gabi.

Jack’s only response to the question given to her was to drunkenly dab. Granted, she smacked herself in the face when she did so but it was at least somewhat attempted. “Wh-y not tonight? I need it to be tonigh-et.” She pouted when Gabi took away her drink, staring down at the booth, her head wobbling slightly. 

Gabi nearly facepalmed in response. Jack seriously did that and she couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed. She placed her fingers on the bridge of her nose, shaking her head at the absurdity of it all.”’Cos I want you to get better, you fuckin’ idiot,” she mumbled out in exasperation. “If you want a distraction, trust me, girl... I’m real good at that.”

riley’s face scrunched up in a light embarrassment, but she laughed. “two seconds? that’s a looong time.” she could barely get through the joke, taking a drink of her own coffee. “we haven’t been that bad. but i definitely have been missing this.” 

“yeah, it’s terrible. i feel for you, truly.” gabi nearly rolled her eyes in exasperation. taking a long sip from her coffee, she relished in the smell. ““well y’know me, can’t sit on my ass too long. let’s go for a walk, yeah?”

Hazel eyes went wide the second she registered just who had sat down across from her. “Gabiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.” She drawled out, hands nursing her drink as she gave a lop-sided smile. Her happiness to see her was cut short the second the other woman slammed her hand down on the table, Jack jumping slightly. She looked at Gabi in confusion before waving her hand dismissively. “This is me taking it ea-easy.” She uttered out, hiccuping between her last word.

Gabi criss-crossed her fingers over the table, less than enthused. This... she was used to this. Patients not always following medical advice. She’d chide them a little, click her tongue. But those were with strangers. Jack was not a stranger. Quick reflexes had her grabbing the other woman’s drink before she could even blink. Taking a sip, she puckered her lips. “God, what the fuck is this?” She questioned with furrowed eyebrows. “Look, when you can take it a little rougher, we can have a grand 'ole time and get blackout drunk together. Just not tonight, ‘kay?”

“No but like… You don’t understan? I finely got cleared to drink. So I’m drunk. Drinky drunky. Drunk.” Jack slurred, looking at her glass of scotch. They’d taken her keys away, again, but that hadn’t deterred her from ordering one more damn drink. Today? Today, she needed it. “Besides… I can’t think about tonay.”

And so here she was, alone in her booth, phone left at home. Talking to herself. Perfect. 

“So I was told there’s a woman in this bar who’s talking like a lunatic to nobody in particular,” Gabi said while sliding into the chair opposite Jack, setting her phone down on the table. “Mind pointing me in her direction?” She inquired with a half-cheeky grin before dropping the pretense, slamming her hand on the table. Better than giving Jack a slap behind her head. “Also, I think you’re still having concussion symptoms because you were told to take it easy. And yet, here you are, drinking.”

                                            a SWEATY mess. it wasn’t that lydia hadn’t trusted the woman, but running at this hour, and that distance seemed like an insert of humor… but gabi had ACTUALLY ran. lydia enjoyed hiking, running, but that distance mixed with how her body was feeling right now seemed unappealing. she’d rather be sitting with a glass of wine, molding on her couch watching that show marra had got her hooked on. the circle. or something. she wasn’t even sure she remembered the name of it, but boy … was she a little guilty with being hooked on it. 

                         there was a different pace between the women. gabi seemed full of more energy. lydia’s bags beneath her eyes were proof that she had been struggling with falling asleep.    “  hm ?  -   ”   slightly out of it, and a little unable to handle any form of a compliment. in the moment it was making it known that her body was still alive… and FUNCTIONING… the feeling of heat coloring her face with a light shade of pink. lydia had been thankful for the dim light.   “   gabs, didn’t you know … ? this is my battle hair-do. one only mighty warriors whip up.- ready for all the gore.. not going to lie… the ‘bloody’ comment makes me a little nervous..   ”    an ease of laughter helped her body relax the nerves away. 

                   clearing her throat, lydia stepped a little more to the side. it hadn’t ever been a forethought about the white elephant of  ‘ violet. ’  a topic lydia liked to stray from speaking about. it was left to nightly thoughts where she was alone.  “   are you going to lurk in my shadows, or are you going to actually come in ?  ”   her feet began walking into the cafe, heading to the counter where she’d flip on a light that wasn’t so harsh.   “    - or are you too afraid of me seeing you sweaty in the light. ?   ”   over her shoulder, lydia quirked a small grin. 

