“I know. I’m just great at improv.”

“You are,” Jaida agrees, “but unfortunately for you, this ain’t improv.” 

It’s not. Jackie knows that. They’re rehearsing for a group performance that they’re doing for their theatre exam - it’s a shorter rendition of Sleeping Beauty, and Jackie is playing Prince Phillip. Jaida is her princess, the Sleeping Beauty herself, and today they’re spending lunchtime going through their scenes together. 

Jackie has decided she likes it here, alone with Jaida. She’s always admired her from afar, but never had the chance to get to know her properly before this. 

And now that she has the chance, Jackie will take every moment with Jaida she can get. 

“Aight,” Jaida says, and Jackie’s gaze snaps up, attentive, at the sound of her voice. “Should we start with the dream sequence?”

“Let’s do it.” 

Jaida stands, dusting off her school dress. “Lights, camera, action!” she proclaims with a flourish of her hands, even though they both know nothing is going to happen. Jackie laughs. 

A moment later, Jaida has snapped into character. She glides across the stage on delicate feet, glancing around as though she’s searching for something. 

Finally, her gaze lands on Jackie, still waiting in the wings. Jaida’s brown eyes are piercing, rich and velvet, gleaming like the midnight sky. 

“My prince,” she gasps. 

It’s Jackie’s cue. She strides onto the stage, shoulders back, a slight swagger in her step. 

“We meet again, princess,” she says, voice smooth like honey. When she sees Jaida break character to smile at her, she knows she’s finally got it right. 

Jaida darts across the stage and clasps both of Jackie’s hands in her own. There’s a severity in those striking eyes that is almost believable, and for a heartbeat, Jackie loses herself to their depth.

“I keep seeing you here. Are you real? Do I know you, in the waking world?” 

Jackie nods.

“I shouldn’t - we can’t keep meeting like this,” Jaida continues, jumping back as though Jackie’s touch burns, before she launches into her character’s monologue. 

Jackie zones out. She’s trying to focus on maintaining a simultaneously concerned and confused expression, but all she can think about is Jaida: those glossy lips, her warm copper skin, those mahogany eyes that Jackie could swim in for days. 

She starts when she feels Jaida nudging her foot and realises, too late, that she’s missed her cue. 

“Don’t leave me!” she cries, as Jaida nods and disappears off the other end of the stage. “I want to know you, princess! Please, at least tell me your name!” 

She’s met with silence. Jackie holds her desperate pose for a moment, and then she hears clapping. 

“Fade to black,” Jaida says, sounding pleased. She steps back onto the stage, grinning, and fuck, Jackie thinks, she looks so pretty when she smiles like that. “Not bad, Jacks. What happened back there?” 

“Just got distracted. Sorry,” Jackie tells her remorsefully. “Do you want to move on to the final scene?” 

“Yeah, okay.” Jaida vanishes into the wings for a moment, before she reappears dragging a bench. “Our actual props are, like, way back behind a bunch of stuff. So this’ll do.” She leaves it in the middle of the stage before lying down on it, crossing her hands over her chest and closing her eyes. 

Jackie has to take a deep breath before she begins the scene. She has to feign kissing Jaida to ‘wake her up’, and sure, maybe it’s all pretend, but it still makes Jackie’s heart flutter in her chest. 

She says her lines without really thinking about them and suddenly, she’s standing beside the bench, hovering nervously over Jaida’s resting figure. Something stirs behind her ribs - something soft and fluttering, something that crawls up her throat and hovers, pink and gold, beneath her tongue. 

Jackie wipes her sweating palms on her dress. Why is she always so nervous? She’s done this before. She’s done this many times before, but every time, she still feels… strange.

However, she’s still an actress, with a good grade that she’s sure is waiting for her. It all counts on her getting this right, so she shoves her feelings away and shuffles closer to Jaida’s motionless figure. 

“Princess,” she murmurs under her breath, and somehow, she doesn’t feel like she’s playing a character anymore. Jaida is a princess, as far as she’s concerned. But Jackie doesn’t want to think about how she secretly wishes, deep down, that she could really be Jaida’s prince. 

She kneels, leaning closer, hoping Jaida won’t realise how sweaty her hands are.

She pauses when she realises Jaida is already stirring, long before she’s supposed to. Jackie hasn’t even fake-kissed her yet.

Every passing thought abruptly vanishes when Jaida brings her hand up to cup Jackie’s face. Her eyes are pure fire, her touch magnetic, drawing Jackie closer. Close enough for their lips to brush. 

Jackie melts into a feathersoft kiss, one that’s tender and sweet and everything she’s ever wanted. It barely lasts a second before Jaida is pulling away again. 

But it’s real. That was real. 

Jackie doesn’t know how to process it. 

She kneels there for a moment, shell-shocked. Jaida is lying in an awkward half-up position, her eyes blown wide with the weight of what she’s just done. 

“I’m sorry,” she gasps. “Oh my god. I’m just - I’m sorry. I can’t keep my hands to myself. Not with you.” 

The admission is sheepish, shy, and makes Jackie’s chest explode with sparkling fireworks. She breaks into a smile, but she still can’t seem to formulate a proper sentence, so she remains silent. 

Jaida shifts nervously. “I know it was supposed to be an act,” she continues, when it becomes clear Jackie isn’t going to say anything. “But I didn’t have to pretend at all.” 

This snaps Jackie out of whatever daze she’s in. 

“Neither did I,” she says, relieved that she finally seems to have remembered how to breathe. She doesn’t say more - instead, she leans down again, capturing Jaida’s lips in another real kiss. 

~

“Lady, are you okay? What happened?” Jaida guides her to a chair and goes to fetch a blanket. It’s fairly chilly outside, and this woman’s sundress surely will cause her a cold.

“I was heading to the royal palace and my carriage got assaulted by a band of thieves!” She exclaims in a breathless voice, clinging to the blanket Jaida drapes over her shoulders. Jaida gives her a worried look as she sits besides her. A tinge of paranoia hits her; this woman must be a royal, otherwise why she’d head to the palace?

