Chapter 4 #2
“Yes, please. And I have a feeling we will be drinking more than this before the night ends.”
***
After sharing our “victory Scotch”, as Lucy called it, we ordered food and decided to get to know each other better.
“What do you mean you’ve never—?” Lucy interjects, far too loud.
“Shush!” I whisper-yell, my eyes darting around to see if anyone is watching us closely. “Yes, I am bisexual, but I have never had the opportunity to kiss a girl.”
“That is an absolute tragedy,” she says fervently, but thankfully allows the conversation to move forward, eyeing me thoughtfully.
I order another round of drinks.
***
Several hours later, we are giggling uncontrollably as we nurse our third drink.
“And then Mama Betty said, ‘Mija, make sure you wear the green panties. If you wear the red, he might think you’re a whore.’ Right there at the front counter.
I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t work around the customers for a week!
” Lucy laughs. The stories she has from working at Karma are hilarious and the perfect remedy for this evening’s nerves and emotions.
“Oh,” I say, wiping the tears from beneath my eyes as I get my laughter under control. “That is not nearly as bad as some of the dating horror stories I have.”
“Well, now you have to share,” Lucy says conspiratorially, leaning towards me from the seat she claimed after Jacob left.
I lean in, concentrating on not letting myself slip too far forward accidentally and start ominously, “It was a dark and stormy night…” Lucy’s giggles interrupt my story and I drop the dramatic tone with a grin.
“No, really! It was storming hard when I got to the coffee shop we were meeting at. This guy was already sitting there waiting, which is better than being late, but he was dressed for a job interview, not a date. A suit and tie with his hair all slicked back. We were nineteen, mind you. Then, I swear to god, he pulls out a resume. A freaking relationship resume! It goes on and on about the skills and characteristics that would make him a good partner. There was even a section labeled ‘physical intimacy’.” I can’t hold back my laughter and have to pause until I can breathe again. Lucy isn’t much better.
“Wait, it gets worse,” I continue, barely able to breathe.
“I finally had enough, right? So, I let him know it wasn’t going to work for me and start to get up to leave, but before I get more than a few steps towards the door an older lady stops me and asks why I wouldn’t give her son a chance.
He brought his mom on our first date!” I finish dramatically, before joining Lucy in her laughter.
We get a few looks from other patrons and try to quiet down, but we are both wiping tears from our eyes as we fight to get ourselves under control.
Lucy perks up suddenly, catching my attention.
“Wait! Were you a brunette back then?” she asks, fixing her amber eyes intently on mine. I pretend the blush in my cheeks is from the alcohol.
“Yes,” I say slowly, the question abundantly clear in my tone.
“Oh my goddess, and it was the Moonlight Café, right?” her tone growing more excited.
I nod and she continues, “I remember that! You were wearing that pretty purple top and his mom practically forced you back into your seat. Oh, we all talked about that for weeks. That was before the remodel and rebranding, but Karma used to be Moonlight. That was my shift!”
Her excited tone deepens the blush on my face. Though, I suppose if anyone had to be witness to that particular embarrassment…at least it’s not the only one she has witnessed now. But…
“You remember what I was wearing?” I ask incredulously, focusing on that one aspect. Unexpectedly, she blushes and glances down at the bar top we moved to after the kitchen closed.
“Yeah, you’re super pretty and, to be fair, the guy in the suit and tie and his mother made you memorable by association.
Not that you’re not memorable all on your own!
But they were an unusual kind of memorable,” she babbles before cutting herself off abruptly, the blush on her face deepening, but all I can hear is you’re super pretty fluttering around my brain like the butterflies in my stomach.
You’re super pretty. Present tense, not past.
When Lucy turns to the bartender to ask for the check, I realize I have just been sitting there silently, staring at her like an idiot. Well, fuck.
In the midst of my silent bi panic (let’s call it what it is), Lucy has retrieved the entire check and is getting ready to hand over her card when I finally snap out of the oh my god she called me pretty frozen state and reach out to stop her.
“No,” I say hoarsely, clearing my throat before continuing, “I’ve got this.” I reach for my clutch and pull out my card, handing it over to the bartender before Lucy can protest. She pouts at me and I have never seen anything cuter in my entire life.
“Fine,” she grumbles, “but the next time is on me.”
“Deal,” I answer with a smile, the butterflies growing stronger.
We each call a rideshare and wait on the sidewalk together. I glance over and she looks like a goddamn princess. She is so fucking pretty—and she thinks you’re super pretty!—it almost hurts to look at her. She turns to me with a smile that is breathtaking as a car pulls up.
“Well, this is me. I have your number,” she says with an ironic twist of her lips, “but is it okay if I text you? We could talk, hang out, get coffee, or whatever, but only if that’s okay with you.
I wouldn’t blame you if you just wanted to put all this behind you,” she finishes, a sad note underpinning her happy tone.
“No!” I blurt far too quickly, before clearing my throat, blushing, and trying again, “I mean, no, I would definitely love to hang out. Feel free to text me. Anytime.”
Too much, Aria, too much. I cringe inwardly.
Lucy goes to climb into the car, but hesitates and turns back towards me, a determined glint in her eye.
“It is an absolute travesty that you’ve never kissed a woman. And it’s going to really bother me if I leave knowing that I could fix that but didn’t. So, I really want to be your friend, and this doesn’t change that, but I need you to nod right now if it’s okay if I kiss you.”
Frozen in place by her intense amber gaze, I know I will blame it on the alcohol in the morning, but I do the only thing I can do in this moment.
I nod.
Lucy closes the gap between us and lifts up on her toes, setting her hands on my shoulders, before pressing her lips to mine. I settle my hands hesitantly on her hips and try to ignore the eruptions of butterflies that seem to emanate from everywhere we are connected.
Far too soon, Lucy is releasing me and hurrying to her ride, throwing me a wave and warm smile over her shoulder. The car pulls away from the sidewalk, leaving me rooted to the spot in my favorite dress, touching my still tingling lips, and staring at the remnants of the sunset on the horizon.
I’ve never had a kiss that made me feel like that.
The sound of a car pulling up startles me from my thoughts. I glance down at my phone to confirm it’s my ride before climbing into the backseat. I spend the rest of the ride mindlessly exchanging pleasantries with the driver while my mind remains on the feeling of Lucy’s lips on mine.