Affinity

December 23rd, 2023

"I'm really glad that we got to do this- despite it taking a little bit longer than anticipated," Lindsey said with a smile, bending the cardboard coffee sleeve around her cup. I smiled, my face blushing slightly at her comment.

I looked up to her and took her hand in mine. A bold, yet comfortable move that I had settled on being content with once she reciprocated, squeezing my hand in hers. "I am too, Linds, and I'm especially glad that we went here- I've been wanting to try it for so long, and it's maybe the cutest coffee shop I've been into ever," I told her, looking around us.

It dawned on me that I had in fact taken her hand for a reason and ended up getting side-tracked by the decor and theming around us. She didn't let go though, she didn't try to pull away, and not in a weird way, but I was rather amused with that. "Look, um, I hope the stuff that Jess was making a fuss about didn't make you uncomfortable or anything. She's annoying and likes to make big deals out of really small deals, and I just didn't want to make you feel any worse," I said, truthfully. I had been thinking about it since everything had happened last week. Lindsey seemed to not be bothered by Jess's assumptions, but she was also a professional when it came to masking her emotions. It was a bit of a weird thing to be accused of. "And, um, I hope you're not put off by talking to me about... anything, because of the first time with Liz, and now Jess thinking that we're having a secret love affair... I just don't want you to think that this is on purpose!" I told her, sort of joking about what I was saying, but also being so genuinely truthful because that's literally what happened.

I watched as Lindsey laughed at my comment. It made my weird sentimental and ridiculous comment feel a little less ridiculous. It let me know that she thought it was just as absurd as I did. "No, I'm alright, love, genuinely. I appreciate you being concerned about it, but I'm not worried about it. Jess can think whatever she wants, a little cuckoo for jumping straight to that... I mean, I'd feel more ridiculous if out of all places she could catch us 'making out'," she said, making air quotations around the words, "it was in the BL2- I mean God! I'd like to think we're classier than that!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands to her sides. I couldn't believe that those words had just come out of her mouth. The fact that she was joking about us making out was unreal, and I felt like my head and my chest were going to explode at any second. Lindsey Wilder, talking about us making out, while our hands were in each others' at a coffee shop in the middle of town. I felt like I was in a dream... or a really screwed up acid trip that was going to end in me saying something ridiculous and ruining this moment.

"Right?" I said, laughing along, trying to match her lighthearted tone despite the fluttering and longing I was feeling in my stomach. "I mean, the BL2? First of all nasty, second of all, there's like a million other places that I'd go to first! We could at least aim for somewhere with a bit more ambiance!"

Lindsey giggled, her eyes sparking with mischief. "Exactly! Like, if we were going to have a scandalous affair, we'd do it properly. Somewhere with even some mood lighting maybe! Not next to a table that just had black mold and salmonella on it!"

I shook my head, grinning. "Well, it makes me really glad to know that we're on the same page about our hypothetical escapades. We have standards, after all."

"Absolutely," she said, leaning back in her chair, a playful smirk on her lips. "But in all seriousness, though," she started, fiddling around with her coffee cup again, now that her hand had left mine. "I'm sorry that my life has kind of been a mess as of recently, and that I've kind of been putting it on you. I feel like in the last week, we've only spoken about all of my bullshit, and I want you to know that I'm here for you too. And, I know that you're like me, because I know you, and um... I just want you to know that you can come talk to me whenever too, and come tell me anything too, okay? I care about you a lot Saoirse, and don't want you to go through anything on your own either," she said gently, nervously looking down at the table.