The Motivated Employee Pt. 18

"You two fucked last night... didn't you?"

They both froze for a short second. Then, Kayla dropped her stuff sack. "Jesus, Clem."

Dani smiled. "Oh? What makes you so sure?"

Clem smirked but didn't back down. "I walked past on my way to the bathroom. Heard some... wet noises."

Dani raised an eyebrow, voice quieter now. "You sure it wasn't your own thighs rubbing against each other?"

Clem laughed loudly. So did Dani but then she saw the look on Kayla's face - this was still hard and new for her.

Kayla walked away silently and busied herself packing the car.

Clem watched her for a moment, brow furrowed, before nodding to herself and heading toward the bathroom.

Dani followed, lowering her voice. "Hey, Clem... this is all really new for Kayla. And for me, too. If you haven't already told anyone what you heard... could you please keep it to yourself?"

Clem stopped, surprised. "Yeah, of course. I just - what is going on? Are you together? The other day you said Kayla was your ideal partner... And I lowkey panicked thinking I'd missed the memo. Like 'Kayla's my dream girl; wink-wink, nudge-nudge, already dating."

Dani rubbed the back of her head. "No... no, nothing had happened."

Clem continued. "I thought I'd missed some kind of announcement and you were being gracious to me. I even checked the group chat and your socials. Asked Ryan, too - he was just as confused."

Dani shook her head, smiling faintly. "Nope. I was lowkey spiraling and didn't think there would be a follow-up. But it's not a group chat kind of thing, you know? Not yet."

Clem nodded slowly. "Got it. I won't say anything. And... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass her."

"I know," Dani said. "You were just being yourself. Just - maybe tone down the commentary while she's still catching her breath."

Clem gave a sheepish smile. "Consider me muzzled."

After all the hugs were exchanged and the last car door slammed shut, the air inside Kayla's car felt still and heavy. She gripped the steering wheel too tightly as they pulled away from the campsite, eyes fixed straight ahead. Her mouth opened once, then closed. Nothing came out.

Dani glanced at her, then out the window.

"Hey," she said quietly. "That thing with Clem? That was kind of my fault."

Kayla didn't respond, but her shoulders shifted slightly, like she was listening.

"Couple days ago, she was asking nosy questions about your love life. And I... I told her you were basically my dream partner."

That earned Kayla's hands relaxing slightly on the wheel.

"And the way I said it... she must've thought she'd missed a relationship hard launch from a few months back. She felt embarrassed for being out of the loop, so she and Ryan went full detective mode."

The corner of Kayla's mouth curved upward.

Dani smiled faintly. "She thought, maybe, we'd been together this whole time and just didn't tell her. So this morning, when she heard... stuff, she thought it confirmed her theory."

"She's so annoying," Kayla muttered.

"She's relentless," Dani agreed. "But she's not mean. She actually looked kind of horrified when I told her it was all new."

Kayla didn't say anything for a moment. Then, softly, "Did you really say that? That I was your dream partner?"

Dani turned to look at her. "Yeah. I really did."

Kayla finally glanced over, a bit pink in the cheeks but smiling just enough to be visible.

"Okay," she said, firmer than before.

Dani reached across and let her fingers brush against Kayla's on the gearshift.

"Are we good?" Dani asked.

"Yeah, we're good," she said. "So... Clem knows we, uh, did things. And Ryan knows Clem knows we did things. Which probably means..."

"... everyone knows we hooked up in a tent like hormonal teenagers." Dani finished.

Kayla laughed but it didn't meet her eyes.

Dani noticed and softened. "Hey," she said gently. "I asked Clem to keep it quiet. She seemed sincere."

Kayla nodded slowly, eyes still on the road.

"They'll forget about it in a week," Dani added, trying to lighten the mood. "Maybe two, if we're lucky and Ryan doesn't make a meme."

That earned a real smile from Kayla. "God help us."

Back home, Kayla couldn't sit still. She was someone who needed something to do with her hands. So she started laundry from the trip and cleaned her kayak properly. Those jobs were normal. But then she rummaged around the pantry checking non-perishable goods for their expiry date. And then she reorganised the first aid kid they kept in the shared bathroom.

Time to stage an intervention, Dani thought.

She stood in the bathroom doorway. "Have the bandaids offended you?"

Kayla looked up, confused.

"Just the way you're looking at them. Like they've come alive and said a racial slur or something."

Kayla's brow eased, like she was finally seeing the scene from the outside.

Dani stepped in and wrapped her arms around her from behind, resting her head between Kayla's shoulder blades.

Kayla leaned back into her, letting the tension bleed out in tiny waves.

"It's too bright in here," she said, tiredly.

Dani kissed the curve of her shoulder. "Come on," she said. "Let's go watch something dumb on the couch."

Kayla didn't move right away, just leaned into her for a moment longer.

"Hold up," she said, glancing back. "Gilmore Girls isn't dumb."

"Sorry, I mean God's masterpiece of a TV show."

They curled up on the couch, a blanket draped over their legs, the soft glow of Gilmore Girls filling the room. Kayla seemed relaxed - head resting against Dani's shoulder, fingers tracing the seam of the blanket.