“How long have you been roaming around the forest?” She asks, and the woman knits her brows in a frown, thoughtful.

“It was still sunny, a couple hours, dare I say?” She chews her lower lip, taking deep breaths. “One of the thieves, it tried to kidnap me, so I ran into the forest. I’ve been running aimlessly since then,” she admits, looking into Jaida’s eyes. “The thief- I swear I saw him morph into a fox when we entered the forest.”

Jaida’s sense perk up. Oh, so she encountered those thieves. She knows who she’s talking about, but she won’t admit it, obviously. Royals hate their kind.

“You sound like you’ve had a hard day,” Jaida offers instead, placing a hand on her shoulder. The woman looks offended at her, seemingly recognizing her condescending tone.

“The thief had the ears and the tail of a fox! I’m not delusional. I swear it! They were real too! I know what I saw,” she defends herself, pushing Jaida’s hand away. 

“I’m not saying I don’t believe you, girl. I’ve seen some weird stuff in these forests,” Jaida tries to console her. “You can sleep here, if you wish, I have a spare bed.” She’s very aware that Nicky will kill her if she comes back from Gigi’s lair and finds a - possible - royal sleeping on her bed. But Jaida just can’t leave her out to freeze to death; she’s not that kind of witch.

“Thank you,” the woman softly says, standing up and following Jaida. “My name is Jacqueline.”

Jacqueline. What a pretty name, Jaida thinks. She’s sure she hasn’t heard of any royal named Jacqueline.

“Not as long as Pri’s got that rock on her finger.”

“It could be worse,” Brooke Lynn chimed in, her lips pursed around the straw in her glass, “at least she doesn’t wear it to work, can you imagine the fit Lemon would throw if she had to stare down a diamond every day?”

The three of them looked at Lemon, who, at least for the moment, appeared to be enjoying herself, then at Priyanka, who was talking to Crystal and looking stressed.

“So, dress shopping is happening on Wednesday?” Crystal asked. “Does she know?”

“Of course she doesn’t know,” Priyanka scoffed and shook her head, “I have no idea how to keep her from knowing, no one can keep a secret in their family.”

Crystal winced but nodded. “Well, good luck,” she offered before Gigi made their way to her side and her attention immediately became divided.

“Thanks,” Priyanka mumbled, her gaze drifting to Lemon, who was talking animatedly to Jan and Rosé, “I’ll need it.”

------

By the time Wednesday rolled around, Priyanka’s nerves hadn’t quelled in the slightest. Lucky for her, at least, those with her — her mother, sister, and future mother-in-law wrote it off as pre-wedding jitters. Scarlett knew better, but there was no need to blow up her best friend’s spot like that.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to a more traditional store?” The mother-in-law asked, “I know Mark doesn’t want your culture to be ignored.”

“It will be two separate ceremonies,” Priyanka’s mom cut in before she could speak for herself, “she will be wearing her grandmother’s sari for that.”

Priyanka had to fight off the pained expression that tried to twist its way onto her face. It was only when she had broken the news to her family that she remembered what a big event weddings were in her family. She wasn’t about to get off lightly with this. Instead, she let the assistant at the shop lead her to a rack of dresses and suggested a few. She agreed to them without giving them a proper look, figuring she would let a majority rule.

Once she was in the first dress, she returned to the main room and stepped up on the platform in front of the mirrors. Right away, the women began discussing and debating the pros and cons of the dress — where it fit right, where it’d need to be taken in. But she couldn’t bring herself to focus on anything, instead zoning out to the song playing through the store’s speakers.

I'm living for the only thing I know I'm running and not quite sure where to go And I don't know what I'm diving into Just hanging by a moment here with you

Normally, Priyanka would roll her eyes at this sort of song, at the cheesy love in the lyrics. But with her only alternative being actively participating in shopping for a wedding dress, she listened to the music and let it resonate.

Desperate for changing Starving for truth I'm closer to where I started I'm chasing after you

She winced but blamed it on accidentally being stuck with a pin. They didn’t have to play a song that hit so close to home, she thought. It made it that much harder to ignore the feelings that bubbled up inside her. It was only then that she realized someone was talking to her. “Huh?”

“I asked if you liked the dress,” Scarlett replied.

“Oh,” she cleared her throat. “Yeah, it’s fine.” She then realized she should have been more convincing because she found herself ushered back into the dressing room to try on dress number two, which she would then force enthusiasm for so the day would end as soon as possible.

“Are you okay?” her mother asked with sincere concern.

Priyanka nodded as she stepped off the platform. “Just a little lightheaded, I didn’t have breakfast.”

“Well, let’s get this dress taken care of, then we’ll go get something to eat.”

She nodded again as she went back to change into her regular clothes. Maybe she did just need to eat, she thought. Maybe some food or a nap would bring her back into reality. The reality where she was preparing to get married. The reality that Lemon could no longer be the main character in, no matter what some stupid song was trying to tell her. Or even worse, no matter how much she wanted her to be.

------

“You don’t normally ask me to make house calls,” Jaida remarked as Jackie let her into the apartment, “is everything okay?”

Jackie exhaled deeply. No matter how many times she had rehearsed what she was going to say, she still ended up tongue-tied the second she laid eyes on her. But she was determined to work her way through this and not let nerves get the best of her. “I watched the video you did with Denali. I… I watched it more times than I’d like to admit,” she confessed. “And I can’t get the image of you fucking her out of my mind. But more specifically… I can’t stop picturing myself in her place.”

Jaida had to put all of her mental energy into fighting off a smug grin. She wanted to choose her words carefully, not wanting to overwhelm an already anxious Jackie. “Since we’re being honest here, that’s kinda what I was aiming for,” at Jackie’s confused reaction, she continued, “you could have been less obvious with your username and how you talk online. Maybe it’s ‘cause I know you so well, but I could read all of your messages in your voice.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t want you to feel pressured to confront how you felt, considering your coming out was still fresh for you. I just wanted you to know that the option was there whenever you were ready.”

