Chapter 22
22
Esther
F our days sharing a bed with Ashley and it hadn’t gotten any easier for Esther to keep her feelings in line. She had three more to go and was desperately eyeing her phone’s calendar—avoiding the pair of long, smooth legs nudging her own on the couch as they considered what to do with their time in a small town where everything closed by nine.
Maybe it was the tilt of that traitorous bed, or maybe a subconscious part of Ashley sought out heat in the night. Either way, at some point in those dark, daylight hours, Ashley’s chest ended up flush to Esther’s back, her hand resting on Esther’s hip. And one especially memorable morning, Esther woke to their legs tangled together, Ashley’s cool thigh resting between Esther’s.
And Esther knew she could say something. Conscious, Ashley was respectful of her space, but a part of Esther craved waking up like this. The weight of Ashley’s arm draped over her side. The cool thrill down her spine whenever Ashley pulled her in closer, slotting Esther into the nook under Ashley’s chin. There was the erotic rush of endorphins, like dark chocolate melting on her tongue, knowing the heat Ashley wore first thing in the morning was hers. But god, the dreams they inspired. Ashley using her cool thighs to part Esther’s. Crawling down Esther’s body and sinking her teeth into Esther’s thigh. And the look in Ashley’s eyes while she did it. The same look she gave Esther on the plane that had Esther’s heart slamming into her chest. Like Esther had something that Ashley desperately wanted, needed, couldn’t live without. And maybe that look wasn’t just about blood.
Esther worried her showers were getting suspiciously longer, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t work that need out of her.
And now they sat on the couch together, the lights low and nary a conscious chaperone in sight, and Esther wondered—despite knowing she really shouldn’t, that this was just how Ashley slept and not actual affection or even attraction—how would she make it through the rest of the night, let alone three more days, without throwing herself at Ashley and seeing where the chips landed.
“I have an idea.” Ashley picked up her phone and dialed a number.
Praise Jesus, a distraction. “Who are you calling at two in the morning?”
“Don’t worry.” Ashley switched to speakerphone. “He said to call whenever.”
Esther was skeptical but desperate enough for a distraction to allow it.
It rang a few times until, “Hello?” A groggy Uther answered the phone. “Ashley? I didn’t think I had your number.”
“Umm, that’s because you don’t.” Ashley checked her screen looking puzzled. “Are you at August’s place? At two in the morning?”
There was a pause. “It’s three over here.”
Ashley grabbed Esther’s arm and they both screamed.
“What the hell is all that noise?” A distant, yet grouchy August mumbled in the background.
“In case you haven’t figured it out by now.” Uther spoke over Esther and Ashley’s excited screaming. “We’re kind of a thing. Also, why has Ashley called my boyfriend twice now while I have yet to receive a single call from my best friend?”
“Twice?” mouthed Esther.
Ashley shrugged and silently mouthed, Bored .
A muffled August in the background said something that sounded like “Boyfriend?” followed by a lot of shuffling and giggling.
“Witch,” Ashley yelled into the phone, “if you have sex while on the phone with me, I will drown you for real.”
“Listen.” August was on the phone now. “I’ve got to let you go. Something just came up.”
Another giggle in the background and more shuffling. Then Uther’s voice. “Call again on New Year’s. Toodles.”
The phone went dead.
“Did he just say toodles?” asked Esther.
Ashley
“Is this too much for a karaoke bar?” Esther stood in the doorway in a little, black dress with long sleeves and diamond side cutouts, paired with black tights and gorgeous black pumps. Her lips were such a deep shade of purple they were nearly black.
“You’re perfect,” Ashley said. “It’s perfect. Screw dress codes. Wear this always, please.”
It was New Year’s Eve, and Ashley’s parents had ditched them for the Millers’ annual euchre party. Which Ashley decided was fine, since she would much rather hang out with Esther in that dress at Peanut’s Pub than enter the new year with her parents’ friends and a stomach full of room temperature champagne and a dozen different kinds of pasta salad.
Esther pushed her hair behind her ear, providing a delicious view of the blush coloring her cheeks and?—
“Where’d your cross earrings go?” Ashley asked.
“Oh.” Esther flinched. “I umm… didn’t think they were right for tonight.”
