Chapter Sixteen
Meg bounced along Ninth Avenue, basking in the feel of the warm morning sun on her face. Making the early boat put her ahead of schedule, so she stopped at the small café she passed every Saturday on her way to the rescue mission. There was no denying she was basically a volunteer in her own right at this point. The store’s long line gave her time to reflect on that truth. While she had initially come there to hang with Sasha—build a friendship, she told herself—she had come to find working at the no-kill shelter beyond rewarding. The staff couldn’t be nicer, and pairing sweet animals with loving families? No better way to start a weekend.
She balanced her bag of goodies in one hand as she waited for Sasha on the corner of Forty-Fourth Street. She was still way early, so she reached for her phone to do a quick social media scan when she heard a sharp wolf whistle from halfway down the block. Without lifting her head, she looked up to see Sasha walking toward her.
“Did you just catcall me?” Meg asked, grinning as she slipped her phone into her back pocket.
“I might have,” Sasha responded with a devious smile.
“Interesting.”
“More interesting that you looked.”
Were they flirting? “Well it’s six forty on Saturday morning. Can’t help it if my interest was piqued. It’s pretty much me and the street cleaners awake at this hour.”
“And me.” Sasha swayed back and forth. “What’s in the bag, sexy?”
“Sexy?”
“Hey. I haven’t even had coffee yet and I’m talking to a hot girl on my corner. No point in mincing words.” She nodded with her chin. “Whatcha got there?”
This was definite flirting. Meg was surprised at Sasha’s boldness and didn’t bother masking it. She gave a long dramatic blink and shook her head, owning her shock. “Sorry, not used to so much attention this early in the day. Or ever, really.”
“Well, get used to it.”
What the hell? Not that she was complaining, but this seemed a new level. Perhaps Lexi was right. Well, that or she was completely overthinking it. Damn if she knew. “I bought us breakfast.”
“Megan.” Sasha dragged her name out, leaning forward and completely surprising Meg with a peck on the cheek. “You are so sweet.”
“It’s just coffee and croissants.” She heard herself stutter and hoped Sasha didn’t notice. “Don’t get too excited.”
“Still. Thank you.”
It was a little awkward to eat and walk so they divvied up the provisions with Meg holding both drinks as Sasha took the bag of pastries. They took their time getting to the mission, Sasha pausing to take sips of her coffee here and there while she pulled pieces of almond croissant from the paper bag, alternately passing bites to Meg and feeding herself. She filled Meg in on the details of her Friday night—watching old episodes of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries on BBC while doing schoolwork. Meg’s night hadn’t been much more eventful. Without giving herself a chance to talk herself out of it, she blurted out, “So, next Friday, Lucy’s showing Thongs of The Undead at the coffee shop. Want to come?”
“What?”
Sasha looked confused, so Meg explained. “You know that zombie movie people are obsessed with?”
“No, I know it.”
“Or not.” Meg felt suddenly embarrassed at her invitation. “I just thought, I don’t know, she did it once before. Hosted a movie night. She got a nice crowd and it was fun. Different.” Meg shrugged. “I know, dumb movie, but still.”
“You obviously haven’t seen it.”
“No. Don’t tell me.” Meg shook her head slowly, making fun of Sasha on the spot. “Of course, you love it. I forgot about your penchant for ridiculous movies.”
“TOTU is a metaphor. For life. You’ll see,” she said, with a playful bump to the shoulder.
“TOTU?”
“Thongs of The Undead.” Sasha counted out the words on her fingers. “T-O-T-U.”
“Oh my God.” Meg looked to the sky. “What did I just get myself into?”
Sasha’s smile was laced with something deeper as Meg held the door to the rescue mission open for her. They held eye contact and there was something there, Meg was sure of it, but the moment was broken when Beau, the shelter’s hipster director, hooked Sasha’s arm with a loud, “I need you,” as he whisked her across the room.
Goddamn it. They were just on the verge of something. Maybe. She shouldn’t care this much and she knew it. She took a deep breath trying to regulate her pulse as she watched Beau lean into Sasha’s space. Fucking Beau. Even his name was annoying. He was nice enough but his type got under her skin. Maybe it was jealousy. He was insanely good-looking with his longish hair always a calculated mess and his dark facial scruff, more than a five o’clock shadow but not quite a beard, contrasting perfectly with his light eyes. He probably survived on kale and green tea. And he totally just ran interference on her. Did he just touch Sasha’s arm? He was leaning in and whispering, looking serious as he spoke. No fucking way. No. She was wrong, she had to be. Sasha was just flirting with her less than a half hour ago. Or maybe she wasn’t. And they had planned a date. Okay, maybe not officially. But Friday night. Movie. The two of them. Arguably a date.
Her blood pressure dropped a few points when Sasha looked over at her and smiled reassuringly. God, she must have been staring. She went down to the main area to clear her head and busy herself with the morning chores.