But about halfway through the episode, Dani noticed the quiet shake of her breath. She glanced down.

Kayla was crying. Dani's heart clenched.

Sometimes the best way to approach things with Kayla was sideways. She kept her voice light, placing a hand on the arm that was already linked through her other one.

"Kayla, it's not even a sad scene. Unless you just remembered Rory doesnt end up with Jess."

Kayla let out a laugh that broke halfway through. Her voice was thick when she finally said, "I just keep feeling like someone's really disappointed in me."

Dani paused. Internalised homophobia didn't always look or sound like hate. Sometimes it looked like shame.

"Anyone on particular?"

"Um... my parents," she said finally. "I keep thinking about what they said about my cousin." Dani reflected on what she knew - when they were teenagers, one of Kayla's cousins had come out. Kayla's aunt and uncle kicked him out of home and no one had spoken to him for a long time. "And now it's like... I don't know. It's giving me the ick about myself."

Dani leaned in a bit closer.

"They were wrong," Kayla continued quietly. "So wrong it's not even funny."

"But that doesn't stop the part of your brain that still believes them." Dani added.

"Yeah... and l, uh, I keep feeling mad at myself. For not noticing this, about myself years ago."

She's being too hard on herself, Dani thought. "Two thoughts that seem very opposite."

"Yeah," sighed Kayla. "I just don't understand."

"Treat yourself with the same gentleness you did with me."

Kayla looked up at her, brown eyes glassy. "I don't know how..."

"You're doing it already," Dani said softly. "Right now, you're sitting on a couch, letting yourself cry. You're not reorganising bandaids or scrubbing kayaks - you're just here. With me here. You need to feel this."

Kayla didn't break her gaze.

"So what I'm saying is - celebrate the small wins," Dani continued. "You probably couldn't even see this part of yourself before, because it hurt too much. But your body and your brain - they're finally letting you. Because it's safe now."

Kayla's eyes showed some familiar determination in them now - like she was willing herself to believe it.

Later, Kayla got up to use the bathroom. On the way back, Dani noticed her pick up her own her own jumper draped over the arm of the couch and wander down the hall to Dani's room.

Dani followed, slower. She paused in the doorway, watching as Kayla stepped inside.

"You don't have to put that away," Dani said quietly. "I would've grabbed it later."

Kayla turned, the hoodie still in her hands. "I know. It's just... it belongs here."

Dani said nothing. She simply stepped forward, slowly, again giving Kayla time to step back if she needed to.

But she didn't. And when Dani reached for her, Kayla came willingly, melting into her arms. And when Dani kissed her again, it was gentle. Questioning. Kayla kissed her back like it was an answer.

They ended up in Dani's bed - no rush, no plan. Just the warmth of the bare skin touching. And they ended up there the nights that followed, too, making love softly and gently. They'd fall asleep with limbs entwined, Kayla's head tucked beneath Dani's chin, skin still tingling from the slow burn of being touched just right. And in the hush of early morning, they'd wake--still tangled, still aching--and do it all over again. Dani would reach for her first, always gentle, always asking. And Kayla, still learning how much she wanted, how much she could take, would say yes with a breathless nod, letting Dani guide her all over again. Like they were making up for lost time.

Celina at work noticed. "That must be your fourth coffee today. Everything alright?"

Dani lifted her cup. "I just really like coffee."

Celina gave her a knowing smile. "Uh-huh. And how's Kayla doing?"

They stopped showering alone.

"We're saving water." Kayla said one morning, hopping out and passing Dani a towel.

"Hate to break it to you, but we're in there twice as long now." Dani replied, wrapping the towel around herself. "It's the same amount. Maybe more."

Kayla grinned, proudly. "Yeah, well, we're being very thorough." She grabbed her own towel.

Dani laughed, catching the towel and wrapping it around herself. "I've never been this clean."

Another night, Kayla and Dani walked to the convenience store to get some last minute groceries. Dani didn't even register they were holding hands, and Kayla probably didn't either, until they bumped into some women from Kayla's church. The women didn't seem to notice. They smiled politely, exchanged a few casual words with Kayla, and moved on without a second glance. Still, something in Kayla's shoulders had tightened on the walk home.

"Do you think they noticed...?" she asked quietly, not meeting Dani's eyes.

"I don't know. Maybe," Dani said. "Not that it matters." She gave Kayla's hand a gentle squeeze.

She hadn't recognized the women - probably not from her own church-going days - but if they were anything like the ones she remembered, they noticed. No question. Still. There was no need to rattle Kayla without cause.

Back at the town house, they kicked off their shoes at the front door and dropped the groceries in the kitchen. Kayla checked her phone. Her face didn't change much. She held out the phone to Dani without a word.

Mom: I won't be able to take you to the airport anymore.

Dani read it, then looked up. Kayla was staring at the wall like if she didn't blink, she wouldn't cry.

Dani's kept her voice soft, careful. "Hey... I'm sorry." She touched her arm. "That sucks."

Kayla started putting groceries away rapidly. "It's not about the ride. It's just - I know what that text means."

Dani tried to put a bottle of milk in the fridge. "Yeah... those women we bumped into. It's because of them, right?"

