Chapter Nine

On the drive home, Clem let me take the wheel as she dozed on and off in the passenger seat with an ever-present half-smile settled on her lips. Her peacefulness matched mine, and the quiets of my insides became my conscious companion on the way. Despite her sleepiness, her warm hand rested on my thigh for the entire drive.

I pulled into her assigned parking space outside the building, and she roused as soon as the car stopped moving. She looked over at me, wide-eyed for a moment before a full smile broke out across her pretty lips.

”Hey, sleepy.”

”Hi.” She yawned, letting out a cute sound when she stretched. ”If the spray from the nozzle of a spray can comes out round, how did you get your tag to be so sharp?”

”Huh?” Her topic jump or rather, her left-fielded question, caught me off guard. ”Oh. Uh, that”s kind of my thing. Making my tag, and sometimes other words, look like calligraphy pens. Sometimes it”s how I interrupt the flow from the nozzle, other times I just swipe it with my finger to sharpen it up.”

”Why do you do that for your tag?” She sat up then, adjusting her shirt as sleep slowly left her. Even in her groggy state, her sharp questions made me chuckle.

”I just like it, but partly because of something Detective Miller said to me when I was a kid.”

”What”d she say?” she asked as we began unloading the car of essentials and perishables, opting to leave the rest for now.

”She said that just because my name is Jagger doesn”t mean I need to change the last letter to D and define my life by it. That I might have jagged edges, but everyone does.” I took her backpack from her when she appeared to struggle, and the daggers she sent at me for it made me back off. I held my hands up and backed away.

A smirk tugged the corner of her mouth as she tossed it over her shoulder. ”She”s right to have said that. Do you feel like jagged or Jagger now?”

”Still feeling pretty jagged.”

She led me into her building, using her palm in the bio lock to enter. ”I”m going to start calling you Alanis.”

”What”s that?” I scoffed, and she laughed at me.

”Alanis Morrissette and her Jagged Little Pill album. You like Guns N” Roses, and walk around in that Rolling Stones shirt, but don”t know Alanis? Pfft.” She made a sound with her tongue and lips, and I stared at her. It took me a minute to realize she was teasing me.

”Hey, I don”t know everything about music. I just like what I like.”

”Uh huh.” She snickered while opening the door to her apartment. ”Guns, Stones…Gaga.”

”Don”t you dare insult Lady Gaga. She”s my queen and I”m her Little Monster.”

”Oh, meu Deus.” She groaned out the words the same way Tatiana does.”

”Now you sound like Tati. Yikes.”

Clem laughed as we set down the bags by the door and the cooler in the kitchen. The last time I was here, the shock of the situation and the lack of transition from emotional to calm didn”t allow me to take in the ambiance of her apartment. Now, with less anxiety, it took on a different nature than on our movie night. With a keen, sleek design, extremely tidy organization and a color palette that seemed to tumble out of the most up-to-date home fashion magazine, it sort of locked me in a stare. It wasn”t cold by any means, the grays and whites mingled with blues and browns, keeping the tone cool and welcoming. The solid wood floors, cozy carpets, and the fireplace standing proudly by the large window brought down the scale of the open floor plan room and created a homey quality. The kitchen, a more modern design with seemingly new appliances, welcomed just the same. The table and the island kept the portions of the apartment sectioned off in a tidy manner. To our right, the hall must”ve led to the bedroom and bathroom as there were no other entries or exits save for the front door and balcony.

”You”ve been here before,” said Clem as she leaned against the kitchen counter. ”Why do you look so startled?”

”I was so anxious I didn”t notice much. I really like your place.”

”Thanks. I tidied up before we left. Normally it”s a bit more lived in.” She shrugged with a smile. ”Up for some coffee and breakfast?”

”Sure.”

”What”s your normal breakfast of choice?” She tucked her hair behind her ear before reaching over to press a button on a tiny coffee machine. ”Those are the pods there. From espresso to long coffees, different strengths. Pick your poison.” She pointed to a carousel of colorful little pods.

