Lisa
"Why are we being so suspicious?" Jennie asked when I quietly pulled her upstairs and into our shared room. I put my finger to my lips to signal discretion. "You're being very weird, Lili."
"Okay, so I know that the holidays are supposed to be about family and all that."
"But?"
"But I would also love to have alone time with you that isn't interrupted every time we try to make out."
Jennie giggled. Every morning since we'd been here, my nieces had burst in the door at the most inopportune time.
"We can lock the door." Jennie suggested.
"I will, but it's also not very romantic when three children are pounding on the door."
"So what do you have in mind?"
"Downtown there's something called the Festival of Lights. Let's go. Just us two."
"Won't everyone else want to go?"
"I'm pretty sure they've already gone. That, and we're going to sneak out and then text them after we're gone."
"Sneak out, huh? Are we sixteen again?"
"I did sneak out of this bedroom many of times in my youth."
Jennie quirked an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What a rebel."
"What can I say? I was a pro at sneaking out. I almost never got caught."
"Almost never?"
"There were a few times."
"I hope tonight isn't one of those times."
"It won't be. I told the girls that we're going to play hide-and-seek, which should give us enough time to get away without anyone wondering where we are."
"Are we playing now?"
"Yes. They're probably looking for us now."
I locked my bedroom door and ushered Jennie to the window.
"The window? Lisa, are you kidding me?"
"No I'm not! Let's go!"
"You're insane! I'm a thirty-three year-old-woman and I am not sneaking out of a window to be alone with my girlfriend."
I already had one leg out onto the roof. I looked back and forth between her and the car below. "You won't regret it."
"I doubt that."
I fluttered my lashes and gave her my best puppy dog eyes. "Please?"
Jennie crossed her arms and looked back at my bedroom door. We could hear my nieces giggling and running around trying to find us. "Fine."
I hopped out onto the roof and offered Jennie my hand as she climbed through. I closed the window behind me and led Jennie off to the side of the house. From the roof, I hopped onto the tree and clutched at the branches and lowered myself down.
"Are you actually insane!?" Jennie hissed from the roof. "I'm not climbing down a tree!"
"I didn't realise that you were such a princess. I guess Alexis was right." I taunted.
Jennie glared at me and sized up the tree. I came back up the branches and showed her exactly where to put her hands and feet. I put my hand on her butt to make sure that she didn't fall. Jennie looked down at me with a mildly irritated look on her face.
"I'm just keeping you steady." I said with a devilish grin.
"If you wanted to touch my butt, you didn't have to put me in a tree."
"Noted, honey."
We descended together, with my hands firmly on Jennie's butt, much to my delight.
"Pilates really does wonders for you." I grinned.
Jennie playfully hit me.
"What? I can't compliment your butt? It's a great butt."
"Let's just get in the car."
I cocked my head to the side and followed her to the car. I started it, although I did not wait for the engine to heat up before I pulled out of the driveway.
