“Hey!” Harlow laughed a little. “And you didn’t tell me how it went last night.”
“What do you mean?”
“You weren’t out with friends, were you? You were on a date, right? You got in around two. I was asleep before that, but I woke up a little and heard you at the door. Sorry. I’m sure you probably wanted to invite her in and couldn’t because your ex was on the couch, but you could’ve told me, Alicia. I would’ve just gone to Larissa’s place.”
“Oh, that?” Alicia said. “No, Iwasout with my friends. But Ididmeet someone, and she drove me home because I didn’t drive there. I’d planned on drinking, so I took an Uber, and she wasn’t drinking, so she drove me.”
“Sorry, I was here, in the way,” Harlow said, shrugging, and grabbed her keys off the table in a well-practiced motion, almost as if she still lived here.
“No, it’s fine. I told her someone was staying with me. I didn’t specifically tell her that it was my ex, but I still got a nice kiss at the door, and we’re going out next week.”
“Good for you,” Harlow replied.
“Harlow?”
“Yeah?”
“If you tell her, and she kicks you out or something, the couch is yours, okay?”
“What? I’m not–”
“I’m only saying that if you finally decide to tell the woman you clearly love that you love her, and you still don’t have a place of your own, you can crash here until you get one. I don’t mind telling some woman that my ex is on the couch. It’s the lesbianway to be friends with your ex-girlfriend, right?” Alicia joked. “I’d like us to be friends. That’s what I’m saying here.”
“Me too. I’d really like that.”
Harlow smiled back at her.
“Okay. Well, we’re friends, then. When can I start talking to you about the women I date? Too soon?”
“No, you can tell me whenever,” she said with a little laugh.
“Now? I’ll order us something.”
“I can’t. Larissa just texted that she’s on her way home and is bringing pizza.”
“Ah…”
“No, it’s not like that. I’m not choosing her over–”
“Harlow, you’ll always choose her over everyone else.” Alicia shrugged her shoulders. “And when you finally realize that that means something very important, maybe you’ll actually tell her how you feel and take whatever consequences, good or bad, come with that.”
???
“Hey,” she said when she walked in the door and saw Larissa sitting on the couch with her computer in her lap.
“Hey. Pizza is on the table.”
“Cool. Thanks,” she replied. “I’m just going to change first. Be right back.”
Larissa looked up at her then and said, “Right. You’re… wearing the same thing you wore to the party. Have a good time?”
“It was a work thing, so not really. I feel like I need a shower, too, though. Mind if I take ten minutes and come back out, or did you eat already?”
“No, I waited for you. It’s probably cold already. Want me to toss it in the oven for a few minutes?”
“That would be great. Thank you. I’ll be right back.”
She hurried into the bedroom, tossed her dirty clothes into the laundry basket Larissa had bought just for her a while ago, and grabbed clothes to put on after her shower. Then, she checked the hallway, and seeing no Larissa, she scurried naked into the guest bathroom, clean clothes in her hands, and hopped into the shower once the water was warm.