There was a silent beat before Jackie swallowed thickly and told her, “I’m ready.”

“Then tell me what you want, baby.”

“I want you to fuck me.” The words felt foreign for Jackie to say, the phrase has never left her lips with any sort of sincerity before. But at the same time, she had never been more certain in her life about what she wanted and how badly she wanted it.

Jaida moved to Jackie, wrapping her arms around her waist and kissing her deeply. “I’m gonna take good care of you, okay?” she promised as they made their way to the bedroom.

And Jackie trusted her, she trusted her more than she would have anyone else in this position. She let Jaida take her to bed, let her take her time undressing her and pressing kisses to every newly exposed inch of skin. She eagerly helped her clothes off as well, letting her hands roam her body in ways she had only fantasized about.

“I don’t want you to be afraid of being loud,” Jaida told her. “I wanna hear you, wanna know how good I’m making you feel.” As she spoke, her fingers glided down Jackie’s body, stopping between her thighs before starting to rub her clit in small, firm circles.

Jackie’s head tilted back into the pillows, soft moans spilling from her lips. Her body yielded to Jaida’s touch and her moans grew louder as the other woman eased one finger into her, thrusting and curling it before adding another and picking up a steady rhythm.

“Good girl,” she praised, trailing kisses down her body. She then slowly eased her fingers out and replaced them with her tongue, licking and thrusting at a similar pace while her fingers moved to rub her clit in tandem.

It wasn’t long before the sensation became overwhelming and Jackie’s hips started to jerk erratically. She barely managed to squeak out a warning before she came harder than she ever had before, her body trembling when she was spent. “Oh my god…”

Jaida came back up and laid beside her. “Are you okay?” she asked softly, pushing the hair out of her face.

“I’m good,” Jackie assured. “I just… I haven’t… it, um…”

“Jackie…” she furrowed her brows and sat up a bit, “have you ever been with a woman before?”

Jackie’s face turned a deep shade of red. “I have, kind of. It’s been hard to work through so many years of repression and internalized homophobia, you know? I’ve made out with girls, fooled around a bit. But I guess no, I’ve never properly had sex with another woman before. I wouldn’t have wanted to put that pressure on you anyway. Besides, I couldn’t have asked for a better first time.”

Jaida exhaled deeply, suddenly becoming aware of the weight that’d built upon her chest. “Then that’s all I needed to hear.”

------

“There’s a birthday party out there tonight,” Gigi remarked offhandedly as they and Lemon got ready in the quick-change room. “I know how much you love those,” they added with an overly exaggerated eye roll.

Lemon groaned. Birthdays and bachelor parties were tied for the worst groups of men to deal with as clients, the only exceptions being the ones that take it as an opportunity to go all out and tip well. “And you’re on the stage next?” she let out another disgruntled whine when they nodded, finishing off her cocktail. “Gonna get a refill, gonna need it for doing rounds.” Naturally, when she went to the bar, she went right to Crystal. The downside was Crystal knew to cut her off after three drinks and she had to flirt with men to keep the drinks coming.

“You’re getting your third one this early?” Crystal questioned as she mixed it for her. “Something on your mind?”

“Nope. Just got a birthday party that’s probably all gonna want lap dances,” she replied, taking a swig as soon as she got the drink in her hand. Sure, it didn’t help that she had seen Scarlett’s instagram post of Priyanka in her wedding dress earlier, but she wasn’t about to hash that out, especially not with the bride-to-be all of four feet away.

And Crystal wasn’t entirely convinced, but she knew there was no use in pushing further. “Well, good luck,” she offered.

Lemon set her empty glass on the counter before making her way through the crowd. It took a little while before she ended up in the vicinity of the group of men, and not long after that, they flagged her down. At first, it was business as usual, though she couldn’t shake the feeling that one of the men seemed familiar.

“Hey Mark,” the man celebrating his birthday remarked, “maybe we should come back here for your bachelor party. I bet Priyanka won’t mind!” he laughed.

That made Lemon freeze in her tracks as it all clicked. She saw red and her blood boiled with a wave of anger and loathing she had never felt before. Something inside of her took over, she hadn’t even realized she had thrown a drink in his face and screamed at him until Kameron was pulling her away and all eyes in the club were on her, including Priyanka’s, who had dropped everything to run over the second she heard Lemon scream.

“Who the hell are you?” Mark asked incredulously.

“I’m who your fianceé thinks about while you’re fucking her,” Lemon snarled while locked in Kameron’s grasp.

It was then that both Mark and Lemon realized Priyanka was right there. “What the fuck is she talking about, Pri?”

Priyanka felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach as she prayed for the floor to open up beneath her so the ground would swallow her whole. She knew she had been playing a dangerous game, but she could have never predicted that it would blow up in her face this badly. “I-”

“She’s never gonna love you,” Lemon continued with disdain in her voice. But then her tone softened to a calm, albeit distant one. “But don’t worry,” she looked towards Priyanka, their eyes meeting, “she’s never gonna love me either.”

Other than the music playing in the background, the room was silent as Lemon let Kameron take her upstairs to the common room. “How are you feeling?” she asked gently as she sat at the other end of the couch, resting her hand on the smaller girl’s leg. “You really caused a scene back there.”

“Whatever,” she mumbled. “He was gonna find out eventually. You can’t live a lie forever,” she hiccuped as she sprawled her barely-dressed body out. “I need another drink.”

“The only thing you’re drinking is water,” she said sternly, getting up and grabbing a water bottle from the fridge and bringing it back, propping Lemon up enough so she could drink. “I’m gonna call Rosé and have her take you home, I don’t think you should stick around tonight,” she told her as she fished her phone from her pocket.

Lemon nodded and pushed herself to sit up properly. She hung her head down, intentionally hiding her face from Kameron as she sniffled quietly. “Pri’s gonna hate me now, isn’t she?”