quite honestly, gabi could’ve kept complimenting lydia all damn day. it was extraordinarily easy to do so. because of course she noticed the blushing. took pleasure in garnering that reaction. the corners of her mouth twitched into the faintest of smirks. slowly taking off her hair tie, she shook her hair loose. now this was more like it. “well, yeah -- insomnia’s got like, a thousand hit points, so we just got to find the weak point, keep ramming it, duck their attacks, and we’ll be golden,” gabi said like it wasn’t the most absurd thing she had said in a while. insomnia wasn’t like that but she was keeping things light and breezy. her fingers delicately held a strand of the other woman’s hair, twirling it around. “well i love it. a plus look. if humans don’t walk into poles looking at you like that, then there’s seriously something wrong with them.” 

momentarily, gabi found herself distracted watching her walk in. god she was useless sometimes. right, okay, get your legs moving.

"i’m coming. geez, woman...” sidling her way inside, gabi kept fixing up her hair with her fingers, brushed off beads of sweat with the back of her hand. “girl, puh-please...” she placed a hand on her chest, almost as if she was offended at the absurdity of such a statement. “me? afraid? of? anything? never...” she presented herself as fearless. but lydia, on the other hand, was a terrifying prospect. more than jumping out of a plane. and it just wasn’t about respecting girl code. it went a lot deeper than that.

gabi had never been a fan of silence. it meant being alone with your thoughts. making her way inside she felt herself at a loss. no hustle and bustle. no music being played in the background. no buzzing or beeping from the machines. no conversations being had. it was a foreign concept. one she hated. “so, uh...’” sitting on the edge on one of the tables, she let her legs dangle and looked at the other woman expectantly. “think we can get some battle music playing? y’know, to pump us up, get us in the mood?”

jack: of course, how could i have suggested anything different.

jack: still, means a lot. he's out for longer than i am but i can't wait for him to come back.

jack: you doing good tho? besides being a horn dog.

gabi: it's gon be a hot minute but i trust our pts will do a gr8 job w him

gabi: ya i'm good. just nooked a paragliding adventure for 2morrow so that's gon be fun

alfie: yah i figured

alfie: i got some new games and currently workin on fixing up an old bike i found

alfie: ...i feel like your definition of fun and mine don't overlap

gabi: trudat, i can barely sit still for 2 seconds

gabi: it's why i love the chaos that is the er

ben: love that idea but

ben: not currently staying somewhere good for visitors

gabi: that blows :( :( :(

“i’mma need you to do me a favor, dude,” gabi said as she slid down onto the booth, “well, actually, two.” a beat as she took a sip from her coffee. “tell your work to stop scheduling your shifts opposite mine and stop snogging jack for like, two seconds, so we can do this more often.”

gabi: way 2 break my heart jack : ( how will i ever recover from this

jack: i'll give you all the hugs, chocolate, and wine you desire.

jack: also thanks for taking such good care of aaron.

gabi: change that 2 margs and u will have all of my ❤

jack: sadly, that'll be a no-go gabs.

jack: which is utterly surprising, i know.

alfie: you're always welcome if you keep your hands to yourself.

gabi: sorry boo i'm just feelin super horny on main u know how it goes

gabi: can i pls come over

“Alright, since you’re so thirsty to be regaled about my exploits, here’s a story for you: about ten years ago when I was still living in New York City I had a sugar momma who was all about everything being ‘natural’…think the stupid crystal auras, prohibitively expensive, straight out of GOOP type stuff.  

So, she convinced me to join her for a two week long women’s retreat in this remote area of Nepal. When we got there, we met up with a handful of other women–all of whom had more money than they knew what to do with–and this old as shit lady, whom we were told was a ‘sex witch’.  Thus began the most bizarre two weeks of my life where we all learned the ‘ancient’ secrets to better understanding our bodies, our erogenous zones, and orgasm control.  

In other words, I learned how to have orgasms that last nearly an hour while staying in a yurt high up in the mountains.”

Gabi had to resist the huge urge to roll her eyes. God she hated those types -- the kind that thought essential oils were the key to healing. Shut the fuck up about how you want to shake them and let this woman speak, she silently told herself. Resting her chin on her hand, she listened intently and raised an eyebrow in a mix of curiosity and bafflement.

“So, out of curiosity, how did you manage to go through these two weeks without choking the life out of them?” She questioned with an incredulous tone, taking a quick sip from her drink.

“Also, us gays are pretty useless as is. If we went through orgasms that last a fucking hour...”