”They”re so cute.” I picked up a blue pod from the long coffee section to inspect. ”I don”t normally eat breakfast. Usually, I grab an energy drink from home or coffee and a pastry from the food trucks parked in the square downtown.”

”Energy drinks?” She cocked a brow at me.

”It”s a problem.” I held the tiny pod to her. ”This one is good. What about you?”

”Hmm. A red one for me.”

I grabbed that for her, and she began brewing them both.

”How about hot oatmeal and some eggs?” she asked. ”They”re pasture raised from a local farm.”

”Sure. What can I do to help?”

”How about cutting up that apple there?” She pointed to the fruit bowl beside the microwave. ”And grab the pitted dates from the cabinet above. Two should do.”

”On it.”

I appreciated that she answered my question honestly and allowed me to help. It gave me a sense of purpose rather than sitting there awkwardly while watching her feel obligated to serve a guest in her house.

While she boiled the oats, I cut the fruit, and after we added them into the pot, she started on the eggs. In the meantime, I learned how to use the elaborate Nespresso machine, in awe of the bizarre little gadget. Clem”s amused chuckles inspired me, and by the time we sat down at the table to eat, we were both in a fit of giggles.

”It”s not that fascinating, silly,” she said while handing me utensils.

”It is though. I mean, a Keurig was one thing. That robot maker thing was another, but this one is off the charts.”

”I”m entertained by how easily amused you are,” she said before taking a bite of oatmeal. ”It”s endearing.”

”Well…expect more of that. In the past three days, I”ve seen about a dozen things I never thought I would. Fields of lavender, alien coffee machines, buffalo!”

”Buffalo?” She choked. ”There was no buffalo.”

”There were a ton at the farm…” My brow furrowed.

Clem”s attempt to stifle her laugh brought a charm to her normally muted features. ”Those…were cows. Black Angus cows.”

I burst out laughing, covering my mouth to avoid spewing out oats.

Clem”s eyes widened. ”It”s not that funny.” Despite her statement, she giggled hard.

”My bad.” I could hardly contain myself as hysterics stole away my self-control.

She continued to laugh at me, wide-eyed and chuckling like she”d never seen anything quite like me before. She giggled on and off, and rolled her eyes, but not in a mean way. ”Goodness, Jagger!”

Her words made me laugh more and I melted off the chair, allowing myself to crumble to the floor while holding my stomach. My face burned with heat, and I lifted my knees as I continued to crack up.

Surprise painted her face as she watched me, laughing just as hard now and shaking her head. I held my hand to her, wiggling my fingers as I tried to catch my breath.

”Save me from myself,” I declared with a feigned groan.

”I fear that”s impossible.” She giggled when she took my hand and, as completely expected at least by me, I tugged her right off her chair. She gasped when she fell, but I caught her effortlessly, supporting her weight with both my hands and my knees. ”Jagger!”

”I got you, girl. You”re fine.” I grinned up at her as she swatted my arm.

”I better be fine after being woman-handled.” She huffed and puffed as her baseline stern expression warred with her amusement.

”I thought you liked that.” I cocked a brow at her and wiggled my knee between her thighs, urging her upward so that we were nose to nose.

”I do…” She calmed then, her eyes darkening when she bit her lip. ”Didn”t you notice?”

”Oh, I noticed.”

”You also noticed the buffalo. So, I should probably be worried.” She said it with a completely straight face, and I died right there, falling to my demise in a second fit of hysterics.

Clem grinned proudly, gripping both of my hands in hers then pinning them to the floor. ”I win.”

”You wish.” I dug my heel in and flipped her over in an instant, though made sure she tumbled into a soft landing with my hand behind her head.

The way she looked up at me, her gaze dreamy and hazy all of a sudden, said more than her words could. I returned the gesture, pinning her hands to the floor as I held myself above her. Her gaze flickered to my tattooed arms, in a survey meant for something much more impressive. With her feet on the floor beside my knees, I felt them squirm when I released her, holding myself in a pushup above her.

”Show off,” she said as her eyes returned to mine, but the gnawing at her bottom lip accompanied it.