Kameron winced, unsure of how honest she should be with someone both drunk and emotionally unstable. “I think once the dust settles, you two are going to have to have a long talk. It’s not gonna be easy, but it’s gonna be the only way you two have a shot at healing.”

“I ruined her marriage.”

She shook her head. “She ruined her marriage the moment she said yes to someone she didn’t want to be with. She probably would’ve gotten cold feet and left him at the altar,” she mused, both out of her honest belief and the hope that she could get Lemon to crack a smile. And once she did, she felt comfortable getting back up and calling Rosé, warning her of exactly what happened.

“I got here as fast as I could,” Rosé announced once she made it upstairs. “Three different guys tried to buy lap dances off me on the way, sorry,” she added before rushing to her cousin’s side. “You’ve done it now, huh, Lem?” she shook her head as she helped her to her feet.

Vanessa emerged from the locker room with the rest of Lemon’s belongings. “Here, you might wanna get her changed before you take her back outta here.”

Kameron furrowed her brows. “You know her locker combination?”

“Um… yes?” she tucked a bobby pin into her back pocket. “This ain’t about me,” she was quick to change the subject and helped Lemon get changed.

Rosé effectively ignored the entire exchange, saying her goodbyes to the other women before driving Lemon back home and getting her changed again, this time into pajamas. “Mik isn’t home, you can sleep in her bed,” she offered.

Lemon chewed her lip for a moment, then shook her head. “Can I stay with you? I just… I don’t wanna be by myself.”

“Of course, baby,” she assured and tucked her into bed. “Do you need anything? Water? Something to eat?”

“Need to wake up in a world where none of this happened.”

Rosé sighed sadly. “Fresh out, unfortunately.” She changed as well before joining her in bed. “Just wake me if you need anything, okay?” When she got a nod of confirmation, she turned the lights off and called it a night.

But that wasn’t the case for Lemon. No, she wouldn’t be so lucky. Even though she had been drunk, the incident replayed in her mind in great detail no matter how many times she tried to shut it off. That, coupled with struggling to sort through the mix of emotions still swirling through her, kept her awake for another hour or so before exhaustion took over and she passed out.

And back at the club, everyone else was left to pick up the pieces of the explosive incident. But as much as the clientele was willing to move past what they’d witnessed, none of the employees could get themselves to carry on. So, with Jackie’s blessing, they called it an early night and nearly everyone went back home.

Priyanka hung back, seeking solace in Jackie’s office, knowing her boss might be the only one that could understand the gravity of the fallout. “What the fuck am I supposed to do now, Jackie? This is effectively outing me to everyone. And I look bad too, they’re gonna find out I’m gay and a cheater in one go. What should I do?”

Jackie sighed, her heart truly breaking for her. “I wish there was an easy answer for this. I think, for now, you just need to get through the night.”

“More than anything.”

Brooke pressed her lips into a line. As much as she doubted this was the right move, she could feel her friend’s sincerity. Besides, in the entire duration of their friendship, she had never seen that woman scared. Nicky was bold and courageous, and if the only thing she feared was losing Jan, that spoke volumes. “Then I guess we’re doing this.” She pulled in front of Jan’s family home, eyes going wide. “Christ, how did this girl end up in a strip club if this is where she’s coming from?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Nicky retorted flatly before getting out of the car - she didn’t know either, but that was beside the point. She took a deep breath as she walked to the door and rang the bell, heart pounding wildly in anticipation. But she did her best to seem nonplussed when Jan’s mother opened the door. “Hi, Mrs. Sport. May I come in for a moment?”

“Of course, and I told you, you can call me Ellen,” she pointed out as she led Nicky inside. “Hey Chuck!” she shouted down the hall, “Jan’s girlfriend is here!”

Nicky looked up as she heard footsteps come down the hall, then cringed when it was followed by a gruff, “did something happen to Jan?”

“No, no, no,” she quickly assured as the three of them sat in the living room. “Jan is perfect… actually, that is why I wanted to speak with you both.” She took a deep breath as she wrung out her fingers, wanting to word her request just right. “I love your daughter. I love her more than I ever thought possible, she means everything to me. And… I am planning on proposing, I would like to have your blessing for it.”

The older couple looked at each other, then back at Nicky. “Oh honey, you two are adults, she’s not our property. You don’t need to ask us for that. We’re touched, though, and you have our support,” Jan’s mom replied.

Sure, Nicky knew she didn’t need a blessing from Jan’s parents – she wasn’t under their control and didn’t need to be given away in any literal sense. But it still made her happy to know they saw her as an acceptable fit for their daughter. “I know, but I appreciate it nonetheless.”

The three of them shared hugs before Nicky saw herself out, sighing in relief once she was back in the car. “Okay, that went better than expected.”

Brooke smiled softly and nodded. “Now all that’s left is the proposal. You have a plan?”

In much brighter spirits and noticeably less tense, Nicky nodded. “I do, just need it to set it in motion.”

------

“Hey,” Jaida greeted as she let herself into Jackie’s office. “I did a target run to stock up on everything the common room and bathroom are low on. We had some extra cash from last week so I went to Bath and Body to get some of that body butter they like so much,” she explained.

Jackie blinked in surprise. “Oh, um, wow. Thank you, you didn’t have to, I–” she furrowed her brows, “did you put everything away already too?”

“Yeah,” she shrugged, “I know how you like the goods set up.”

“You have no idea how attracted to you I am right now.”

Jaida let out a soft laugh. “Only you, Jackie,” she shook her head fondly. “Look, I know I haven’t been dancing as much with the way OnlyFans is paying out, but I don’t want no one thinking you’re only keeping me around ‘cause we’re an item.”

She got up and wrapped her arms around the taller woman’s waist, a small pout on her lips. “You know none of them would ever think that, right? You’ve been here the longest, everyone respects and looks up to you.”

“I know, it’s just… I don’t know,” she sighed, “I haven’t felt like a stripper in a minute, but I still wanna belong here and continue, you know? This place is my home, y’all are my family.”

