Cut the Deck (Lesbian Story)

Flings and hookups

"You clean up good," Lip smirks, popping my bottom lip with his thumb like he's checking for bruises.

I smack his hand. "Touch me again, and you're walking."

It's not like I'm dressed to impress — Burberry shirt, ripped Marc Jacobs skinnies. The point was to show up, not to look like I tried.

"So where's your girl?" Lip leans forward.

"She's not my girl. And you're sitting in the back."

"The fuck I am—"

"Then get out. Call an Uber."

He glares, climbs into the back, and smacks my head on the way.

⸻

Me: On my way.
Nyla: Waiting.

Yeah, I'm thirty minutes late. Sue me. I had to fix my hair, then decided it still wasn't worth fixing.

"If this is a date, why here?" Lip asks.

"Because you told me to."

"And you listened? Didn't know you had it in you."

I pull up, texting her I'm outside. She comes out in a white sundress, hair in a perfect afro, smiling like she hasn't been waiting for half an hour. I hold her door, because apparently that's what you do.

⸻

"Waiting," Lip sings from the back as soon as I get in.

"That's Lip. Ignore him."

"Nice to meet you, Nyla. Real name's Lincoln. I have no clue how I got the nickname, but I bet you'd like to find out." His tone drips sleaze.

I slam the brakes. Lip flies into the seatback, groaning. Nyla lurches forward, clutching the seatbelt.

"Oops. My bad," I say flat, not looking back.

"Fine," Lip grunts.

"Didn't ask," I mutter under my breath.

⸻

"What's the location?" I ask. Lip sends it, and I keep catching Nyla's scent as she stares dead ahead. Her leg bounces.

"So, Nyla, how'd you meet this asshole?" Lip asks.

"I babysit her... sister—girlfriend—little sister." She gets it out clean.

"You know she's a player, right?" Lip says like he's doing her a favor.

"Lip, shut the fuck up before I put you out on the freeway."

"Oh, she knows," Nyla says lightly.

"You know?" I ask.

"I have Instagram."

"They're lies," I say.

"Are they?" Lip pokes again.

"It's fine," Nyla shrugs. "It's not like you're gonna settle down anyway."

That sits like a brick in my stomach, but I play it cool. So she came here knowing I'm not a "forever" person? She just here to get a story out of me?

⸻

The party is loud, hot, and crawling with eyes. She looks like she'd rather be anywhere else.

"Drink?" I ask. She says no.

I leave her and Lip without another word and hit the bar. People shove numbers at me. I don't stop them. I'm five drinks in when I finally spot her—alone, sitting on the stairs like she's been abandoned. Which, yeah, she has.

I walk up, towering over her. "Having fun?"

"You left me," she says.

"I figured you'd mingle. Or maybe find some guy who actually wants to sit here and talk about feelings."

"I came with you," she says, frowning.

I smirk. "You already said I'm not settling down. So what is this—do we fuck now, or after I've had more drinks?"

Her face snaps cold. She stands, arms crossed. "Are you serious?"

"You think I'm here for anything else?" I say, not blinking.

"You're pathetic. I knew saying yes was a mistake."

"You implied it, Nyla. Don't act shocked because I said it out loud."

"That never left my mouth! If you knew what a real first date looked like, you wouldn't drag someone to a sweaty, drugged-up nightclub full of losers."

She turns, storming off.

I don't follow. I walk back to VIP and pop the champagne. If she thought I was gonna chase her, she read me wrong.