”Do you hate it?”

”Hardly.”

”You like this?”

She nodded, and the air around her seemed to warm as her body melted under me. Her knees squeezed my hips, and I lowered myself down to nip her chin.

”Sure?”

Again, she nodded. ”I”m sure.”

”What else do you like?” I asked, my tone a bit more of a croon than I”d have liked.

”You,” she whispered, her voice softening with her demeanor.

”Do you? I might”ve missed that social cue.”

”Only at first.” She snickered then, and slowly her hands fell to my chest as she palmed my breasts with caution.

”I”ll miss more in time. Not my strong point.”

”Same.” She gazed down between us to where my shirt tickled the tiny bit of exposed skin where her shirt lifted. I rolled my body against her, colliding with the apex of her thighs. She gulped and when we looked at each other again, she nodded.

”I see. I”m afraid that I”m ill-prepared today. Didn”t expect any of this…”

”Me either,” she said, pursing her lips after. ”But I wanted it.”

”Did you?”

She nodded and now her fingers disappeared into my hair. I enjoyed the way her nails grazed my scalp as she flipped my longer strands over to one side, then stroked the undercut. ”Yes.”

”Do you still?”

”Yes.”

”Can I kiss you?”

”Yes.” She smiled with her third yes, and with caution, our lips collided. At first gently, gingerly, and with restrained hunger.

I wanted her just the same. When I looked at her now, things in my brain felt different. It was almost like I could feel some type of brain juice blurting itself all over the nerve receptor things like some kind of shot of pleasant emotions. The way she moved, the curves of her body when she walked, the silhouette of her in the low light. All of it. Everything she did seemed incredible to me. Even if she punched me in the back of the head, I”d probably find a way to see the bright side of it. Not to say that I would”ve deserved it or anything toxic like that, but if it was at random, I might be able to embrace a silver lining. All of it had me twisted inside, and I couldn”t quite understand why I felt this way. Why I enjoyed the heat of her against me or walking beside her or sharing things like food and drinks. I never did that. Not even with Tati. If I did, it was begrudgingly. Like I didn”t mind giving someone my drink to sip, but I wouldn”t necessarily drink from it again. With Clem, I didn”t care at all. Not one bit. And the strangeness of that confused me.

But I wasn”t confused about one thing. I was, indeed, attracted to her in all ways. Even when her put-off-ish demeanor led the way or when she said something so sharp that it should”ve stung, I still found myself intrigued. Right then, however, what I noticed the most is how her body felt under me, and the way she swallowed a gulp deeply.

I reached between us, gripping the waist of her jeans similar to last night. Her eyes remained locked on mine as I unfastened them. Her mouth fell open as her eyes scanned my face, her fingers moving along the curve of my jaw as her other hand slid behind my neck. She touched me with caution, with a restraint that I appreciated, but also enjoyed. It was almost as if she knew something about me she shouldn”t.

Clem wasted no time wiggling out of her bottoms. Her panties followed, leaving her in only a pair of thin socks from the waist down. Last night in the darkness, I could hardly see her, but today in the morning light on the kitchen floor, the sharp curves of her pelvic bones and the smooth curves of her hips stole my attention for a moment. I caressed the length of her, from knee to hip, in a long, languid stroke. Her legs must”ve been half a size longer than mine, and I simply couldn”t stop touching them. She was the essence of beauty, everything I appreciated about a woman”s body, about her sexuality, and her confidence. She wasn”t shy, at least not with me, and she knew what she wanted. That surety sparked trust, and I didn”t question myself as much.

Her fingers gripped my hair, urging my focus back to her where she pulled me into a heated kiss. I shifted above her, cupping her pussy in my palm as she poked her tongue between my lips. It startled me at first, overwhelming my senses, but she slowed down when she seemed to notice. It passed in a fleeting second, and I allowed myself to lean into the connection. My insides warmed, sending a rolling heat over my shoulders, around my middle, to settle between my thighs. The newness of it both excited and terrified me. I leaned into the former, and allowed myself to tumble into the essence of her.

