Chapter 20
“So.” Sienna was sitting between her sister and Alexis in the back of the car. “Before we arrive, I need to tell you something.” She turned to Alexis, because her sister already knew—although Taissa surely didn’t know how fond Sienna had grown of Justine these past couple of weeks.
“Shoot.” Alexis was all glammed up in that quietly luxurious way that was all the rage these days. She would turn a lot of heads tonight.
“Um, well, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Justine lately.”
“Did you do more volunteering at the shelter?” Alexis didn’t have a clue—and why would she.
“No.” Sienna should have, but she’d been too busy, in between shooting the movie, whiling away the hours in bed with Justine. “It’s different. We’ve been, um…”
“They’ve been hooking up,” Taissa blurted out.
“What the hell?” Sienna shot daggers at her sister with her eyes.
“I’m just trying to help,” Taissa said matter-of-factly. “We’re almost there.”
“Wait. What?” Alexis said. “You’ve been hooking up with Justine? Since when?”
“Since the day we met,” Sienna said, a warm glow spreading through her.
“No way.” Alexis angled her body fully toward Sienna. “All this time?”
“Yeah.” Sienna threw in her best smile. She didn’t know how she would feel if things were the other way around—it was impossible to think of without a violent pang of jealousy coursing through her. “It was very casual at first, but now, it’s, like, a thing.”
“They’re in luuurrve ,” Taissa said.
“Are you?” Alexis knotted her eyebrows together as though that was the strangest news she’d heard in a long time.
“We, um, like each other a lot,” Sienna stammered. “I thought you should know, going forward with the shoot, and also because we’re going to this show together tonight. It’s not something I want to lie to you about.”
“Are you actually in love with her?” Taissa asked.
Yes , Sienna wanted to scream, but the back seat of this car was not the place for that. She and Justine had broached the subject and neither of them seemed very reluctant to admit to their growing feelings, yet it was still so early and delicate.
“It’s early days, but we’re kind of officially dating now, so,” Sienna said, wholly unable to wipe that stupid grin off her face.
“I didn’t know you were into older women,” Alexis said in that laconic way she had.
“She’s not,” Taissa said. “She’s into difficult, hard-to-get women.”
So much for having her sister by her side for moral support, although this was perfectly predictable Taissa behavior.
“Oh, yes. Then I totally see it.” Alexis smiled. “Although, honestly, having done all this research on her, I think underneath whatever it is Justine’s trying to present to the outside world, she’s a real sweetheart.”
“She so is,” Sienna said, because she couldn’t help herself. “She’s rough around the edges, but she’s such a presence.”
“Fuck,” Taissa said. “You are in love.” She patted Sienna’s knee. “I so can’t wait to meet this wonder woman now.” She left her hand on Sienna’s knee for a moment. “She’d better not break your heart or she’ll have me to deal with.” That, too, was very much Taissa.
“I appreciate you telling me.” Alexis smiled sweetly at Sienna.
The car came to a stop and a few moments later, the doors were opened.
Justine didn’t look like Justine at all—not the Justine Sienna knew. She was dressed in what could only be a bespoke two-piece suit, its fabric embellished with sequins in a multitude of colors, creating an amazing glittering effect. Her blonde hair was swept back stylishly—and was that a hint of lipstick on her lips?
Sienna had to stop herself from doing a double take at the sight of her.
“I’m so happy you could come.” Justine opened her arms wide to Alexis. Earlier, on the phone, Justine and Sienna had agreed on no public displays of affection to avoid the inevitable fuss that would be made of it.
“That’s Justine Blackburn?” Taissa whispered in Sienna’s ear. “I think I might have just become gay for your girlfriend. She’s a stunner.”
“She is,” Sienna sighed. She wanted to throw the no-PDA rule out of the window there and then and kiss Justine on her gorgeous lips.
“You must be Taissa.” It wasn’t just Justine’s looks that were different. It was as though wearing that suit had injected her with a shot of the warmest gregariousness. She hugged Taissa, a stranger she had never met, as well. “Really lovely to meet you.”
“And you.” Taissa had suddenly grown demure—which was the opposite of who she was.
Justine wrapped her arm around Sienna’s waist discreetly and found her ear with her lips. “It means a lot that you’re here,” she said, and Sienna nearly melted into the floor. Oh yes, she was very much in love with Justine Blackburn.
“Who the hell are you and what have you done with Justine?” Sienna’s lips couldn’t stop stretching into the widest smile.
“Sometimes, dressing up comes with the job. I could hardly put on my worn jeans for drag night.” Justine’s hand drifted up to Sienna’s neck and gave her a light squeeze—just a little token of affection, that made Sienna glow hot inside.
“Give a girl a word of warning next time,” Sienna said. “Even my straight sister has the hots for you now.”
“Hello strangers.” Rochelle and Rita walked up to them. They didn’t need Sienna to introduce her sister. They took Taissa in their arms as if they’d known her for years.
Justine pulled Sienna away from the little group that had formed.
“I’m going to be busy talking to just about everyone, but I’ll see you later, okay?”
“You’ll be doing a lot more than just seeing me. Let there be no doubt about that.” Sienna wished the show was over already so she could take this other version of Justine home with her.
“You look amazing, like always,” Justine said, her features as soft as her voice. Then her gaze drifted away from Sienna. “Mimi and Nora are here,” she said. “Have fun tonight. We’ll talk later.” She shot Sienna a quick wink while she briefly touched her arm, before being swallowed up by the crowd and all the people that wanted a piece of her.
