“Did you eat?” Amie blurted out as the door to David’s apartment closed behind them.
Ziya looked at her, amused. “No. Between leaving the restaurant early and coming here, I didn’t get the chance.”
“Right.” Amie winced. “I meant … do you want to eat?”
“Good god,” came David’s muffled voice from the other side of the door.
“Go to bed!” Amie yelled, feeling her face growing warm.
Ziya was smiling. “Are you offering me dinner?” she asked.
“Depends on the contents of my fridge.” Amie didn’t know why she said that. She wasveryfamiliar with every single item in her refrigerator, down to the last slightly moldy jar of salsa in the very back corner. “I can’t do fettuccine alfredo, but I have boxed mac and cheese. Or—”
“Say no more.” Ziya lifted a hand to stop her. “Take me to the mac and cheese.”
As they walked down the hallway, Amie frantically tried to remember the state of her apartment when she left earlier that evening.
“Hang on,” she said, fishing her keys out of her purse as they stopped by the door. “Just … give me fifteen seconds.”
“We basically lived together for months,” Ziya said as Amie unlocked the door. She followed Amie inside. “Can’t imagine how bad it’d have to be to top your towering pile of dirty laundry.”
“It’s not bad … I’m just making sure. Wait here, please.” She ran down the short entrance hall, leaving Ziya by the door.
“You have until my shoes are off, and then I’m coming in.” There was a grunt. “The straps are fucked, so … you’ve got time.”
Amie ran through the living room, giving it a quick once-over before moving on to the kitchen. One plate in the sink … that was fine. She dashed across the kitchen and into her bedroom, giving herself a sniff test on the way. Not bad, but she still gave both armpits a preventative swipe of deodorant, just in case.
“Here I come!” came Ziya’s voice from the other side of the apartment.
Amie took one quick glance in the mirror, ran her fingers through her hair,immediatelyregretted doing that, debated putting on a hat, realized Ziya might think she was waiting for her in the bedroom, and bolted out.
Ziya was standing in the living room, a teasing smile on her face as Amie shut the sliding door to her bedroom.
“All clear?” she asked.
“Yeah.” Amie walked back into the kitchen. “I mean, I was just …” She gestured behind her toward the bedroom. “… trying to fix my hair.” She hated admitting that, but the truth was better than her ex-girlfriend thinking she was preparing the bedroom for post-dinner activities.
“Mm.” Ziya closed the distance between them, her fingers going to Amie’s hair. She brushed a few strands to one side before leaning back to assess her work.
“Perfect,” Ziya said.
“Hnghh,” came Amie’s strangled response.
Ziya laughed, pulling out one of the chairs at the kitchen table. “You’re very cute when you’re flustered.”
“I’m notflustered,” Amie said indignantly, turning to the cabinets and retrieving a pot to boil the pasta. “And you shouldn’t be trying to fluster your friend. Especially if she’s your ex-girlfriend.”
Ziya propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin on the backs of her hands. “I wasn’t trying to do anything,” she said with faux innocence.
“Oh, sure.” Amie stuck the pot under the sink, hitting the faucet. “You weren’t trying anything when you put your face inches away from my face and played with my hair. That’s just regular friend stuff.”
“I wasn’tplayingwith your hair, I was fixing it!”
“Next thing I know you’re gonna show me how to make mac and cheese ‘the right way’ by standing behind me and guiding my hands.”
“I’m not going to Swayze you.”
“Well now you’re not, because I’ve called you out.”