A soft moan left her against my lips when I rubbed my palm against her clit, though her reaction wasn”t as strong as I expected. I shifted course, and repeated the gesture, but this time stroking the soaked core in a wavelike motion. Her stomach tensed, and she lifted herself to me as if demanding more. I gave in like I had last night and pressed two fingers into her. She accepted all of me, and the sound from her lips intensified. Unlike last night, I moved a little slower, building her up in a different way. Her feet writhed on the floor and her legs twitched around me. She intensified her kiss, and gripped a handful of my hair so tight it startled me.

I broke the kiss to gaze down at her. With her eyes half-lidded, her mouth dropped open and she gripped the center of my shirt. She gulped, licking her lips and nodding again as she thrust her hips upward toward my hand.

”More,” she whispered, which sent the harshest, deepest shiver down my body.

I couldn”t resist her and gave her what she wanted. Quick and firm, my fingers collided with her as she rolled her hips. She didn”t want soft and gentle at the moment, she wanted hard and fast, and I obliged. Fucking hell, I joined her in it.

Clem”s cries echoed in the kitchen as her body quaked under me. Her back arched, body tensed, and legs contorted as she came. She erupted under me, a shout leaving her through the length of her orgasm, accompanied with the sexiest parting of her lips that joined her release. Relief seemed to wash over her, and she lasted in that position longer than I expected. When I slowed down, she shook her head and bucked her hips harder. My stomach flip-flopped, my heart raced, and I continued to take her how she demanded. Her body squeezed my fingers, and she cried out again, her hands slamming on the floor when she lifted her knees.

”Jag, I—”

”I know. Good.” I panted before raking my teeth over her neck

She shouted to the world around us then, and the hot, soaked rush that left her coated my palm. Her entire body shook, and she nearly screamed through it. She covered her mouth, hiding her face as she let herself fall into the intensity of her release. It radiated from her, in some sort of nuclear assault, rippling across time and space to collide with me. The ache in my pants grew to a point of uncontrollable, and my body broke with hers. A deep, unusually delicious orgasm caught me in its thralls, and I moaned against her neck.

When her arms wrapped around me, her body began to calm, and I slowed my movements in her. We both gasped for breath as we embraced, our hug tightening then. Clem hid her face against my shoulder, and I cupped the back of her head.

”My god, you”re amazing,” I whispered in time.

”Such a mess,” she muttered, groaning as she covered her face.

”Legitimately my most favorite thing in the world right now. Fuckin” hell, Clem. I”ve never…not like that. Like this,” I admitted, cupping the back of her head as I held her to me.

”Liar.” She swatted my rear gently.

I chuckled and returned the gesture, albeit even more carefully. ”I mean it. You”re not the only messy one.”

She peeked up at me, gnawing her lip with a bout of shyness I found exceptionally endearing. ”Really?”

”Yeah.” I chuckled and kissed her forehead. ”Let”s get you off this floor. Yeah?”

She nodded, and we parted briefly. I stood up, holding her arms in mine, then swept her clear off her feet when she made to stand. She squealed, wrapping her arms around my neck when I held her with my arm under her knees. ”I”m heavy.”

”You”re nothing of the sort. C”mon.” I toted her over to the sofa, then we shifted around so that she could straddle my lap.

She kissed me as soon as our bellies collided, and her palms cupped my face. I gripped her ass, holding her to me and leaning into the kiss. My lips fumbled a bit, and she pinched my chin between her thumb and forefinger. To my surprise, she rolled her hips against me again and I didn”t hesitate a beat this time. I slipped my hand between us, and she moaned immediately, tossing her head back when she gasped.

We spent the entire morning like this, with her allowing me to please her as I fought the shock over how much I enjoyed it. All my life, in all my time with women, I”d never had an experience like this. One-sided one-night-stands were my thing, or very brief few-night-stands, or week-long relationships was all I knew. This was different, totally different, and part of me had no idea how to handle it. What I did know, however, was that I enjoyed myself for the first time with a partner. Fully enjoyed every moment with her.

Even the buffalo.