“What’s going to keep me from attacking you now?” Ashley joked.
“I-I guess that’s just up to you now.”
Sweet baby Jesus. Good thing Ashley was designated driver. She’d need all her senses tonight to remember to not take advantage of that opening.
By ten, they were in the car and on their way to the bar. Luckily, Ashley had a sequin mini dress from high school that still fit.
“So, what’s the game plan here?” Ashley asked. She turned the radio down so they could hear each other.
“What do you mean?” Esther asked.
“Do you still want to be my girlfriend tonight? I never came out in high school, so we can totally pull off college friends, but you look super-hot, and I kind of want to show you off. But it’s totally up to you. No extra hurdles either way.”
“You’re going to just come out tonight?” Esther sounded unsure.
Was she nervous about Ashley coming out, or did she not want to keep up the fake girlfriend charade when it wasn’t strictly necessary? Ashley didn’t want to push her. This night was supposed to be fun, and she didn’t want Esther to be uncomfortable.
“Honestly, who cares? I never see these people, and I’ll probably never see them again. I’m already hiding so much of myself as a vampire. I just thought it would be cool to throw this one piece of me out there, and what better way to do it than with a date looking sexy as hell. But this night is about having fun, so whatever you’re comfortable with is what we’ll do.”
“Okay, let’s do it.”
“Yeah?” Ashley was caught off guard by how sure Esther sounded. She expected more uncertainty to wade through.
“Yeah. It’s a lot of fun being your girlfriend. And you said tonight is about having fun.”
“Hell yeah, it is.” Ashley pumped up the music again. “Let’s send this year out right.”
They were easily overdressed for Peanuts. The noise rammed into Ashley like a semi the second she opened the door. Her heels crunched on the namesake’s shells littering the floor. Straight ahead, the bar was crowded with people trying to get the bartender’s attention. And to the right, the stage was currently occupied by Kyle, her one-time foray with the male species, singing that song about a heart in a blender. Everything was exactly how she left it.
“You still good?” Ashley yelled into Esther’s ear.
Esther took her hand. “I’m good. Let’s get a drink.”
In a matter of minutes Ashley had procured two whiskey sours, claimed a table, and put in three song requests—all without vampire speed, thank you very much, and one of them a duet with an old cheer friend she ran into along the way.
“You sure you don’t want to sing?” Ashley asked after returning from her second song of the evening.
“I’m not really the singing type.” Esther sipped at the last of her whiskey sour. Ashley watched the motion, transfixed by the way her throat moved as she swallowed. Maybe she should be singing less and hanging out with Esther more. She was being a negligent fake girlfriend. “I don’t know if I have any song that would be appropriate. And I’ll need another drink first.”
“I can get you that drink.” Ashley jumped at the opportunity to do something for her. To make her happy in any way possible. “Name a song, and I’ll put it in on my way back. You’ll be finished with it before your name even comes up.”
Esther took her time answering, running a finger around the rim of her glass and making Ashley sweat. What was in these drinks? Just being around Esther and her little movements made Ashley feel off-kilter.
Esther’s fingertip paused, and it wasn’t until Ashley looked up that she realized she’d been caught staring. “You get the drink.” Esther’s smile felt like a promise. “I’ll put in my name. Just don’t expect anything amazing.”
Ashley swallowed before putting on a shaky grin. “I’m loving this surprise. Meet back here?”
“All right.”
Casey behind the bar still remembered her and her drink, so Ashley ended up back at the table in record time. It was only a few minutes before she felt a familiar hand on her lower back. A hand much larger than the date she arrived with.
“Ashley? Jesus, you haven’t aged a day.” Kyle, on the other hand, looked ten years older, as was expected. He’d aged well. The skin at the corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled like his face had recorded this regular habit, and she spotted a couple of gray hairs at his temples that sparkled when the party lights hit him just right.
“Not bad, yourself.” She shifted so his hand fell from her back, but her smile remained genuine. As far as boyfriends went, he didn’t suck. “What’ve you been up to?”
He planted an elbow on the table, making himself comfortable. “I teach math at the school now, if you can believe it.”
“Seriously? You hated math.”
