21. Jay
JAY
“This is so crazy–I cannot believe they have a whole damn fair this year! Enjoy this now my little lambs, because you and the rest of our school will likely never see this again on campus,” Sasha proclaimed.
She walked over to where Jay was standing, along with Michaela and the rest of the Collective group.
They were at the “campus fair”, which had set up a few games and attractions, such as a small Ferris wheel that Jay had plans for.
She smiled at Michaela, who looked stunning in the afternoon light.
Her hair was half up and half down, and she looked at home and relaxed in a chunky sweater, light jeans and white low-top sneakers.
The jeans hugged her small waist and bubble butt in a way that made Jay thankful—no exaggeration–to be alive.
The whole look was topped off by a pair of clip-on hoop earrings and a berry lip.
They’d gotten ready separately and were due to meet at the fair, but of course had been spotted by their friends.
With the addition of Sasha, she was going to have to make it clear that she and Michaela were going to go off and do their own thing. A make-up date.
“Ugh I am so glad to be done with exams, oh my god, last midterm as an undergrad”. Sasha said. “But there’s still pressure–I’m hoping to get into NYU at the end of this year for grad school,” she added, as though reminding herself.
Midterms were officially over, and Jay had slept for most of the day yesterday after planning ahead and asking for a day off of work. Even with Davis’ help on some of her computer projects, she’d still felt dead by the time it was all over.
“So what are we doing first?” Davis said, wrapping an arm around Iris.
“Kevin and—” His voice trailed off as his eyes fell on their stoic friend.
Jay looked at Kevin and then followed his gaze to Callie, who was walking towards a tall blonde and muscular man with glasses.
He seemed to be waiting for her and wrapped his arms around her when she got to him.
“Okay, who the fuck is that yummy man?” Davis said. He winced and Jay guessed Iris must have poked him in the ribs. “Come on, D,” Iris said. Looking back at Kevin, Jay saw him working his jaw.
“Kev?” Michaela said beside her.
“That’s Bjorn,” Kevin sneered. “He’s a Junior exchange student from I don’t know, Asgard or some shit.”
“Kevin, wow, tell us how you really feel,” Jay said, giggling.
Kevin let out a breath and didn’t respond.
Jay felt for him. There was definitely something weird going on between Callie and Kevin.
After Callie, Michaela was the closest to him, but since Jay had spent a large part of their time either avoiding Michaela or studying, she hadn’t had much of an opportunity to try and get the lowdown.
She did know that Kevin was probably feeling confused and jealous, something she recognized after her own recent bout of jealousy.
“Is that Callie’s new beau? Did you see him first and now–?” Sasha asked.
“I did see him first, but it doesn’t matter,” Kevin said quickly.
Jay looked back to where Callie stood with Bjorn and was surprised to find his eyes laser focused on Kevin while he leaned over and Callie whispered something in his ear.
“You know Kevin,” Michaela began, and Jay knew she was going to offer for him to break off with her and Jay, which Jay selfishly did not want.
But by the way Bjorn was looking at Kevin, she thought Kevin didn’t have a full picture of what was happening.
Much like she hadn’t before she and Michaela talked.
“Kevin, look, speaking from experience, I think you should go over there and see what’s up. I mean that man is looking at you like he’d love nothing more than to, at the very least, talk to you.”
Jay heard Sasha and Iris make grunting noises in agreement before Kevin let out a huff of air and said, “Okay, listen I will see you all later, after–” He didn’t finish his sentence before he was walking off.
“Right, so,” Iris said and Jay turned to face her, Sasha, and Davis, who was still watching Kevin, Callie, and Bjorn, smiling. “You two wanna go off on your own, right?”
That snapped Jay’s attention. “Yeah, we have a date today.”
A little sing-song noise came from Sasha. “Oh really? Finally? Well don’t let us stop you–come on, let’s let the lambs have their time.” Sasha started off, clearly confident that Davis and Iris would follow, which after a sweet wave from Davis and a wink from Iris, they did.
“That was—” Jay began.
“Interesting,” Michaela finished as Jay turned to her date. Her date. The thought made her so giddy she almost felt ridiculous. Almost. “I hope you know that I wasn’t trying to ruin things or get out of our date, with Kevin, I just thought—”
Jay nodded, because Michaela’s heart was one of the things she liked about her most, that no matter how nervous or anxious she was, she persevered.