It was a hectic day at the shelter with more visitors than previous weeks. With the onset of summer, the shelter was busy as people were more inclined to adopt and the hours zipped by, filled with prospective pet owners and their myriad questions. It wasn’t until almost noon when she got a minute with Sasha alone.
“Crazy today, huh?” Meg said.
“I know. Listen, Meg—”
But she didn’t have a chance to finish before Beau was there. Again. “They need you for paperwork at the desk, Sash.”
That was twice now. She didn’t know what Sasha was going to say and it probably wasn’t deep, but still it drove her crazy. She didn’t have time to dwell on it before Beau gave her an assignment of her own. Before she knew it, she was done for the day. Sasha was nowhere in sight, so she found her backpack and started to pack up.
“You’re not going to Irish good-bye, are you?”
“I looked for you.”
“Is your phone dead or something?”
“No, why?”
“If you don’t know where I am, you should text me.”
That was a weird statement, but she brushed it off. “I figured you were busy.”
“What time is the movie on Friday?”
“I think eight. I’m not sure.” She bent down to tie her shoe, even though the knot was still in place. “What’s up with you and Beau? You guys seem…chummy.” She hated the way her voice squeaked out the word, making her sound every bit as petty and jealous as she felt.
Sasha’s face held an expression Meg couldn’t quite read. It was nerves or guilt or confusion. Maybe all three. “Nothing at all,” she said finally. “He’s into Jane-Anne. We hung out a couple of weeks back, a few of us and his friends. He asked me to see if I could orchestrate a redux for tonight. Any chance you would come?” She stuffed her hands in her pockets and let her shoulders drop. “Please?”
Even though she felt like a bit of an afterthought, Sasha’s sweet expression told her it wasn’t the case. And God, did she ever want to go, but the reality was she had a commitment she couldn’t escape. “Ugh, I wish,” she said, hoisting her backpack over one shoulder. “I have a birthday party to go to.” She checked her watch. “I should get going, actually.”
“Your party is tonight or…” Sasha lifted her eyebrows as her voice faded, clearly waiting for Meg to explain.
“No, sorry. It’s this afternoon. In Ditmas Park. I’m not even really sure which subway to take.” She frowned as she voiced her mild frustration out loud. “I feel like by the time I get there, sit through the party, and then make it home, it’ll probably be late.”
“Whose party is it that you are so completely unexcited about?”
Meg smiled at Sasha’s perfect read of her sentiment. “Ezra. My cousin’s kid. He’s turning six.”
Sasha responded with a nod. “Ah.”
“With my parents living in Florida, my sister and I are expected to represent at family functions. I don’t mind usually, but Shannon is tied up with her kids’ stuff today, so I’m on my own.” She shrugged.
“No, you’re not.” Sasha reached down and grabbed her bag. “I’ll go with you.”
“Shut up,” Meg countered playfully until she met Sasha’s eyes and saw she was serious. “Wait, really?”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course. But—”
“No buts.” Sasha held up one hand stopping her. “I’m going to brave a kiddie party with a pile of six-year-olds hopped up on sugar. And then to return the favor, you keep me company tonight, probably at the straightest bar ever”—she added an exaggerated eye roll—“where we will try to orchestrate a love connection for Beau and Jane-Anne. Deal?”
Meg smiled. “How can I say no to an offer like that.”
*****
A full four hours later, Meg strolled along Ocean Avenue unable to keep her smile secreted as Sasha walked next to her. She felt a surge of hope and angst race through her when Sasha’s arm brushed against her own.
“So what’d you think?” Sasha hooked her hand through Meg’s arm just above her elbow.
“Of the party?” Meg asked trying not to overthink Sasha’s casual touch.
“Mm-hmm.” Sasha peered into her goodie bag. “I give it a full ten. The food was great. Cake, spot-on. And that piñata—gold mine.” She shook the bag in her hand, shuffling the contents inside. “Also, your family was super sweet to me.”
“They’re pretty great people.” Meg didn’t have the heart to tell Sasha that she was certain her relatives simply assumed she and Sasha were a couple. She also didn’t reveal that she hadn’t bothered to set the record straight, choosing instead to enjoy the fantasy of being girlfriends for a few short hours. She wondered if that made her pathetic, but the truth was she didn’t care.
Sasha pulled out a Tootsie Pop before trading it for a Bit-O-Honey. “Ooh, look at this. Old-school,” she said, twisting it between her fingers as she examined the wrapper before opening it. “Want half?”
Meg shook her off. “It is a miracle you have any teeth left.”
“I know, right?” Sasha laughed at herself.
Meg shook her head in mock judgment, turning them toward the direction of the subway as she checked the time.
“Do you want to go home?” Sasha’s voice was sincere and it caught Meg off guard. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to come into the city tonight if you don’t want to.”
Meg narrowed her eyes. “We made a deal, I thought.”
“I know, but I sort of squirmed my way in.”
“You were in it for the candy all along.” Meg’s response was coupled with a fake grimace. “I should have known,” she teased.