***

Tatiana stood in her studio when I made it home that afternoon. She wore paint-covered clothes per usual and held a wine glass daintily in her palm. I chuckled when I noted the latter, and set my keys down in our shared ceramic bowl.

”If this isn”t a sight for sore eyes.”

”What do you think of this?” she asked, motioning to the canvas that stood as tall as her. ”It”s a bit off style…”

”A little but it”s on brand. It”s definitely your work. What”s got you questioning it?” I came to stand beside her, folding my arms over my chest while staring at it.

”It seems lighter,” she said, her voice slightly spacey.

”It feels lighter or looks lighter?” I asked.

”Hmm… Both? There”s a lighter color palette.”

”Not really, but I bet it feels lighter to you because you feel lighter. Things with Wyatt are good, and this is the first piece you”ve completed while together.” I motioned to the far right corner of the work. ”The only difference is the darkness isn”t creeping up the bottom. That was your signature. Fighting the darkness. It”s not here right now, but don”t change it, Tati. You can”t feign darkness.”

She turned to me then, her face riddled with emotions I couldn”t pinpoint. A smile curved her lips that were reddened from her wine. ”Genius. You are one.”

”I”m nothing of the sort, but thanks—”

”Ohhh, you had a good time, didn”t you?” She set her glass down and suddenly grinned at me.

”Uh—”

”Jags! C”mon. Tell me.” She took my hand and urged me over to the sofa. ”How did it go?”

”Really good, I think?” I sat with her and gave her hand a squeeze. ”The Lavender Festival was fun. Sequim is beautiful. I feel like we know more about each other now, too…”

”I”m glad. So, are you officially dating or…?” Tati lifted her shoulders in a shrug while smiling. I knew it was meant to be cute, and her way of asking for more information, but it only made my face feel hot.

”I”m not sure…what we are?” I scrunched my face up then. ”Probably should”ve talked about that.”

”Do you like her enough to be in a relationship with her?”

I nodded slowly, not because I wasn”t sure, but because I couldn”t anticipate Tati”s reaction. ”Yeah.”

”Invite her tonight to the skatepark with us. It”ll be nice for me to not be alone eating veggie dogs while watching my two dopes break their faces on concrete.” Tatiana snickered. ”Go on.” She flicked her fingers toward my pocket.

”Ask her right now?”

”Yes. It”s Sunday. Go on.” Again, with the finger flick and I swatted her paint-covered arm.

I whipped out my phone and pulled up Clem”s message thread. It showed that she was active, and so I carefully typed up a message. Then deleted it.

”Should I just blindly ask?”

”Have you texted her since you left?”

”No…”

”Okay.” Tatiana scooted closer. ”Text her how you felt about this weekend, and that you got home okay, then ask.”

”In that order?”

”In that order.”

”Okay…”

Hi. Thank you for a fun weekend. I really enjoyed our time together—

”How”s that?” I asked Tati, who rested her chin on my shoulder while looking on. The smile never left her face, and it made me smirk.

”Perfect. Keep going.”

Just got home. Wondering…would you want to come to the skatepark later today? Tatiana and her boyfriend are going, too.

”How”s that?” I asked, my thumb hovering over the send button.

”Perfect.” She nodded and I hit send.

A few seconds later, the typing bubbles appeared on Clem”s name, and I waited.

I had a lovely time, too. What do you do at a skatepark?

We just hang out and talk and eat. There”s usually like a dozen food trucks hanging around.

Do I have to skate?

Not at all.

Then okay. ;) Where and when?

I texted her the address and time, then looked to Tati. ”That got sketchy for a second.”

”She was clear about her anxiety over having to skate. As soon as you told her, she”s all in.” Tatiana squeezed my arm in a gesture that soothed me.

”Okay.” I let out a deep breath then flopped back on the sofa. ”Stressed.”

”I see this. Were you stressed while together?”

”Not at all…” I smirked and caught her gaze for a moment.

”You slept with her.” Tati grinned. ”I knew it.”

”Shh. Be respectful.”

