16. Michaela
MICHAELA
Michaela’s mind was abuzz with two beers and the high that came with dancing.
The music wasn’t loud, but it was loud enough to encourage people to dance.
And Michaela these days didn’t need to be told twice.
She felt light and free and wrapped in nothing but fun.
Jay was across from her, and they were dancing together while Kevin and Callie were somewhere dancing nearby.
But if Michaela was being honest, she only had eyes for Jay.
The way she moved her hips and smiled as she bopped her head to the beat of Montell Jordan’s “This is How We Do It”, seemingly giddy with the ability to talk about partying on the “west side” while actually being on the west side.
Michaela found it both corny and endearing.
They weren’t touching, but Michaela wished they were.
Still, being lost in the beat with Jay was something she’d missed since they hadn’t been out in a while.
She was also still riding the wave of what she had felt in the dressing room with Jay.
It had been almost euphoric. It had been euphoric.
She had cried, but when she had cried it felt like she was pouring out a weight and taking in light.
Jay had held her, and then helped her with a few different stances she could try to reaffirm her true self.
Iris had returned with a bra, and they had finished the rest of the fitting before heading to the thrift store for the majority of her purchases.
Iris had insisted on one pair of acid-washed jeans.
They were what Michaela was currently dancing in, along with a newly purchased and washed lavender cropped top and navy blue flannel.
And yes, underneath it all, she had on her push up bra and matching red panties.
Michaela had to admit she felt more confident in her clothes than she ever had.
And now, she was dancing. Even better, she was dancing with Jay.
She wanted to wrap her arms around Jay but didn’t.
She felt like something had shifted between the two of them.
Not only had she noted this in the way Jay seemed careful not to touch her, but she felt it in herself, too.
She could no longer deny there was a physical attraction at play.
When Jay had held her in the fitting room, her body had both relaxed and lit up.
She had felt safe and content but also had the urge to feel more.
More of Jay, more of them. Just like she was feeling right now as Jay turned, hands in the air, and bounced to the beat.
When the song ended, and they were very flushed, Callie bumped into the two of them. “Okay, it’s hot, I need a beer, anyone else?”
“I do,” Michaela heard Jay say as another song began to play, one Michaela didn’t recognize. Callie then turned to her, “Want another, or do you want me to see if I can find something else?”
“A beer is okay,” Michaela reassured Jay, and then she and Callie were off. Michaela went to lean against a wall next to a red- faced Kevin.
“Ah yes, come have a break with me, Kayla,” Kevin said sweetly, knocking one of his shoulders against Michaela’s.
“I haven’t danced so hard in public like that,” Michaela said without thinking.
“Only behind closed doors?” Kevin asked, face full of curiosity.
“Oh god, okay, sometimes I dance in my room.”
“Phat,” Kevin said, and then he got that familiar glint in his eye. “Bet you Jay loves that.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Michaela said, perhaps too defensively.
“Oh nothing,” he teased. “How’s your work on Lifestyle going? Dating, romance, mating calls,” he teased.
“It’s going,” Michaela said. “I don’t have anything due for another week.
But yeah, I can’t say I blame the paper for not running my first piece.
” Michaela had written a boring piece about Hollywood queer couples like Angelina Jolie and Jenny Shimizu.
It had been old news, all fluff and no real heart, and she knew it.
But she hadn’t come up with anything else.
“Hmm, maybe you can find your material here tonight,” Kevin said, grinning his signature mischievous grin.
Michaela wasn’t sure if he was speaking generally or was trying to imply something regarding her and Jay.
The latter seemed a little far-fetched. Jay was Jay, flirty and fun with everyone.
She was a good friend to Michaela and extra caring with her.
She had encouraged Michaela to spread her wings and maybe blow off some steam tonight.
She wasn’t into Michaela. Besides, her last girlfriend hadn’t been like them.
Hadn’t been like Michaela. Looking over at Kevin, he waggled his eyebrows playfully at her, and she tried not to roll her eyes.
“How are things going with Callie,” Michaela said pointedly.
Kevin’s eyes moved in the direction Callie and Jay had gone to fetch beers and then snapped back to Michaela’s, but his gaze was soft. “I don’t know, it's weird. It’s like there is something there, but something is missing? Totally got hard thinking about her fucking me the other day, though.”
If Michaela had been drinking something, she would have spit it out. “Dude!”
