Her body hummed when they were in the same room, like her batteries had been draining all day, and Audrey was her charger. It was overwhelming to realize how much Michelle needed to be near her, how much she looked forward to seeing Audrey again every time they were apart, how much Michelle fantasized about her when she was alone in her bed.
On this gray November morning, the last day of classes before Thanksgiving break, Michelle had brought in a new box of tea, a chamomile blend with rose petals that she was excited to try. Today would be her last afternoon tea with Audrey until after the break, and she planned to savor every moment.
As she walked down the hall to her office, her stomach pinged to see that the door to Audrey’s office was open. Michelle stopped in her doorway, rapping her knuckles against it to catch Audrey’s attention.
Audrey looked up with a warm smile. Today she had on a dark-purple sheath dress that had become one of Michelle’s favorites. It clung to Audrey’s curves in a tasteful manner that was appropriate for work yet still set Michelle’s pulse racing every time she saw her in it.
She held up the box of tea. “New blend. Chamomile with rose petals. The usual time?”
Audrey’s expression turned apologetic, and Michelle’s heart sank. “Actually, I’m leaving right after class today, driving straight to my parents’ house.”
“Oh. I didn’t realize.” Michelle hoped she didn’t look as disappointed as she felt, but the realization that she wouldn’t share tea and conversation with Audrey again for nearly a week was devastating. What was she even going to do with herself in the meantime?
“Yeah. My mom and I are going shopping together tomorrow morning. It’s kind of a tradition. Once all the shopping’s done, we come home and make a big pitcher of margaritas and watch cheesy movies for the rest of the day.”
“That sounds ...” Not nice, exactly, because Michelle couldn’t say she enjoyed any of those things, but she could tolerate almost anything if she was with Audrey.
“Horribly American?” Audrey suggested with a cheeky grin.
“It does, but spending time with your mum sounds nice.” Michelle didn’t have that kind of relationship with her own mother. The idea of drinking margaritas and watching silly movies together was too foreign to even form a mental image. But the way Audrey talked about her mother made Michelle a bit wistful. It must be nice, having parents she enjoyed spending time with, parents who loved and supported her unconditionally.
“It’s the best.” Audrey’s expression turned fond. “I haven’t seen my parents since August, so I can’t wait. You’re really going to stay in and read the rest of the week?”
“And do some writing, I’m sure. Probably a little hiking, if the weather’s nice.”
Audrey’s lips quirked. “I don’t picture you as an outdoorsy person.”
“No? I actually do a lot of hiking on my property. I also have a road bike that I ride most mornings, except when there’s snow on the ground. It’s great exercise.”
“Fascinating. I learn something new about you every day.”
“I wouldn’t consider anything about me fascinating.” Michelle tucked the box of tea into her briefcase, aware that she needed to start preparing for her first class but hesitant to end this conversation with Audrey.
“On the contrary.” Audrey stood, smoothing a hand over the front of her dress and inadvertently drawing Michelle’s attention to the way it hugged her body. “I find everything about you fascinating, from your knowledge about obscure female artists to your extensive tea collection.”
Michelle had no idea how to respond to that. She fiddled with the strap to her briefcase.
“You’re terrible at taking compliments, aren’t you?”
Michelle exhaled. “Yes, but I do appreciate them, so thank you. On that note, though, I need to prepare for my first class. I hope you have a wonderful holiday. I’ll see you next week.”
“See you,” Audrey said. “And I’ll probably text you in the meantime, but I hope you enjoy your long weekend alone.”
She would, but she would have enjoyed Audrey’s company more.
“This movie is amazing.” Audrey sipped her margarita as she watched three female assassins plot the demise of the man who’d betrayed them. She hadn’t been sure she would enjoy it—morally gray heroines weren’t always her thing—but the acting was excellent, and there was a powerful feminist undercurrent.
Plus, the lead actress was incredibly hot. Audrey had always been a fan of Natalie Keane, but today, Natalie kept reminding her of Michelle,with her dark hair and impeccable poise. It also didn’t hurt that Natalie was an out lesbian actress, something Audrey had long admired.
“Much better than I expected,” her mom agreed. She was dressed in yellow today, a color that complemented her mahogany skin. Most colors suited Cynthia Lind, but yellow had always been Audrey’s favorite color on her.
Currently, they were seated on the floor in the living room amid a nest of pillows and blankets, as was their usual pre-Thanksgiving tradition. They’d pick it all up tonight before they went to bed so the house would be ready for guests tomorrow.
“Oh damn, look at her go!” On screen, Natalie’s character executed some impressive martial arts moves to take down a bad guy. Audrey fanned herself dramatically, aware she’d crossed the line from tipsy to drunk. She would stop drinking after the movie and load up on water and electrolytes before bed so she wouldn’t be hungover for the holiday. Benefits of drinking with her mom, who also happened to be a nurse. It was all very responsible.
Her mom snort-laughed, then gave a few air punches in a comical interpretation of what the characters on screen were doing. They’d been drinking and laughing together for hours at this point, and Audrey was having thebesttime. Her dad and Erik were downstairs in the basement—a.k.a. the man cave—drinking beer and watching football.
When the movie ended, she flopped backward into her nest of pillows. “Michelle would have hated that movie.”