”I am.” She patted my knee. ”I really liked her for the five minutes I met her. Don”t make this a quick thing, Jags.”

”I don”t want to… I really like her.”

”Good. Go with it. Starting with letting her see you break your face,” she teased.

”Fine.” I laughed and shoved her gently. ”Gonna go shower. How”s Reagan?”

”Doing good with my mom.” She stood to return to her painting. ”Our entire video chat was in Portuguese, and she did great. So glad I started her as a baby.”

”Yeah. Beneficial. I learned Spanish super young, too. Probably couldn”t learn a language now. Old brains.” I smirked as I walked backward toward the bathroom.

”Ancient.”

”Prehistoric.”

Gratitude for Tatiana soared in these moments. I might know how to do my job, create street art, get along with coworkers and acquaintances, but intimate relationships weren”t my forte. I left her with a minor increase in confidence, and a smile on my face while thinking about Clementine.

***

”Jagger!” shrieked Clementine when I sailed down the half pipe on my pad-covered knees.

Wyatt laughed at me as he rolled on by.

”I”m good!” I shouted over to her as I stood, slamming down on my board to kick it up in a firm catch. ”Nothing happening here.” I laughed on my way over to them.

”Oh my God. Are they always like this?” Clem turned to Tatiana as the two of them shared a giant plate of nachos.

”Yup. To love them is to witness the potential loss of their teeth. At least their brains stay intact in the helmets.” Tatiana took a break from the crunchy food for a hotdog.

”I still have all my teeth and my brains.” I straddled the bench beside Clem, and she turned to me, her plump lips pressed together accompanied her narrowed brow.

”Not funny,” she said with a huff. ”That scared me.”

”I”m sorry.” I held my hand to her. ”It happens sometimes.”

”Thank goodness you have all that padding.” She accepted my gesture and gave my hand a squeeze.

”I do. Want to try riding the board?”

”No.” She shook her head hard enough to whip her hair a little bit. ”Absolutely not. I do not skateboard.”

”We can stick to camping then.” I smiled when I said it, and Clem”s cheeks turned a faint shade of pink when she dropped her gaze. The glare she tossed me after nearly killed me, but I couldn”t hide my chuckle.

”She”s dangerous, this one, Jags. Behave yourself.” Tati patted Clem”s shoulder, before breaking out into a slew of Portuguese phrases.

Clem turned to her immediately, engaging in the animated dialogue like nothing else happened. I could understand, perhaps every third word if it was close to Spanish, but it wasn”t enough.

”Okay, you two talk. I”m going to go take care of my teeth.” I gave Clem”s hand a squeeze and she smiled at me before releasing my hand.

I met Wyatt at the end of his grind, and he skidded to stop a few feet from me. We narrowly avoided a collision with a kid, but no one seemed fazed.

”She”s hot,” he said. ”I mean, Tati is hottest, but just so you know, Clementine”s hot.”

”Shh. Be respectful. I know.” I shoved him and we rolled off together to the far side of the park. ”I need your help with something.”

”Me?” He hopped off his board as we approached the stair sets.

”Yes, you.” I drew in a deep breath. ”Will you go with me somewhere?”

”Yeah, man. Where?”

”You don”t even know where yet and you agreed.”

He laughed and squeezed my shoulder. ”C”mon, you know I”d do whatever with you. What”s up?”

”I need to buy something and I”m more comfortable talking to you about it than Tati.”

”Okay.” He glanced over at the others. ”I think I know.”

”You probably do.”

”When do you wanna go?”

”Um…maybe tomorrow?”

””Kay.” He grinned and ran his fingers through his hair. ”This I know about.”

”I know you do. Shh.” I chuckled and shrugged. ”Too well.”

”Listen, I been through some shit. You”ve been through some shit. Let”s take care of some shit.” He grabbed me in a rough hug and smooched the top of my head. ”C”mon. Let”s put on a show for these kids and our hotties.”

”Oh my god, stop that now.” I laughed and joined him in the roughhousing that hopefully wouldn”t cost me my teeth.