Jackie nodded in understanding, pressing her lips together as she thought. “How would you feel about being the club’s den mother? The role is usually filled by a former dancer, and I think it’d be a better fit for you. Besides, it takes a little off my plate trying to wear both hats.”

Jaida’s body relaxed and her expression softened. “You trust me to take care of this crew?”

“There’s no one I would trust more.”

“Then you got yourself a den mother,” she decided, then added, “but only if you still call me mommy,” with a wink.

Jackie giggled softly, hiding a blushing face in the crook of Jaida’s neck. “Always, Mommy,” she cooed, tilting her head back up and pressing a kiss to her cheek. She paused for a moment, simply gazing adoringly at the woman in her arms. “Hey,” she prompted softly, “I love you, Jaida.”

Jaida beamed with unbridled affection, kissing her girlfriend tenderly. “I love you too,” she answered against her lips, stealing another few kisses.

A quiet calmness took over the room as the couple basked in each other’s presence, needing nothing more than to be in the company of the woman they loved.

“Um, hi.” Gigi’s voice startled both of them.

“Need a fucking jumpscare warning for them,” Jaida muttered under her breath. “What’s up, Geege?”

Gigi was unfazed by the comment, if they’d even heard it. “Yeah, so, the DA’s office wants me to testify against the dude that stalked me. Not for that, but like, apparently he assaulted and… y’know,” they drew their thumb across their neck, signifying that he’d killed the victim as well. “Apparently he allegedly has a habit of antagonizing sex workers so it’d help establish premeditation if I went on record. Which I will… I just don’t know what to do.”

If it was anyone but Gigi, Jackie would’ve been unnerved by the lack of emotion in their voice, the matter-of-fact tone they had. But she knew them and how processing emotions just didn’t come naturally. “Oh, Geege,” she wrapped a reassuring arm around them. “I’m gonna make sure you’re prepared for this, however we have to figure it out. When do they want you in?”

Despite their empty expression, Gigi leaned into Jackie’s embrace. “Next month,” they answered. “Guess they need time to build the case.”

“That gives us enough time, I think,” Jackie decided with a nod. “But hey, let’s not worry about that right now, yeah? Did you hear that Nicky’s gonna propose to Jan?”

Finally, Gigi cracked a smile. “I’ve heard whispers,” they confirmed. “Must be happening soon, what’s the tea?”

“Nicky don’t wanna tell us shit,” Jaida chimed in. “Wants it to be a surprise, keeps all her notes in French, but I’m pretty sure it’s happening within the week.”

Gigi nodded. “I’m sure it’ll be extra, something to match Jan’s energy no doubt,” they mused.

Jackie chuckled and shook her head, “I’m not sure if that’s possible.”

It was a nice enough note to leave on, but Gigi simply couldn’t turn their mind off for the rest of the night. As soon as they got home, they were holed up in bed, researching every relevant court case, the state laws, watching video after video on what to do on the witness stand.

When Crystal came home from her shift to see them with their eyes glued to the screen, she frowned. “Geege,” she gently pulled them from their thoughts, “it’s three in the morning, you usually go to sleep early on your nights off.”

“I’ll sleep once he’s in jail,” they answered flatly. “People get away with shit like this all the time, I have to do everything I can to get him locked away.”

“Baby,” she shifted closer to her, carefully shutting the laptop before Gigi could object, “this case doesn’t rest on your shoulders. All you have to do is tell the truth. I know you don’t like talking about it, but that’s all you can do.”

Suddenly, much to Crystal’s surprise, Gigi started to cry, something she didn’t think they were capable of. “Maybe if I had said something more, this wouldn’t have happened,” they sniffled. “I kept trying to downplay it because I didn’t want to think about it and now a girl is dead!”

Crystal moved Gigi’s laptop to the bed and pulled them into her arms. “Hey, listen to me. You did what you needed to do to cope. Nothing you could’ve done differently would’ve stopped a bad guy from doing bad things. If it wasn’t her that night, it would’ve been someone else. You are not at fault, not even the slightest, okay?”

Gigi sniffled and hid their face in the crook of her neck. “Logically, I know you’re right. I just feel like shit.”

She nodded, squeezing them gently. “And that’s okay. There’s no right way to feel about this. What’s important is you don’t drive yourself crazy trying to solve a problem you didn’t create.” She pressed a kiss to the top of their head. “I’m gonna be here for you no matter what, we’re gonna ride this case out together.”

They slowly picked their head up. “Thanks, Crystal… I love you, you know that, right? I-I know I don’t say it much, ‘cause I’m shitty with words, but-”

Crystal cut them off with a gentle kiss, then cupped their face so their eyes met. “I know, Geege. I love you too.”

------

Nicky took a deep breath, focusing on keeping her tone as casual and flippant as she could muster. “I think we should take a little vacation this weekend, what do you think?” she asked, rolling onto her side to look at Jan, who was laying next to her in bed, scrolling aimlessly through her phone.

Jan set her phone down and shifted to face her girlfriend, a bright smile on her lips. “That sounds like fun, did you have somewhere specific in mind?”

“I have this beautiful villa in Costa Rica that I haven’t made use of in quite some time. Just you and me and a private piece of island… romantic, no?”

She nodded brightly, leaning over to press a kiss to her lips. “You’re so romantic, Nicky,” she cooed flirtatiously. “I’ll be sure to pack my skimpiest bikinis for the occasion,” she added with a wink.

Nicky kissed back, arms wrapped around Jan’s waist and holding her close. “So gracious, you make it so easy to spoil you.” And, if all went according to plan, she would have the rest of her life to continue spoiling Jan, and nothing made her happier than that.

But that didn’t quell her nerves in the slightest when they boarded the plane to Costa Rica, or when they arrived at the villa. At least the sex they had was enough to take her mind off of her nerves for a little while.

“It’s beautiful out here,” Jan stepped onto the balcony with a purple silk robe tied around her waist. “It’s so quiet, though. I’m so used to living in the city that never shuts up, but this… it’s so peaceful,” she mused.

