Chapter 19
Cleo
Having survived an evening of interrogations that any FBI agent would have been impressed with, Cleo finally made it home.
She changed into her comfiest clothes and curled up in her large armchair. She draped a blanket over her lap and reached for the overhead lamp as she picked up her book.
After spending ten minutes reading and re-reading the same sentence, she gave up. She sat her book down, decided to bite the bullet and reached for her phone.
Ivy had given her number for a reason, maybe it was just to be friends?
Maybe Lana was right, and Ivy had been flirting with her earlier, and that’s why she wrote her name on her cup?
Or maybe it was an accident, and she meant it for Lana?
No, she knew Lana was with Connor, she spoke about him when she placed her order.
Wasn’t Toni handling Lana’s order? Plus, she wrote Cleo’s name on the cup too, she saw it.
She needed help. She flicked through her contacts, reached Lana’s number and pressed the call button.
“Hey Cleo, what’s up?” Lana’s voice was filled with concern.
“No need to panic, I was just calling for your help with something.” Cleo tried to sound as nonchalant as she could.
“Oh? Sure! How can I help?” Lana sounded much calmer this time.
Cleo took a breath. “Well, I think you may have been right about Ivy.”
“How so?” Cleo could hear the smug tinge in Lana’s voice.
Cleo dropped her head into her free hand and spoke barely above a whisper. “She wrote her name and number on my coffee cup.”
Lana gasped. Then squealed. Cleo groaned.
“Oh my God Cleo, that’s fantastic! Have you called her yet? Wait, you’re probably going to text her, that’d be more your style. Wait, what did you write? Is that what you’re calling for? You don’t know what to write?” Cleo was surprised Lana had managed all of that in a single breath.
“I haven't done anything yet.” Cleo took another deep breath, “I didn’t realize she’d written anything on my cup other than my own name until I got to my parents.
Or rather, they noticed it. Then they were all over me all evening about her and I’m just kind of spiraling here, if I’m being honest.” Cleo let out a long sigh.
“Hang on,” Lana said gently, “switch to video.”
Moments later, Lana’s face appeared on Cleo’s screen. “What part has you in a spiral the most?”
Cleo thought about it, “Honestly? I think it’s all of it.
I mean, my family obviously are constantly on at me to open up to meet someone new.
My mom knows I’ve not had a relationship since.
.. you know... and I’ve barely even gone out to drinks with anyone either, let alone anything more.
It’s been six years Lana, and every time I think I’m ready to try, I can feel the ache tear through my heart all over again.
Ivy seems really nice, and I do feel something there, but what if I get swept away in her, only to end up with a broken heart.
I just can’t go through all of that again.
” Cleo’s voice dropped to barely a whisper. “I won’t survive it a second time.”
Lana waited a few moments before responding.
“Cleo,” she said affectionately, “you didn’t deserve what happened to you.
I didn’t deserve what happened to me. But that doesn’t define who we are, or how we choose to move forward with our lives.
I chose to go on that first date with Connor.
I continue to choose to stay with him. So, with that said, you now have Ivy’s number.
In writing it on your cup she gave you the best gift without even knowing it: the power of letting you choose whether or not to contact her. ”
Cleo took a few moments to let her friend’s words sink in.
“Being honest though?" Lana added, smirk in place. “I really hope you do get together because you’d make the cutest couple ever. Just saying.”
Cleo felt herself blush and smile. Maybe Lana was right, maybe that was what she needed: to have the power to choose.
“I’m not saying I will,” Cleo said coyly, “but if I were to reach out to her...”
“...yeeeeees?” Lana grinned.
“What would I even say?” Cleo nervously picked at the edge of the blanket on her lap.
“Well, I’m no expert in sapphic romances, but maybe just say hi?
It’s usually a good opener.” Lana let her grin drop to a warm smile.
“Seriously though, just reach out and make conversation. That way there’s no pressure and no expectation to ask her, or go out, on a date.
Get to know her a little over text, and take it from there?
You never know, maybe you’ll both handle communication better via text anyway. ” Lana added with a chuckle.
Cleo couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, maybe. Thanks Lana.”
“No problem, let me know how it goes... and that doesn’t mean wait until Monday to tell me!” Lana wagged her finger at the screen while attempting, and failing miserably, at putting on a stern face.
“Yes, Lana. Night Lana. Say hi to Connor for me, chat soon.”
“Night Cleo, I mean it though, I want an update tomorrow, even if it’s just to say that you spent hours pondering what do and you ended up completely chickening ou-,” Cleo disconnected the call knowing Lana would go on for another solid ten minutes if given the chance.
After the evening with her family doing the same, Cleo just couldn’t face that.
Looking down at the dark screen on her phone, she decided to take Lana’s advice: she was going to choose to take the first step.
She tapped her screen awake and typed in her passcode.
Having been the one to call Lana, her phone was still displaying her contacts when it unlocked.
She scrolled up to Ivy’s number which Jade had added earlier as “Ivy—coffee cup girl.” as if there were multiple Ivy’s on her phone already.
She changed it to simply “Ivy.” Then, she clicked to start a new message with her.
Cleo: Hey Ivy, it’s Cleo :)
She was now torn whether the bigger emotion coursing through her body was relief or panic.
Either way, she sat her phone down on the arm of her chair and walked through to her kitchen for a drink.
Tonight called for something stronger than the glass of water currently sitting on the coffee table beside her reading chair.
She returned five minutes later with a glass of wine, to two new unread messages on her phone.
Ivy: Hey Cleo, I’m glad you reached out! I’ve never done that before and worried that you’d miss it.
Ivy: So, how’s your evening going?
Cleo felt herself relax at the friendly tone in Ivy’s messages. Maybe Lana was right; they probably would be able to message easier than face-to-face. For now, at least.