Chapter 19
Alyssa
Daniela pointed across the parking lot when we stopped in front of the restaurant, nudging my shoulder. “There’s your date,” she said.
“My what?” My thoughts had drifted. I pulled myself back to the present, following the gesture to where Abby climbed out of a car down the parking lot, with loose pants and a cute little Peter Pan neckline, all flowy and soft colors, with a glittery ornament in her hair. “Oh,” I said. It genuinely took me a second to realize Abby was taking me here on a date. “Oh, her outfit looks cute today.”
Daniela gave me a careful smile. “Playing with fire with that one.”
Right. Yeah. I was thinking about Abby. “It’s nothing serious,” I laughed awkwardly. “Just… you know, hanging out.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know how sapphics are. That’s how it always starts.” She grinned. “Look, I love Abby, I’m mostly just giving you both a hard time. I’m kind of hoping this is a double date situation. I’m not sad about that.”
God, I felt like I was going to be sick. She and Jade would be all over each other. I forced a smile. “Well, let’s get inside. I’mgetting antsy sitting here. I’m not a good dancer, so don’t expect anything!”
“Relax,” she laughed. “It’s casual. Besides, didn’t Abby give you some private lessons? Or was it more… privatedancinglessons?” she said, elbowing me playfully. I snorted, waving her off.
“C’mon, you creep.”
“I’m coming, I’m coming.”
We climbed out of the car, and I was still off in la-la land, because I didn’t notice Abby coming up to me until she nudged me from behind, and I looked back at where she gave me an appreciative once-over.
“Well, hello,” she said. “Where’ve you been hiding an outfit like this? I’m guessing you didn’t wear it into the Birdhouse because you knew I’d trip over my feet looking.”
“Oh, this. I just bought it last night.”
Her eyes lit up. “Just for this?” she said, batting her eyelids flirtatiously, and I got a lump in my throat. I felt like I didn’t know how to stand, how to hold my hands, but I flipped like a switch when I heard a door open and I looked up at where the back door of the restaurant opened.
Oh, Jesus, Jade looked good. She’d seriously dressed up for Daniela. And I was supposed to be happy about it. She stepped out onto the back terrace together with Cat—Cat was dressed nicely too, with a pressed shirt and jacket with a short skirt, but I could only look at Jade, dressed up in a full-on suit and bowtie, her hair let down and tousled over her shoulders, and knowing what Daniela’s reaction was going to look like—how much Daniela was going to want her—it made me want to throw up.
The two of them were in the middle of a conversation, signing something I couldn’t follow, but Jade did a double take when she saw me past the railing and the bushes around theterrace. And that reaction—the way her eyes caught on me like it made her forget Cat was there—changed everything like a blurred picture coming into focus. I flickered a smile across the terrace at her as I stepped closer to Abby, and I tugged lightly at the loose hem of her shirt.
“You look cute, too,” I said. “Even if I bet you didn’t buy it just for this.”
She laughed. “Well, I’ll make up for it next time,” she said. “I can admit when I’ve been outdone.”
Jade had fully stopped walking, stopped her conversation. I felt her eyes locked on me still. I couldn’t let go of it, and I pretended I couldn’t see her as I put my hand on Abby’s arm. “You’re going to outdance me,” I said. “So it evens out. Let’s get inside. Daniela?”
Daniela laughed, shutting the door on her side of the car and locking it. “I’m not gonna lie, I feel like I should let you two go in without me.”
“Get a move on,” I laughed. I strode inside, leading the way, riding on the confidence from the way Jade had looked at me, and I kept my hand on Abby’s back even though I barely noticed her there. I didn’t know what I was doing or what was happening in my brain, but I led her through to the back terrace, where Cat looked warily between me and Abby, and then back to Jade. They sat at a table in the corner, and I felt Jade’s eyes on me the whole way over to her table even with Daniela right next to me.
“Howdy, stranger,” Daniela said, leaning against the table next to her. “You look awfully nice tonight.”
Jade dragged her gaze off me and onto her. “Howdy, yourself,” she said, her voice low, and it instantly sent me off my balance, sick with ugly jealousy at the smoldering way she looked at Daniela. “Don’t even recognize you without some garish sunshine yellow.”
“I’m tacky or I’m a stranger. There’s no winning with you, is there?”
Jade smiled dryly. “Absolutely not. But you keep coming back, so it’s on you. Are you three sitting down, or should we be giving Alyssa and Abby some space?”
I surprised everyone at the table, myself included, by cutting in with, “They won’t mind if we get in a little dance at the start of the night, will they?”
Abby grinned at me. “Ooh, someone’s eager to show off her new moves. I like a girl with some enthusiasm.”
I smiled at her, but it took a second to pull my eyes off Jade and back to Abby. “I like a girl who knows how to dance,” I said. “So… show me.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jade gripping the edge of the table, squeezing tighter. Good, I thought. Let her watch.