Nicky smiled, tying her matching red robe on before joining her on the balcony, arms wrapped around her waist. “We can visit any time you would like, my love,” she promised, pressing a kiss to her cheek, “we can go anywhere you want.”

“You’re so good to me,” she cooed warmly. “I know I’ve grown up… privileged, but I really do appreciate everything you do for me. You always go the extra mile, it’s not lost on me.”

“I’m glad,” she replied, resting her chin on Jan’s shoulder. “I’m happy as long as you are,” she added, then glanced back into the room, catching the time on the clock and standing upright. “Not to cut this moment short, but we do have dinner reservations and I don’t want to be late.”

Jan arched her brow as she followed Nicky inside. “Since when do you care about not being late?” she teased as she got dressed.

Nicky’s cheeks flushed and she waited for a beat so her voice didn’t falter. “I can make exceptions from running on French time. Besides, we’ll likely end up making a French exit instead so I can get you back in bed,” she replied with a strained laugh, focusing instead on doing her hair and makeup.

They arrived at an upscale restaurant with a charming patio for outdoor seating, where Nicky elected for the two of them to sit. She ordered an expensive bottle of wine - something that was unsuspicious and on brand for her, and gave Jan some suggestions on what she should order, as her girlfriend was still developing her palette beyond that of a six year old.

“You should just order for me when we go out, that’s what my parents did until I was too old for the kids menu,” Jan recalled as she sipped her wine.

Nicky couldn’t help but laugh. “That explains quite a bit about your eating habits, minette,” she teased affectionately. “Why do you think I’ve made it my life’s mission to get you to eat like a big girl, hm?”

“You’ve broadened my horizons. I’ve even kept my Duolingo streak up, I’ll be able to understand if you’re secretly insulting me when you talk dirty in French before you know it,” she giggled.

She put her hand to her chest, pretending to be aghast at the accusation. “I would never!”

The dinner went as smoothly as every other night out they had. Nicky had relaxed enough to almost forget about her plans. It wasn’t until she had looked into her purse to check her phone that she saw the ring box and her nerves hit her again like a freight train.

“Are you okay, gorge?” Jan asked with furrowed brows, “you look like you just saw a ghost.”

Nicky quickly shut her purse and nodded. “Yes, of course. Just a business message. But don’t worry, I promised no calls while we’re out here,” she assured, then took a long sip of wine and finished up her meal. She took a deep breath, gathering herself while Jan finished her own plate. “Actually, there is something I would like to talk to you about.”

Jan swallowed her last bite and focused on her girlfriend with curiosity, as well as a bit of concern. In her whole time with Nicky, she was fairly certain she had never seen her nervous. Even when they had a disagreement, she kept her cool as they worked things out. But this was different, it looked like Nicky was carefully thinking through every word, every move. “Of course, is something wrong?”

“No, no, not at all,” Nicky assured as she subtly slid her hand back into her purse, this time taking the ring box out, but concealing it as she continued to speak. “Jan… I love you so much, more than I could describe in English, French, or anything else. You’ve made me a better, more compassionate person, I don’t think you have any idea how much I learn from you, how I can appreciate life more now that you’re in it. That’s something all the monies in the world can’t buy.” As she spoke, she slowly rose to her feet and took the few steps needed to bring her to Jan. Once finished, she got down on one knee and opened the box. “Janice Sport, will you marry me?”

Jan was already in tears before Nicky could finish her proposal. She nodded through her tears of happiness until she could calm herself down enough to answer, “yes!” and hold out a trembling hand for her now-fianceé to put the ring on her finger. “Oh my god,” she breathed out, “holy shit.”

Nicky let out a breathless laugh of both fondness and relief. She got to her feet and pulled Jan up as well, kissing her deeply with her arms wrapped around her waist. “I love you so much, I promise I will do my best to be the wife you deserve.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Jan assured between kisses. “I’m just happy I get to have you forever, I’m so fucking lucky.”

“I’m tryna take care of you, though,” she winked. “You know, take you into the VIP room and…”

“I’m still on the clock, Vanjie,” Kameron gently reminded her, but looped her arms around her waist. “But once our shifts end, we can go in the back and play grab-ass instead, okay?” she offered, punctuating her point by moving her hands down and squeezing Vanessa’s ass.

Vanessa huffed and pouted, but nodded nonetheless. “Fine, but you know how impatient I get.”

Kameron chuckled and kissed her cheek. “Don’t I always make it worth the wait?”

She couldn’t argue with that, so she went back and did her next set, alternating between being on the stage, among the clientele, or waiting in the back. It was the late shift, at least, meaning she and Kameron would be able to clock out at the same time.

There were still about ten minutes left before closing, but Vanessa had considered herself done for the night. She tied her robe around her waist and sat beside Kameron until the last customer left the club. “Fuckin’ finally,” she murmured.

Kameron snorted. “You’re such a fucking brat,” she teased.

Vanessa smirked, getting up and pulling Kameron with her. “You knew what you signed up for, boo. Bratty as hell, but you know I make it worth your while.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that logic,” she chuckled and allowed Vanessa to drag her across the club, back to the VIP room. Then, she scooped the smaller woman up in her arms and carried her to the couch, gently dropping her on it before crawling on top of her. “I bet you’re expecting me to take care of you now, huh?” she purred, kissing at her neck.

“We ain’t here to talk politics,” Vanessa retorted, already trying to tug off Kameron’s shirt and grinning when the taller woman acquiesced.

Meanwhile, Brooke Lynn had done a lap through the club, stopping at the bar with a perplexed expression. “Pri, is Vanjie still here? I told her I’d come to pick her up.”

Priyanka shrugged as she loaded up a tray of glasses to take into the back. “She’s probably still getting pounded out by Kameron in the VIP room,” she told her before taking the tray into the kitchen.

