some language I don’t comprehend while walking back and forth from one side of the house to the other, and Arlowe… well, being Arlowe.”
“I love that you understand how she is already and that it doesn’t bother you.”
“I like her. She can be a little much, yeah, but she’s also loyal and very protective of you.
” Gabi smiled. “My girlfriend. God, Sarai Kaplan is my girlfriend.” She laughed and shook her head before she settled it on Sarai’s chest again.
“I cannot believe the hot chick I had a thing for when I was a teenager is now my girlfriend.”
Sarai laughed and replied, “I am. And I like the idea of taking a nap out here with my girlfriend.”
“We’re going to be that couple, aren’t we? Arlowe’s going to hate it.”
“I can’t wait.”
Sarai kissed the top of Gabi’s head, and they didn’t say much after that.
Soon, Gabi closed her eyes and focused on the sound of Sarai breathing, the feel of her chest rising and falling, and the touch of Sarai’s hand on her lower back.
She fell asleep, and when she woke up, the sun that had been in the sky was gone, replaced by a bright moon.
Gabi looked down to see that Sarai was still asleep.
“Babe?”
“Hmm?”
“Sarai, it’s dark.”
Sarai slowly opened her eyes and asked, “What?”
“Babe, we passed out, and it’s dark now.”
“What? Shit,” Sarai said, moving to sit up quickly. She reached for her phone, which was next to the water that they hadn’t opened, and checked the time. “It’s six o’clock.”
“We slept for four hours?” Gabi asked.
“I guess so. Arlowe texted that she saw us out here but didn’t want to wake us up. I must have been out because I did not hear that notification. They left for their dinner thing.”
Gabi looked up at the sky and said, “I haven’t napped that long in forever; maybe since college, when I had an eight AM class and my next one was at, like, four in the afternoon.”
“Yeah, me neither. It was nice though, huh?”
Gabi turned then and took her in. Sarai’s smile was wide and beautiful.
Her eyes were still a little sleepy, but Gabi could see the light from the moon in them, and they looked radiant.
Sarai’s hair was down and slightly mussed from lying on the blanket in the grass, but she was perfect, and she seemed to be in the same moment with her.
Neither of them said anything as they just moved to one another, and soon, Gabi was straddling Sarai.
She held Sarai’s face in her hands and kissed her softly, slowly, taking in every bit of every touch.
“We have the whole house to ourselves,” Sarai said before her lips hit Gabi’s neck, her hands moving up and down Gabi’s back and under the sweater she’d put on before coming outside. “Want to go inside?”
“No,” Gabi replied, shaking her head. “Not right now. Right now, I want this.”
“Gabs, I meant…” Sarai looked up at her. “Go inside to my room or yours.”
“I know.”
“Not because we have to, but because we want to, and because–”
Gabi kissed her and said, “I know, Sarai.”
“You don’t want to? You said you were ready the other night.”
“I am ready,” she replied and sighed. “I am very ready to be with you. All I want right now is to be with you.”
“Okay. Well, I’m ready, too, now.”
“Tell me something first.”
“Okay…”
“Is it just because Arlowe and Enya are gone, and you want to take advantage of us finally being alone?”
“No, that’s just a nice coincidence. If they were home, I’d still want to go into my room with you now and have this.” Sarai kissed her neck. “I’m ready, Gabi.”
Gabi smiled and said, “Okay. Then, here.”
Sarai stopped kissing her neck and looked back up at her in confusion.
“Here, what?”
“I want to touch you here.”
“Here? As in outside?”
Gabi nodded.
“Babe, there’s a fence, but it’s not exactly private.”
“Your tree and the other two block most of the yard, and it’s dark, babe. Arlowe didn’t even leave the lights on for us. No one knows we’re here.”
“Why, though, when we can go inside?”
“Because I can see the moonlight in your eyes, and you are just so beautiful right now,” Gabi replied.
“I’ve never…”
“Neither have I. And I think this is way better than a car, don’t you?”
Sarai smiled shyly.
“Take this risk with me?” Gabi asked softly.
“I feel like I could take all the risks with you.”
Gabi kissed her again and let the kiss build this time because she wanted the slow, deliberate kiss that Sarai was so good at.
She had this way of knowing exactly when to let her tongue join with Gabi’s and when to drag it over Gabi’s bottom lip.
Sarai also knew when to nip on that lip just a bit before moving the kiss along a little faster.
Gabi could live in these kisses. When Sarai moaned, though, she thought for a second about how people might not see them, but they would be able to hear them if they went outside, with how close the houses were to each other, and she worried that Sarai would be thinking that, too, but then, she felt Sarai’s hands on the hem of her sweater, lifting it, so she raised her arms and let Sarai pull it off.
Over the course of their week together, they hadn’t made it any further than this.
Skin had yet to be fully revealed, and they hadn’t even taken off their T-shirts, having slept in pajama pants or shorts, so when Sarai reached for the button and zipper on Gabi’s jeans, Gabi knew that they were about to take a very important step in their relationship.
That step mattered a lot to both of them, but it had been Sarai who’d requested they wait a bit, and now, Sarai was the one lifting Gabi’s T-shirt after having undone her pants.
“Lie back,” Sarai told her when she had Gabi’s shirt off and it was tossed into the grass. “Please,” she added, kissing Gabi’s neck a little more quickly than she had been before.
“You’re not giving me any incentive to move, Sarai,” Gabi teased with a smile.
“I promise, I will when you do,” Sarai replied.
Gabi bit her bottom lip at that and moved off her girlfriend’s lap. She lay back on the blanket and watched as Sarai pulled off her own sweater and moved on top of her.
“Are you sure?” she checked after wrapping her arms around Sarai’s neck as she lay there in her bra and jeans.
“For the first time in a very long time,” Sarai replied.