“Oh, I did. Hearing like a bat,” Ren said, gesturing to their ears, which were loaded with tiny studs and hoops.
Stevie sighed. “It’s not like I have anything better to do right now.”
“You keep telling yourself that.”
“It’s a play,” Stevie said. “It’s exposure.”
“Same town, same stage. What’s it been? Ten years?”
Stevie shook her head. She and Ren had had this conversation many times—Ren wanted Stevie to branch out, move to a bigger theater city. Stevie was terrified to do so. Etcetera, etcetera.
“Okay,” Ren said, waving a hand, short nails painted black as always. “Fine. You’re doing the play. Save the Empress. Great. None of us want it to go under. What I’m more concerned with is... what the fuck was that? A cuddle? A snuggle?”
Stevie groaned and dropped her head into her hands. “I know. It was bad.” She looked up abruptly. “Did Adri notice? Do you think she could tell?”
Ren winced. “I mean... I could see her face and she didn’t look like she was ready to nuzzle back, I’ll say that.”
“Shit,” Stevie said. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
“It’s fine,” Ren said. “She was too distracted by roping you into yet another career-stalling role to be too concerned.”
“That’s not what she’s doing.”
“I know she doesn’tmeanto do it, but it’s still what she’s doing.”
Stevie rubbed her forehead. “I’m just a little lonely. Like for physical stuff.”
“You mean horny.”
Stevie blushed. “Call it whatever you want, but that’s all this is. I haven’t been out with anyone since Adri and I—”
“Hold up.” Ren presented a hand. “No one?”
“You know I haven’t, Ren.”
“I mean, yeah, I know you haven’t dated anyone, but I didn’t realize you hadn’t even, like, had a dating app hookup or anything.”
Stevie gave them a look. “Really? You do know who you’re talking to, right?”
Ren grinned. “Okay, byhookupI mean sharing a nice meal and going for a walk through the park, followed by a cuddle on the couch while watchingWhile You Were Sleeping,possibly concluding with a little French kissing. You know, a Stevie-style hookup.”
Stevie plunged her head back into her hands. “God, I’m fucking pathetic.”
Ren laughed, pulled down Stevie’s hands. “You’re not. You’re just terrible at one-night stands. There are worse things to be.”
Stevie nodded. Ren was right. Shewasawful at one-night stands, but she wanted to be different, even if just once, to prove that she could. That she wasn’t the friend left behind sniffing her ex’s neck at the first sign of physical affection. That she could meet a stranger she liked, talk to them without embarrassing herself, kiss them, fuck them, and say goodbye. She liked sex. A lot. That was never the problem. It was building up to that point with someone she barely knew that she could never handle.
But she wanted to.
“Okay, so help me,” she said.
Ren lifted a perfectly sculpted brow. “Help you do what?”
“Have a one-night stand.”
Ren’s eyes widened. “I’m not exactly an expert.”
This was true. Ren had certainly had their share of hookups, but they preferred an actual dating relationship as opposed to fevered one timers.