At first, Brooke figured Priyanka was joking, trying to get a reaction out of her. But as she sat and thought for a moment, she realized that there was no reason she would lie about that. She thought she would feel some semblance of jealousy or anger, but they were noticeably absent. Instead, her curiosity – and perhaps arousal – was piqued. She got up from the bar and made her way into the VIP room, quietly opening the door and slipping inside.

Just as Priyanka had predicted, Kameron and Vanessa were in the midst of a passionate encounter. They were both naked and Kameron had one hand loosely wrapped around Vanessa’s throat, the other was steadily thrusting two fingers in and out of her while she showered her with a mix of praise and dirty talk.

Brooke’s eyes widened. She couldn’t have predicted how it would feel to watch her girlfriend having sex with another woman, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away. Still not announcing her presence, she moved to the loveseat perpendicular to the couch and let her legs spread. She hiked up her dress and dipped her hand into her panties, biting her lip as she touched herself to the sight.

“You just gonna sit there and enjoy the show?”

Vanessa’s words caused the other two to stop in their tracks. Kameron looked confused while Brooke froze in place. “You knew I was here?”

Vanessa scoffed in response. “You think I wouldn’t recognize my woman’s pumps click-clacking from a mile away?” She didn’t wait for a response before she continued, “you want in or not?” She nudged Kameron lightly, who nodded in agreement.

Brooke scrambled to her feet, shedding her dress as she moved over to the two of them. She finished stripping down before kneeling beside Vanessa and kissing her languidly. “You want me to sit on your face, baby?”

Vanessa nodded enthusiastically, helping Brooke position herself on top of her and grabbing onto her thighs for balance. Her nails dug in as she eased her tongue into her, trying to match the pace of Kameron’s fingers.

“Shit, that’s it, baby. Such a good girl,” Brooke praised, her head tilting back as she moaned out. But when she held her head upright, her eyes locked with Kameron’s and she didn’t think, she just kissed her heatedly, smirking a bit as she felt the other woman melt into the kiss.

Kameron balanced one hand on Brooke’s shoulder while she thrust her fingers steadily into Vanessa’s pussy, alternating now and then to rub her clit with her thumb. Although the brunette was stifled verbally, it was very obvious when she came. She sat back on the couch, getting herself off while she watched Brooke ride Vanessa’s face.

Brooke’s hips stuttered to a halt as she rode out her orgasm shortly after, then gracefully dismounted off of Vanessa, then sat on the couch. “You know,” she said to Kameron, “I’d been meaning to reach out and get to know you, but this method is a lot more fun.”

------

Denali leaned against the jukebox, humming along to ‘Those Magic Changes’ until she saw Rosé walk in, which prompted her to relocate to sitting at the counter. “I thought you said your shift started at ten.”

“Today’s Tuesday, babe. I start at ten on Wednesdays,” Rosé replied as she tied her apron around her waist. “But it’s cute that you waited for me,” she winked.

“I had to, muñeca,” Denali insisted with a pout. “No one else makes the coffee as good as you do.”

Rosé couldn’t help but laugh softly as she got a pot of coffee going. “It’s the same shit every time, Dee,” she pointed out. But still, she had to look away and focus on the coffee to hide the broad grin that spread across her face. She poured a mug, setting it down in front of Denali. “What’re you eating, today?”

“You, ideally,” she murmured under her breath before looking up at her and replying, “patty melt, extra crispy onions, please,” while batting her lashes. “And a side of fries.”

The waitress nodded, scribbling the order onto the notepad. “You got it, baby,” she hummed, ripping the page out and hanging it up in the window, then ringing the bell for someone in the kitchen to come grab it. “So, how’re you liking the club? I’ll tell you, Jackie is the only person around here I’d trust running a place like that.”

Denali smiled, adding two packets of sugar and a splash of milk into her coffee, stirring slowly before taking a sip, though her eyes never left Rosé. “I mean, of all the strip clubs in the city, I’m glad I managed to find the one run and entirely populated by lesbians. You can’t plan for that sort of luck.”

Rosé snorted softly. “Guess not. You live in the neighborhood?”

“Nah,” she shook her head, “moved to Flatbush from Chicago.”

“Chicago, huh? You get into any fights with anyone over pizza yet?”

Denali shook her head. “Can I tell you a secret?” she leaned in closer, speaking in a stage whisper, “I’ve always liked New York-style pizza better.”

Rosé leaned in closer when Denali did, their faces only inches apart, close enough for her to take in the scent of her perfume – something woody and spicy with a hint of something heady, something almost as intoxicating as she was. “Oh, she’s a culinary rebel, huh?”

She let out a soft breath of laughter, biting down on her lip. “It does sound kinda hot when you say it like that,” she mused. The distance between them seemed to lessen, albeit by the tiniest bit at a time. But then she became aware of the background noise. “You have an order in the window, I think.”

Sure enough, one of the cooks had been ringing the bell for several seconds in an attempt to get Rosé’s attention. “Oh shit,” she laughed, turning and grabbing the plate, setting it down in front of Denali. “Enjoy,” she winked.

“I sure will,” Denali grinned and batted her lashes, her eyes following Rosé as she went to wait on another table. She gazed at her from across the restaurant. She would make a move, she thought, as soon as the moment was right.

------

Jackie stepped out of her office and noticed Jaida on her laptop in the common area. “Whatcha working on, honey?” she asked, sitting down beside her.

“The next great American novel,” Jaida told her. “Nah, I’m finishing up my OnlyFans page. Denali gave me a crash course in how to get this shit done right. Turns out it’s more than just taking what I do on stage and doing it in my room for a camera.”

“I mean, you’re welcome to make whatever content you need to on the stage or whatever if it helps,” she offered with a slight smile. “Anything I can do to help, let me know, okay?”

Jaida smiled warmly. “You’re the best, Jackie,” she tilted her head in thought for a moment before continuing, “maybe you could review the content before I post it? I’ll know it’s ready for the public if it has your seal of approval.”

Jackie nodded, ignoring the warmth that rushed to her cheeks. She nodded quickly, enthusiastically. “Oh my god, yeah. I’m honored you trust my judgment like that.”