“Well, that is a bonus,” Sasha started, but her voice lost its lilt as she got momentarily serious. “The truth is I wanted to spend some time together. I miss being around you.”
What exactly that meant, Meg had no idea, but she felt her heart race and knew she was blushing at the mere possibility that Sasha was hinting at something beyond platonic. She hoped her voice held steady when she responded, “Sure, I could go home, I guess. But fair is fair.” She shrugged. “Also, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t mildly intrigued to see the dynamic between Jane-Anne and Beau. I would never have put the two of them together.” She reached for her MetroCard as she waited for Sasha to pass through the turnstile first. “I guess I figured Jane-Anne would go for the Wall Street type. Maybe even a jock. Definitely not a composting tree-hugger like Beau,” Meg raised her eyebrows dramatically at her good-natured teasing. “I’m genuinely curious to see how this plays out.”
Sasha smiled but her eyes were serious and Meg thought for sure she was about to say something deep, but the train rolled into the station breaking the moment. The subway car was jam-packed and they had to squeeze in just to let the doors close. Meg felt Sasha’s body pressed against hers, and when the train jerked forward, Sasha grabbed her hand. “I may need to hold on to you for balance,” she whispered.
Even though Meg was sure it was unintentional, being this close and feeling Sasha’s breath in her ear made her heart ache, to say nothing of what it did to the rest of her body. She wondered if Sasha felt the same. Right at that moment, as if reading her thoughts, Meg felt Sasha give her hand a small squeeze. It sent her libido into overdrive. How could this ever be friendship? she wondered, swallowing her feelings as she relished the remaining alone time before they joined the rest of Sasha’s crew.
*****
Sasha had arranged for her friends—Jane-Anne and a few other girls—to meet up with Beau and some of his buddies at Bar Nine, a relaxing spot with a super chill vibe on the West Side. After introductions were made, Meg grabbed a seltzer and headed to the outdoor area to enjoy the warm evening.
“Ooh, it’s gorgeous out here.” Jane-Anne’s voice cut through the quiet breeze. She sat next to Meg on the wooden bench seat. “How have you been, Meg?”
“Good. How about you?”
“Really good, thanks.” Even though Meg had spent a fair share of time with Jane-Anne when she and Sasha were together, they’d never been especially close and Meg wondered what they would talk about without the others to buffer, but Jane-Anne dove right in. “Sash says you got a cat. Do you have a picture?”
Meg unlocked her phone and pulled up a series of Spencer, handing it over so Jane-Anne could peruse at her own pace.
“Oh my God, Meg, she’s really precious.” She took a sip of her cocktail. “It’s nice to see you and Sasha spending time together,” she said changing the subject altogether. “I haven’t seen her like this in ages. Happy, I mean.”
Meg was sure Jane-Anne was going to say more, but Beau and one of his friends approached and changed the dynamic completely. They were followed shortly by Sasha and the rest of their small party. Sasha took the seat across from Meg and with one look inquired if she was doing okay. Meg smiled in response. She loved that they could communicate wordlessly like this. It made her feel connected and in sync and longing for more.
Hours later, when the group had mostly moved back inside, Meg found a vacant seat on a couch in the corner and rested her head against the backrest. She could do nothing to stifle her repeated yawns.
Sasha squeezed in next to her, half leaning over Meg to be heard over the music. “You’re tired,” she said.
“I am,” Meg admitted. “It’s been a long day.”
“Great day, though.”
“Definitely.” She saw Sasha look at her mouth and wondered if she wanted Meg to kiss her. Meg was dying to make a move but there were so many people around, and even though the whole day had felt like an extended date, she still wasn’t a hundred percent sure if she was simply projecting her feelings onto the situation. She broke eye contact to check the time.
“You want to go?” Sasha asked.
“It’s not that I want to. It’s just late and I’m beginning to lose the battle.”
“I know.” Sasha flicked her eyes over toward Beau and Jane-Anne deep in conversation in the corner. “I wish those two would wrap it up already. I want to go over there and tell them that it’s confirmed. They are definitely into each other.” She let out a small laugh.
“Oh, don’t ruin it for them,” Meg teased. “The beginning is the best part.”
“I don’t know. Beginnings can be scary. Sometimes it takes some time to be comfortable and really relax, you know?”
Meg smiled softly and nodded, for the moment convinced they were talking specifically about their past relationship. Sasha smiled back and reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers as she spoke.
“Come on, I’ll walk you out.”
Meg let her lead the way, not bothering to say good-bye to anyone else. When they reached the sidewalk in front of the bar, Sasha pulled her in for a long hug. With her arms tight around Meg’s shoulders, she breathed in her ear, “I had the best day.”
“Me too.” Meg pulled away and then leaned forward again, placing a small kiss on Sasha’s face so close to her mouth that their lips touched slightly at the corner.
“I’ll see you Friday,” Sasha said. “I really can’t wait.”
“Good night, Sash.”
Meg backed away and watched Sasha re-enter the bar, already counting down the minutes until next weekend.