Something About You

26

LENA'S POV

"Hey, Gary! How are you? This is my girlfriend Stef, Stef, this is Gary."

Stef was wearing a tight pair of pants that hugged her in all the right places and a blue T-shirt with a her black leather jacket on top. "How are ya? Nice meeting you," she said, shaking his hand politely.

I don't know what it was with Stef but she seemed a bit off today. I was going to have to remember to check on her every now and then.

"Hi, Stef, how are you? Liz's told me all about you! And might I add, what a beautiful couple!" Gary said, politely as ever.

"Liz, huh? Yeah, she's gorgeous," Stef said, holding my hand and squeezing it lightly. I couldn't figure out why my new nickname bothered Stef so much.

I laughed. "She's usually not this modest, Gary. But you and Brian are the golden couple!"

He laughed. "Well, we are, aren't we?"

Stef opened the bottle of wine and served us all as we sat down. "How come, uh, Brian couldn't make it tonight?"

"Well, let's just say Brian and Liz are a lot alike: don't stop studying for anything. I'm glad I managed to get some quality time with this amazing woman, who is so difficult to hang out with!" Gary mentioned.

"Right, I get that," Stef smiled.

"I mean, I just figured it was a great chance for the two of you to get to know each other," Lena smiled and started grabbing the plates to set the table.

Gary smiled. "Yeah, definitely. I mean, this one certainly is H-O-T. Liz, you got yourself quite the wife!"

"Thanks, Gary, gonna make me embarrassed," Stef said, running her fingers through her hair, which, by the way, had grown even more. She sure looks more beautiful than when I met her, and believe me, I didn't think it was possible.

"Yes, she is one hot woman," I winked at her. "But not my wife. We are, um, dating. My girlfriend." I corrected him; I didn't want Stef to feel pressured at all by Gary's assumption.

"Oh, of course, yeah. How long have you been dating?" He asked.

"About eight months now, going on nine," I grabbed Stef's hand and smiled at her. Eight months since my life changed, and yet it felt like it had been forever. I couldn't picture my life before Stef anymore.

Gary sipped on his wine, "Wow, that's like eight years in lesbianland!"

"Yeah, how'd you know? You lesbian?" Stef fired.

Jeez. So this is how this dinner was gonna go.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to touch a nerve. I mean, you and Liz know what you're doing, I'm just saying there's a lesbian stereotype that every LGBTQ+ person knows about and-"

Stef breathed deeply. "You didn't touch a nerve. It's fine. We're not a stereotype I guess," she affirmed.

I had to intervene. "I mean, we kind of are. We'd been together for less than 6 months before we moved in together, so..."

"Yeah, and some would say it's the same as marriage," Gary said, in an attempt to make things better.

"I wouldn't. But. Anyway." I said.

An awkward silence filled the living room until I decided to get our food for us to start eating and get this dinner over with as soon as possible.

"Vegan lasagna!" I announced, setting the food on the table and serving Gary, then Stef and then myself.

Stef started eating. "So, um, Gary, what's with all the vegan stuff?" I pinched her leg under the table. Stef seriously had no manners when it came to this. She was a meat lover and accepting the fact that I cutting meat off my every day was a bit difficult for her. She didn't even know I was fully vegetarian now.