“Hey, you stocked this club with top-tier bitches, you’re clearly onto something,” she offered with a reassuring grin. “Check it out, though,” she turned her laptop towards Jackie, “she’s open for business.”

Jackie leaned closer to the laptop, committing Jaida’s username to memory. “Impressive, I’m sure this is going to go over well for you.” She got out, smoothing out her skirt. “I have to take care of some paperwork, you alright from here?”

Jaida nodded. “All good, do your thing,” she said and waved her off. After Jackie retreated into her office, she continued working on her page. She was sitting in silence, which was why she jumped when she realized she was no longer alone a few moments later. “Fuck, how did you do that?”

Gigi shrugged. “I’m not convinced I’m not a Victorian ghost that’s taken corporeal form.” She kicked off her heels and turned to sit cross-legged on the couch, facing Jaida. “Listen, babe, I can smell an ulterior motive from a mile away. You’re trying to show off for Jackie, aren’t you? What’s the tea?”

“Guess it does take one to know one,” she murmured, reclining into the couch and letting out a sigh. “Yeah, okay, maybe I am into Jackie,” she conceded, “but unlike you, I have a good reason for not acting on it – she hasn’t been out of the closet all that long, I’m not tryna bombard her with shit, you know? It’s a delicate situation.”

“My situation is delicate too,” Gigi insisted, only to sigh and quietly add, “okay, maybe not as much, but still. So you’re just gonna wait it out?”

Jaida shrugged. “I don’t wanna freak her out. You, on the other hand, are crushing on someone that popped out of the womb with Doc Martens on, so you have no excuse.”

Gigi flopped onto her back and let out a dramatic sigh. “I know, I know. I just wish there was a way to just… send out some feelers, you know?”

“I cannot fathom how someone can dance naked in a cage one minute and not be able to look a girl with a One Direction tattoo in the eye the next. Literally, all you gotta do is take that confidence you got in the cage or on stage over to Miss Crystal Methyd, it ain’t that complicated, sis,” she did try to stop herself from talking to her like it should have been obvious – Gigi was almost ten years her junior, she had to remind herself. “You just need to try to stop overthinking,” she added in a more calm and gentle tone.

It wasn’t that Gigi didn’t know that, it was simply much easier to think about than to implement. “I know you’re right,” she murmured and sat up. She looked at her phone, chewing on her lip. “Okay, I’m gonna do something before I talk myself out of it,” she decided and stood up. “I’ll report back to you.”

“Good luck, my lil ghost baby.”

Gigi took a deep breath as she walked downstairs to the main floor. Crystal hadn’t arrived yet, so she perched herself on the bar as she waited, swinging her legs and fumbling with the hem of her skirt. Her head popped up when she heard the door open and her heart started to race when Crystal came into her field of vision.

“Hey Geege,” Crystal greeted, playfully tugging Gigi’s ponytail as she walked behind the bar.

“Hi Crystal,” she replied with the lilted laugh that was only ever elicited by the bartender. She reminded herself of Jaida’s words as she got off the bar and followed Crystal behind it. Just use your stage confidence. Picture yourself naked, she reminded herself. “You’re looking hot today.”

Crystal arched her brow. “Thanks? It’s just my usual uniform,” she shrugged and smiled. “You look hot though, but you always do.”

“Thanks,” Gigi twirled her hair around her fingers, batted her lashes, she was doing all of the textbook flirtations she could think of, but she stopped just as quickly, frowning. “Fuck, why does this feel so weird?” she asked herself, but out loud.

Crystal’s perplexed expression deepened. “What are you talking about?”

Gigi groaned and stomped her foot. “I’m trying to flirt with you, but I don’t know how to flirt with someone I actually like because I haven’t in so long. But you’re here and you’re just… fuck, this was supposed to be easier.”

The confusion on Crystal’s face morphed into pensiveness. She was quiet for a moment, then took a few steps towards Gigi. “I’m gonna kiss you now, unless you stop me.” She waited, giving her ample time to back away or speak up. Instead, she got a quick, eager nod. So, she gently cupped Gigi’s face, pressing a deep kiss to her lips.

And Gigi melted into the kiss, relief washing over her body as her arms draped around Crystal’s neck. Her leg went up like the girl in every single rom-com she’d watched and for a moment she felt like she was sixteen, having her first kiss behind the school while cutting gym class. The magic of the moment was only broken when she sensed they were no longer alone. She turned with a glare. “What?”

“Don’t ‘what’ us,” Lemon retorted, gesturing between herself, Jan, and Vanessa. “We’ve been waiting for this to happen for ages.”

“You kind of owe us a satisfying conclusion after subjecting us to your mutual pining fuckery you subjected us all to,” Jan nodded in agreement. “We’ve been along for this whole journey whether we wanted to be or not.”

“What they said,” Vanessa chimed in for the sake of being included.

Gigi rolled her eyes, though she did not attempt to let go of or move away from Crystal. “You guys are so fucking weird,” she muttered. “But I guess it’s kind of endearing or whatever,” she added reluctantly.

“We’ll leave you guys to finish your moment,” Jan said gently, guiding Lemon and Vanessa out of the main room and upstairs to the common area.

Crystal watched them leave, then looked back at Gigi. “I love our friends,” she grinned.

“I could take them or leave them,” she joked. “Look, we don’t… need to put a label on this or anything just yet. I know this was sudden… I just needed you to know how I felt.”

“You’re overthinking things again, aren’t you?” Crystal looped her arms around Gigi’s waist. “Listen, I know you only allow yourself three emotions a year, so it means a lot that I got to be on the receiving end of one of them. And like, I’m pretty bad at talking about feelings too, so… I dunno, let’s just see what happens.”

Gigi exhaled in relief. This was why she had gravitated towards Crystal so effortlessly, they understood each other, they were on the same wavelength. “So… how about you come back to my place after work? We could get high, pretend to watch some movies…”