Page 93 of Love Is…?
“Mm. Victorian Police. You have got to find a clip of one of their press conferences. I sat in on one last year. Their gaze… It’s like being freaking x-rayed.”
“Sounds like the sort of presence Felicity has.”
Jayde chuckled and slipped her arm around Tessa, whose stomach flipped over in delight.
“I bet everyone working at Rawson or down at Central dissolves into a lust-filled puddle whenever either of them walk past.”
Tessa wrinkled her brow. “Why?”
Jayde grinned. “Competency porn. Queer women have been known to spontaneously orgasm when exposed to women and non-binary folk who, with skilful efficiency, command any situation.”
Tessa stared, then cracked up. “That is not a thing.”
“What’s not a thing?”
Tessa and Jayde turned. Cath Monroe, Sam’s best friend, who was standing as Sam’s ‘best person’ at the wedding, held two champagne flutes dextrously between the fingers of one hand. She nodded at the glasses, then grinned as Tessa and Jayde took one each. “Saw you over here with your thought clouds asking how much longer you had to stay before you could get home and pick up from where you left off in the bedroom.”
Jayde coughed into her glass. “Is it that obvious?”
Cath tossed back her drink. “To the seasoned eye.” Then she tilted her chin at the crowd. “Come on. Let’s mingle with this bunch of people that Abby and Sam managed to pull together.” She smiled. “The very best of bunches.”
It seemedlike a mutual decision for everyone to leave the Garlard reasonably early. Tessa overheard Abby talking about getting her beauty sleep, and Sam stated that Abby didn’t need a single closed eyelid to increase her beauty.
It was the sort of comment that could have been the cheesiest of the cheese, but Abby and Sam were so much in love that Sam’s compliment simply added to their overflowing cup.
The next morning, Jayde and Tessa, hand in hand, walked up the road leading to Abby and Sam’s house after responding to a very early call from Grace.
“Please rescue me from my manic parental-type people who are getting married at three o’clock and because that is only seven hours away, the amount of stress from two normally laidback people is infecting the entire team here trying to create couture magic, and that lot are manic enough.”
Tessa had laughed.
“That sounds like way too much mania for a person. We’ll be there at nine to take you for a fortifying coffee. Bring Theo. Otherwise he’ll be hiding under a chair by eleven.”
Hence the hand-holding, long looks, and soft smiles, while strolling along the footpath at quarter to nine.
“Tessa! I can’t believe we’ve run into each other!”
Tessa stopped abruptly and gaped, taking in the sight of her ex-girlfriend, now with pink-ish hair, and new frames on her glasses, wriggling her shoulders with glee, as she stood outside the gate of the Taylor-Markson residence.
“Olna?”
Olna beamed, obviously thrilled to see her, but, not having any emotion to call upon yet, Tessa simply stared.
“Tessa, sweetie, it’s so good to see you.” Olna leant forward, ostensibly to hug or deliver some kind of intimate gesture, but paused as she glanced down at Jayde and Tessa’s joined hands.
Tessa’s manners activated.
“Olna, this is Jayde. Jayde, Olna.”
Olna peered at Jayde. “Do I know you?”
Jayde shook her head. “No. Not at all.”
Tessa found the question she’d been searching for. “What are you doing here?”
Olna flipped her hair away. “Oh, I thought I’d fly down and surprise you,” she gushed, her eyes bright.
“Well, you succeeded. I’m completely surprised.” Tessa’s mind was racing, creating all sorts of reasons why Olna, of all people, was right in front of her, clasping her hands together like a joyful kindergartener. “How did you… How are you?” Again with the manners. Always important, even in situations that were incomprehensible and somewhat surreal.