“What? We’re friends and we don’t have time to beat around the bush.” He nodded his head toward the kitchen. “Look, they’re almost back.” As he finished saying it, Jay and Callie appeared, each with two cans of beer in their hands. Jay handed one to Michaela, while Callie handed one over to Kevin.
Michaela looked at the clock; it was just after midnight.
“You want to head out?” Jay asked from beside her.
“I was thinking we could finish these and then head back to ours and hang out?” Michaela said, turning to make sure Callie and Kevin were aware.
“Yes, let’s,” Kevin said. “I love it here, but I am hot and honestly, I could use a more mellow vibe.”
Callie nodded her head and raised her can. “Last one to finish owes a favor to the first one?”
They all clinked their cans.
They crashed through the doorway of the suite, Kevin and Callie claiming the couch and Michaela sitting down on the shag to face them. “I simply can’t be on my feet anymore,” she proclaimed, and Callie and Kevin made noises of agreement. Jay was over at the mini fridge and came back with beers.
“Here,” she said to both Callie and Kevin. She turned to hand a can to Michaela.
Michaela took one and said, “Okay, but this doesn’t count as my favor!
” Somehow, she had won one of their chugging contests, which she never did.
But Callie had coughed, and Kevin, who should have won, magically didn’t.
Michaela also suspected Jay was going slow so that Michaela wouldn’t lose. So she ended up winning.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Jay said, taking a seat on the shag not far from Michaela.
“Tonight was fun,” Callie said as Jay sat.
“Hell yeah,” Kevin said, “I really love college.” He cracked open his beer.
“I think it’s great because I found you all,” Michaela said, opening her can.
“Awwww Kayla!” Callie said, “Who knew when we drove through the night together, we'd be friends. I mean, you were so subdued in the car.”
“Probably because she couldn’t get a word in edgewise,” Kevin joked, and Callie hit him playfully.
“I was shy. I didn’t know how you were going to react to me,” Michaela said.
Callie took a long sip of her newly-opened beer. “That’s fair, but honestly, when I saw you I was just like, ‘not exactly what I was expecting, but I’m into it.”
“You were not,” Michaela said, shaking her head.
“Okay so I didn’t then,” Callie said, shrugging.
Michaela couldn’t help her smile, or her glance at Jay, who was watching her closely.
Michaela looked back at her and couldn’t help but feel warmed at the memory of Jay calling her beautiful earlier today.
And she had said, “My Mickey,” which made her heart do all sorts of things it had never done for anyone before, certainly not Brian.
“Callie, what are you not into?” Jay said slyly.
Callie tipped her head in consideration, her dark curls tight from the heat of Sasha’s party, her skin dewy and deeply tan, rosy lips parted till they formed a smile. “I don’t know. I mean, I am not really into water works or like, literal shit.”
Michaela almost spit out her drink. “Please be careful of Michaela’s virgin ears,” Kevin said sarcastically.
“Oh, shut up,” Michaela retorted. “Come on, I have had sex and stuff, I just don’t always talk about it so brazenly.”
“Once you have the kind of sex I’ve had, you’ll talk about it and think about it all the time,” Kevin said, smirking, and from the corner of her eye, she saw Jay roll hers.
“Not everyone is into talking about it,” Jay said to Kevin, who shrugged.
“She has to, for the paper,” he replied, “so she’s gonna have to get used to it.”
Michaela turned to Jay and smiled, “It’s really fine, I don’t mind it, I just haven’t talked about it like this before.”
“Well, good luck hanging out with us,” Callie said, taking a sip of her beer. “And living with Iris and Davis. Do they ever talk about their work, or bring some of it home?” she added curiously.
“No, they said they’d never bring anyone here,” Jay said quickly, “but they don’t talk much about their work. And I don’t want to push or be rude or anything.”
“Rude? Their job is cool as fuck, if I had the guts, I’d join them,” Kevin said.
“Would you now?” Callie asked.
“It’s not always easy, you know. I bet you it’s not all glamorous.
They are putting their bodies at risk. AIDS is still out there,” Michaela said, more coolly than she’d meant.
It was different doing something to survive, and while Davis and Iris swore they enjoyed it, they were still doing it to make ends meet.
“Totally,” Callie said, nodding. “I don’t think I could do it.”
“You’ve never had to,” Michaela said, purposefully cool this time.
“True,” Callie said. “I didn’t mean—you’re right. I think that’s why they are both so obsessed with us going with them to get tested.”