Clem and Tati seemed to bond that day, and I enjoyed seeing how animatedly they spoke to each other. Clem didn”t act shy or appear to have any difficulty socializing with my two closest friends. I still worried about Frankie and thought I might keep them apart for as long as possible.

After an hour”s worth of skating, and a lot more eating, I snatched the energy drink that Wyatt handed me then headed back to benches. Clem took my hand before I even sat, while Tati told her a story about something. I understood names of cities like Lisboa or Porto, but that”s about it. Wyatt sat on the bench behind Tati and wrapped her up in a hug.

Without skipping a beat, they both slid back into English with our quartet united again.

”Mom loves Lisbon, and apparently so does my kid. So, there”s that…” said Tati.

”I enjoyed it there as well, though the beaches and the historic places tickled my fancy much more,” said Clem. ”I would live there again.”

”When are you taking me on a trip, babe?” asked Wyatt as he handed Tatiana a lemonade.

I offered Clem a bottle of water and she smiled when she accepted it. ”Thanks.”

”End of summer.” She smooched his cheek. ”When we go pick up Reagan. And thank you for the icy drink.”

”Righteous,” he said, pumping his fist along with it. ”I”m down for that. And you”re welcome.”

”You better be.” Tatiana grinned and nipped his cheek.

”Would you travel, Jagger?” asked Clem, her attention on me. ”To somewhere far?”

”Um…probably not alone. But yeah, I would try it,” I answered. ”I haven”t traveled anywhere much unless work took me there which is always in Washington State.”

”If I took you somewhere, would you?” she reiterated her question with the change now.

I nodded my response. ”Yeah. With someone who knows their way around like you do, I would.”

She smiled at me and gave my hand a squeeze.

”You ladies up for a show and maybe dinner after?” asked Wyatt.

”Wait—” interrupted Tati. ”No one respond until we have clarity.” She turned to him now, her eyes narrowed. ”What kind of show?”

Wyatt burst out laughing, lifting his hands in surrender. ”An innocent one! C”mon. What do you take me for?”

”An entertainment con artist.” She pointed her index finger at the end of his nose. ”Last time you took me to a show, it was Drag Queen Story Hour. Don”t get me wrong, I”m up for drag any time, but there were thirty kids at our feet listening to a dramatic narration of The Twinkling Unicorn of Westingham.”

We all cracked up at that, and Clem tried to hide the depth of her amusement with her hand over her mouth.

”Twinkling Uni—what? That”s not even a thing.” Wyatt poked her forehead. ”This show is a punk pop tribute in the park down the street. C”mon!” He laughed, waving his arms dramatically. ”I”ll buy everyone dinner after.”

”Oh. Great. Now you”re dating three queer ladies at once?” Tatiana huffed and puffed. ”What even is this situation?”

I nearly lost my shit for laughing so hard. I dropped my head on Clem”s shoulder and her snickering escalated just the same.

”Fine! You pay for everyone then.” Wyatt hopped up, grabbed his board, and tried to fight hysterics while keeping up the silly banter. ”Are we going? I want to whine about my life, daddy issues, adolescent woes, and suburban rebellion in music form.”

”Thirty years later…” Tati stood up with him, her face red from laughter. ”Fine.”

I chuckled and turned my attention back to Clem. ”Would you like to go with them?”

”Um…” She took a moment to assess the situation it seemed, glancing from me to my hugging besties beside us. ”Sure.”

”Are you sure sure or only a little sure?”

”A little sure. Can we leave if it”s too overwhelming?”

”Of course. Any time you want.” I gave her hand a squeeze. ”I have a tolerance limit on things like that as well.”

”Okay.” She perked up then and stood with me. ”I”m up for trying.”

”Me too.” With caution, I kissed her cheek.

The sweet smile she tossed me nearly brought me to my knees in the middle of the skatepark. When we started walking, Tatiana glanced over her shoulder at me with a knowing smile plastered on her lips. She held tightly to Wyatt”s wrist of the arm he had wrapped around her shoulders as they walked.

I returned her smile, feeling the heat rise from my belly to my face. This felt different to me and maybe she felt it too.