It was the kind of night Justine thoroughly enjoyed, and not just because it was good for the shelter’s bank account. A lot of the work she did was hard and spiked with grief and sadness, but tonight was all about joy—the indisputable, incomparable joy of being queer.
There was no better way to celebrate queerness than by having a bunch of queens and kings on stage. The smiles on the teenagers she had such difficult conversations with every day only confirmed that. And then there was Sienna in the audience. Justine had brought dates—possible love interests even—to events like this before, but she’d never felt this way about them. And Sienna was already so much more than a mere love interest.
Darrel sidled up to her at the side of the stage.
“You’re a rock star, you know that,” Justine told them. Darrel was in charge of organizing the event and, as usual, they had done an outstanding job.
“And you look like one,” they said. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.” Justine gave a confident nod. Her only job at this event was to be there, be nice, and give a speech to wrap things up.
After thanking everyone who had performed and donated money, she said, “In a world where LGBTQI+ youth still face significant challenges, the Rainbow Shelter stands as more than just a safe haven. It is a place that affirms the inherent worth and potential of every young person who walks through its doors. Our mission extends beyond offering a warm bed and a meal; we are committed to breaking down the barriers of prejudice and discrimination that have impacted the queer community for far too long.
“To be queer is simply to be human—with all the beauty, complexity and dignity that entails. Every day, we strive to create an environment where LGBTQI+ youth can show up as their authentic selves and know that they are valued, supported and celebrated. While much work remains to be done to build a world of true equality and inclusion, the Rainbow Shelter will continue to be a light in the darkness for those who need it most. Together, we can keep making progress toward a future where every young person, regardless of their identity, feels safe, loved and empowered to reach their full potential.”
Justine smiled at the crowd. She fixed her gaze on the row where Sienna was sitting with her sister and Alexis.
“Each cheer tonight wasn’t just for the queens and kings who owned the stage. It was a cheer for every young person who has had to navigate the stormy waters of identity in a world that can be so unkind. It was a cheer for the joy of being gay—for the love that refuses to be hidden, for the colors of pride that paint our streets every June, and for the everyday acts of courage that go unseen.”
Justine wasn’t one to hold back in speeches like this. She, in fact, believed that moments like this were meant for the dramatically joyful words she spoke.
“As we move forward, let our efforts and your support echo the message of tonight’s show—that every act of love and acceptance tilts the world toward a brighter, more inclusive future.
“Thank you for standing with us, for celebrating with us, and for contributing to a future where every young person can embrace who they are, love who they love, and just be their true, authentic selves without any fear. Thank you.”
Justine basked in the applause. As the face of the Rainbow Shelter, she delighted in giving rousing speeches, seeing them as an important part of her role. She called Darrel on the stage with her, so they could enjoy the standing ovation together.
She witnessed Sienna cupping her hands around her mouth and cheering wildly. Then she looked at Ashleigh who, to Justine, had become the very symbol of why she did what she did—why this was her calling. Ashleigh was smiling from ear to ear and her smile reminded Justine that every sacrifice she had ever made, including the ones that she’d been forced to make, had been worth it just for that.
“I’m exhausted,” Justine said. “I’m not young like you.” She laughed despite herself, because Sienna was kissing her neck, and with every kiss, Justine felt a few years younger.
Sienna stopped kissing her. “I don’t want you to take off this suit, anyway.”
“You want me to sleep in it?” Justine really was bone-tired. A night on her feet, talking to what felt like every single person in the room, would do that to her.
“No, this suit is not made for sleeping in. It’s made for showing off.” Sienna took Justine’s hand in hers. “Where did you get it?”
“Someone made it for me.”
“No kidding.” Sienna ran a finger over the sequined fabric. “This must have taken so much time.” Sienna fixed her gaze on Justine. “It looks like it cost a fortune.”
“It was a gift from a very sweet guy called Francis Delgado.”
Sienna’s mouth fell open. “This is a Francis Delgado?”
Justine nodded. “One of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet.”
“Oh my god, don’t tell me. He spent time at the shelter?”
“Not as a teenager himself,” Justine explained. “He and his husband are foster parents and they’ve taken care of quite a few of the shelter’s kids.”
“And he made this for you?”
“He did.” Justine tugged at Sienna’s hand. “You like it?”
“I love it.” Sienna’s voice dropped an octave. “Seriously, babe, I feel like I’ve reached a whole new level of being crazy about you after tonight.”
“Just because of this glittery suit?”
Sienna slowly shook her head. “Because of who you are and what you said and what you mean to people. You’re so special. So absolutely, utterly extraordinary.”
“Let’s not get carried away.” Justine also felt the residual effects of the euphoria the night had provided, but she would never think of herself as special, let alone extraordinary.
“The fact that you don’t think of yourself in that way at all, that it almost sounds like an abomination to you, makes you a thousand times more special to me.”
But Justine was too tired to argue against her own extraordinariness. Besides, when Sienna said it, it almost felt like she could believe it, because Justine was very fond of Sienna Bright—and maybe the fact that she was now dating a movie star was what made her special most of all. Because, in Justine’s eyes,Sienna was the special and extraordinary one—the butterflies in her stomach told her so, and she trusted them not to lie.