“Nah, I was faking that. Thank god kids are allowed to be interested in things nowadays. But how have you been?” He tapped his beer to her glass before taking a sip. “Visiting family?”
“Yeah, I’ve been at my parents’ since Christmas. We’ve?—”
“Hey, I got the song… Oh.” Esther noticed Kyle and startled, slipping on some shells and catching her balance on Ashley’s arm. Ashley wrapped her arm around Esther’s waist, steadying her. “Sorry, I didn’t know someone was here.”
“You have perfect timing.” Her thumb landed on the open cutout of Esther’s dress, and she took this happy chance to rub a slow circle on Esther’s side. “I want you to meet my old fling, Kyle. Kyle, this is my girlfriend, Esther.”
Kyle’s gaze dipped briefly to Ashley’s hand and back.
“ Girlfriend girlfriend?” Even as adults, their vocabulary devolved into grade school vernacular.
Esther placed her hand on Ashley’s chest, her thumb brushing the underside of Ashley’s boob, and Ashley thought she might short-circuit.
“Yeah, that kind,” Ashley said.
He broke out the trademark smile that won him prom king. “Nice. I guess I wasn’t the only one hiding something in high school.”
“Next is Kyle with ‘How You Remind Me,’” called the guy at the karaoke machine.
“I’m up.” Kyle downed the last of his bottle. “Hey, Ash. It was good seeing you.” He patted her arm before running to the stage and taking the mic.
The evening was a flurry of songs. Despite her newfound desire to stay quietly by Esther’s side, Ashley kept getting called up for duets and group songs. Yasmine wanted to sing Dixie Chicks, and Stacy insisted she join her in “All the Things She Said” by t.A.T.u.
“All right.” The DJ took the mic from Ashley and Stacy. “Last song before the countdown. I’ve got Esther with ‘Head Over Feet.’”
Ashley’s step faltered as she passed Esther. “Alanis?”
“I know you said 2000s, but I’m a sucker for Jagged Little Pill .”
Esther took the stage, the music queued up, and everything else disappeared. What did it mean that Esther picked Ashley’s celebrity crush for her song? She couldn’t possibly have known that. It was clear Esther knew the song by heart. She even had Alanis’s inflections. With Esther’s hair in long, loose waves, Ashley could pretend she was at a concert. It was a little old and slow for their usual picks, but the crowd loved Esther’s energy. Ashley waited anxiously for her at the bottom of the stage.
“I didn’t know you could sing like that.” She took Esther’s hand, needing to touch her and prove she wasn’t dreaming.
“I don’t usually. But you were having so much fun, I thought I should do one.”
The screens previously displaying song lyrics switched to a countdown starting at thirty. Ashley pulled Esther closer as everyone crowded the stage.
“Ashley, there’s something…” Esther’s lips were moving, but the crowd was so loud she couldn’t pick out Esther’s voice through the noise overload.
“What?” she yelled directly in Esther’s ear.
Esther put her warm hand on the back of Ashley’s neck and guided her face to Esther’s. Ashley wet her lips, but Esther moved past her mouth to Ashley’s ear, her breath a warm puff to the shell of it. “I said…”
But the sound was drowned again as the crowd counted down from ten. She was being silly. This wasn’t a real date. Esther didn’t think of her like that.
Ashley pulled back to point at her ear and mouth. “I can’t hear you.”
“Three!”
Esther’s hand was still at the back of Ashley’s head, their faces inches apart.
“Two!”
She didn’t try speaking again, but her gaze dipped to Ashley’s mouth.
“One!”
Esther rose on her toes, the move so sudden Ashley almost shifted out of her way—her brain not registering why Esther’s lips were at the corner of Ashley’s mouth. Maybe she had moved a little.
It took the entirety of the room yelling, “Happy New Year!” for Ashley’s body to fit the pieces together. Esther was sinking back down, eyes wide and cheeks blushing when Ashley swooped in, one hand on Esther’s waist to pull her in closer and the other sinking into Esther’s hair, tilting her so she could deepen the kiss.
If Esther was going to kiss her, Ashley would do it right.
The crowd cheered, confetti fell from the sky, and everyone mustered through the words to “Auld Lang Syne.”
Ashley and Esther kissed, and it felt real.