Letting Jay do her makeup, going shopping, living her truth.
It’s what made her little panty flash during their pedicure chat so hot to Jay.
Michaela had mustered up the courage to show Jay what she wanted.
Jay had nearly lost her mind in that moment, and it was all she could do to continue painting Michaela’s other foot.
It was also what had fueled her to get through midterms and on to this date.
“Don’t worry about that. I knew why you were about to ask, though I don’t think Kevin has the whole picture.”
“I don’t either,” Michaela said, a knowing look on her face. “I think he’s just reacting without getting a sense of what’s really going on.”
Jay smiled. “The heart makes people act crazy, completely takes away their ability to think straight and act right.” As if to prove her point, she leaned up and gave Michaela a soft kiss on the lips.
“Are you saying you have to be crazy to kiss me?” Michaela teased back, looking down into Jay’s eyes, her own eyes alight with amusement.
“No, I am saying that it is going to be very hard for me to continue to hold back.”
Michaela’s smile was slow and seductive. “Don’t.”
Jay smiled back. “But first,” she said, and grabbed Michaela’s hand, “bumper cars.” Jay pulled her in the direction of the station.
Jay couldn’t remember a time when she had laughed harder.
Her cheeks burned from the constant strain of smiling.
They were on their third round of bumper cars.
Michaela had explained that she didn’t know how to drive, something that was painfully apparent in the first round they participated in.
After doing so poorly, she had made Jay get back in line for another round, this time with a bet on who could get the most hits in after one loop around the track.
Jay had won, and Michaela invited them to do it again.
Jay thought Michaela was just having fun driving around.
And it looked good on her. She looked so picturesque in her forest green car; it complemented her whole look.
Each time she accidentally rammed into one of the walls she would almost growl in frustration; it was the cutest thing.
When someone bumped her–including Jay, who had tried not to be too merciless–she would throw her head back, laughing hard and squealing in delight.
Jay couldn’t help but want to elicit that reaction from her again and again.
“Oh my god, that’s too much fun,” Michaela breathed, bumping Jay with her shoulder, which gave Jay the chance to hold onto one of Michaela’s arms. “Let’s—”
“Let other people have a go,” Jay said, laughing. “Let’s do a walk around, we can always come back, I promise.”
Michaela nodded, smiling down at her. “I want to see everything! The last time I went to one of these things, I was a kid and my church had organized one. I have never been to a fair as a date.” The light in Michaela’s eyes seemed to dim as she thought back to that time.
Jay leaned up and kissed her on one of her cheeks.
“Come on, do you want cotton candy or something to drink? I was thinking we could get on the Ferris wheel while it’s still light.
” Jay felt Michaela’s body tighten, but then she nodded, and Jay thought she’d successfully brought Michaela back to the present.
“Let’s get funnel cake though, my parents never let me have any,” Michaela said as they made their way over to the food.
“Oh hell yes, let’s get two, one for me and one for you, my treat,” Jay said as they walked.
They sat across from one another in the grass, each with a funnel cake and a water bottle between them–because, balance–a comfortable silence settled between them as they tucked into their food.
Jay leaned into it after all the tension that had previously been between them and internally admonished herself for taking so long to just talk to Michaela.
It had been so unlike her, or at least what she knew of herself before Michaela.
Jay was also a woman who knew what she wanted when she wanted it. Her mother and father had always emboldened her to do so. She saw it in the way her mother connected with Mrs. Blake. Jay just figured it must be a women-in-her-family thing.
When she first locked eyes with Diana and really saw her, those sky blue eyes looked back at her as if to say, “mine.” Jay had felt the same.
They spent the rest of their relationship like that, two fiery entities burning through life, not knowing where one began and the other ended, destined to burn out.
In bed it had been the same way, both fighting for dominance, one only letting the other win, like a gift, while they explored all of their firsts.
Jay watched Michaela pop another piece of funnel cake into her mouth, and thought she caught a slight little jig as she chewed. Michaela’s joy was infectious. Jay grinned as she took in her high cheekbones, beautiful dark eyes that were somehow always bright, her full lips curved into a smile.