Is it really?
"You bought her lingerie and pajamas. And an outfit for today. An entire outfit."
"So she can walk home."
"She lives around the corner."
"Four blocks."
"You don't want her to go four blocks to change. You want her here all weekend."
"She has a gala tonight."
"You already know her schedule?"
"She's a notable figure. I'm aware of what events she's attending."
"You cyber-stalk her."
"She volunteered the information."
"You cyber-stalk her and you're shy about it. I don't think I've ever seen you shy." She examines my expression. "Why aren't you blushing?"
"You're more like Liam every day."
She doesn't take the bait. "Are you going with her?"
"I wasn't invited."
"Please, Simon. You're like… The King of Park Avenue."
"We don't live on Park Avenue."
She bats the air whatever. "Everyone would be happy to see you and your big checkbook."
"Did you eat?"
"Why would I eat before coffee?"
"Do you want eggs?"
"Simon, if you don't want to talk, okay. But don't cook. Please. I can't bear that torture."
"Cruel."
"It would be cruel, yes." She looks to my bedroom. "I can go, if you want the place to yourself. I have plenty to do."
"When did you go to bed?"
"Late."
"Did you finish your homework?"
"I have class Tuesday. It's Saturday morning."
"Did you?"
"Yes, actually. The lines are a little shaky. Drawing while caffeinated. But it's a style."
I won't argue. She's right. I'm overbearing. "How was dessert?"
"Normal. Liam making sex jokes. Briar rolling her eyes in adoration. Raw cheesecake and coconut cappuccinos." She takes another sip. "It was really good, huh?"
"It was."
"In every way. Carnal and emotional."
"Did you just say carnal?"
"It's a word."
"An SAT word."
"Would you prefer tumescent?" she asks.
"My favorite word."
"You can evade if you want, but it won't change anything. You're glowing."
Am I?
"It's the glow of love. I saw it on Adam. I saw it on Liam. Now, I see it on you."
"How can you tell?"
"You too? Denial. Why can't men admit their feelings?"
"I would know?"
She sets her mug on the table. Smiles, channeling Bash. "Have you ever been in love?"
"No."
"Do you think about her when you're lying in bed?"
"I do."
"First thing in the morning?"
"That's lust."
"Is it though? Is it all sex?"
No.
She raises a brow see. "You think about what she needs, what she wants, how safe it feels to hold her."
"Where are you getting this?"
She ignores my question. "How much you want to be there, with her. How to make sure she's comfortable here, in your place, in your life."
"Conscientiousness isn't love."
"It's so obvious, Simon. I don't know why you can't see it. It really is all over your face."
The floor creaks behind me. My room.
Vanessa is up.
Opal squeals. "Are you going to tell her?"
"It's early."
"So you admit it?"
No. "Don't say anything."
"Please. Girl code." She offers her hand.
It was surprising, the first time she suggested girl talk. Even more when she suggested the girl code. But, now, I'm used to it. "Girl code."
She slides off her stool. "Does she drink coffee?"
"Tea. English Breakfast with milk and honey." I've seen her drink it at afternoon meetings. Holiday gatherings.
Opal looks to the electric kettle on the counter. It's always there.
But the tin of English Breakfast and the tea-strainer next to it—
Those are new.
"That." She taps the tin. "Love."
"I've got it," I say.
"No. I will. My mom drank tea. Focus on finding a way to verbalize those feelings."
"You're ridiculous."
"I am a Pierce." She turns, fills the kettle, gets to work making tea.
Vanessa steps into the hallway in her purple pajama short set. A button-up short-sleeve top and very short shorts.
She still looks strong, commanding, regal—she always does—but she looks soft too.
"Hey." She shoots Opal a smile. "Good morning."
"Good morning," Opal chirps. "Simon tells me you two had a good night."
Vanessa looks to me and raises a brow what did you say?
"He wouldn't offer any details about the sex, and I won't ask, but it's pretty obvious it was great. Look at him. Glowing," she says.
"You are glowing." Vanessa crosses the room to me.
I wrap my arms around her. "You're glowing."
She shakes her head.
I nod, pull her closer, press my lips to hers.
She melts into me for a moment. Realizes Opal is here. Pulls back. "Oh. Sorry."
"That's nothing. Liam is always talking about him and Briar's sex life," she says. "It's to annoy Briar, but it works to annoy me."
"They're always pushing each other's buttons," Vanessa says.
Opal nods yep. "You and Simon too. Only more stoically."
"Stoic. That is a good description of you." Vanessa smiles.
"I can go if you to want to be alone," Opal says. "I was thinking about going to breakfast anyway."
"There's nowhere nearby," I say.
"Nowhere in the three blocks surrounding us, yes," Opal says. "But we do live in Manhattan."
"I don't want to intrude," Vanessa says. "Do what you'd do if I wasn't here."
"We go to breakfast," Opal says.
"On Sundays," I say.
"Do you see what I deal with? If you look up routine in the dictionary, you get a picture of Simon." She shakes her head. "Most Saturdays, I drag Simon out of the apartment. Try to keep him from making an excuse about going to the office. And we do get breakfast sometimes. Go to the park. Then lunch. The ice cream place with the non-dairy flavors."