Kayla took the bottle out of Dani's hands and placed it away. "They would have texted Mom as soon as we were out of sight."

Dani sat on the kitchen counter stool, surrendering all the space in the kitchen to Kayla.

"She didn't even try to make an excuse," Kayla added. "She always makes an excuse."

"I'll take you. I've already a-okayed it with Celina."

Kayla didn't say anything. Just pulled out a knife to chop up the celery they'd brought home

Dani was about to speak again when her own phone buzzed. She glanced at it, expecting something routine. Instead:

Dad: Can we talk soon? Just you and me.

Dani let out a small, humorless breath.

Kayla pulled back enough to see her face. "Everything okay?"

Dani showed her the screen. "Apparently it's 'serious parent text' day."

Kayla frowned and screen. "Well, we had a good run."

"This doesn't have to ruin it."

Kayla said nothing. She was silent throughout dinner. Dani let her brood. After dinner, Kayla disappeared into her bedroom. When she hadn't returned after half an hour, Dani went to check on her.

She was lying on her bed, face in her pillow, weeping. Dani climbed onto the bed, kneeling behind her, sliding her hands gently over Kayla's shoulders.

Kayla exhaled deeply and turned her head to the side to speak.

"I - I don't know how to talk about this," Kayla said, her voice catching. "I don't know why it feels so... so cringe. I tell other people it's okay to be gay, like it's easy, like it's nothing. And then I..." She shook her head, jaw tight. "I can't even say it to myself without wanting to crawl out of my skin."

"Hey. That's normal." Dani massaged gentle circles on Kayla's shoulders. "A friend-slash-housemate once told me that when I came out to her."

Kayla let out a weak laugh, not quite a smile. "She sounds wise. And really cool."

Dani pressed a soft kiss to the top of her shoulder. "Only sometimes wise - but there was this one time she also walked into an unopened screen door and needed me to drive her to hospital."

Kayla gently laughed and rubbed the spot on her forehead that had needed stitches. She rolled onto her side, trying to face Dani better. "You know, the other day I was like, 'What was I even worried about?' And now - boom - question answered."

"Yeah," Dani said quietly, laying beside her. "It sneaks up on you. You think you've made peace with it, and then one look or one text makes you feel like you're fourteen again and disappointing everyone."

Kayla nodded. "Exactly." They lay there for a minute. And then Kayla sat up. "All we've got is this week."

Dani blinked. She sat up too. "Wait - did they offer to extend your trip or something?"

"No. No, it's not that." Kayla hesitated, then exhaled. "I just... I don't even know how to start the conversation about what we are. So maybe after this week, you should just - do whatever you want. Sleep with whoever you want."

"Kayla..." Dani sat back a little against the bedhead. Why was she saying that? "You can just tell me how you feel."

Kayla wiped her face again, avoiding her eyes. "I am telling you. I think you want this - for now. But in three months? You don't know what you want."

Dani went quiet. That landed harder than she expected.

"Wow," she said finally. Not angry, just... stung. "You sure about that? I can count all the people I've ever slept with on one hand."

Kayla winced. "I didn't mean it like that. I just - I've seen the way people look at you, Dani. I've seen the way you look back. I heard how you were with Celina. I can't do threesomes. I didn't even... even have... sex... until a week ago."

Dani's eyes flashed. How could she think this was only about sex?

"Kayla - even with other people, I kept thinking about you. I'd lie there afterward wishing it was you I'd touched like that. You were always in the back of my mind, even when I tried to pretend you weren't."

She reached out, her hand landing gently on Kayla's arm, holding it like it might break.

"You think I don't know how fucking brave that was, what you gave me?" Her voice cracked, but she didn't look away. "Letting me touch you like that - letting yourself feel it? That wasn't casual. That wasn't small. You trusted me."

Kayla pulled her arm away. And Dani felt the loss like a punch.

"You're not some phase I'm working through," Dani said, trying to steady her breath, even as her chest heaved. "You're the thing I... I didn't even know I was waiting for."

Her now-empty hand hovered for a moment, then dropped to the bed where Kayla's had been. It trembled as she curled her fingers into a loose fist.

"And now you're pulling away," she said, softer now. "And I don't know how to stay calm about that."

Kayla looked down, twisting the hem of her sleeve between her fingers. Her voice dropped even lower, almost a whisper. "I can't risk this - us - because if you change your mind, if you walk away..." She swallowed hard, eyes still downcast. "I don't know how I'd come back from that. It would break me."

Dani stared at her, jaw tight, heart pounding. The waterfall. Everything she'd said there, she meant. "Kayla, I told you that I love you. And I meant - " she stopped because Kayla was shaking her head.

"You don't mean that." she whispered. "You just think you do."

For a moment, Dani bit back her words, wondering if she was being too much. Maybe Kayla still needed space. But then defiance surged in her chest, a fierce anger at Kayla for trying to shield herself from the heartbreak in a way that threatened to shut Dani out completely.

"Look at me," Dani said, rising up to kneel, both hands coming up to cradle the sides of Kayla's face. Her thumbs rested just beneath her jaw, steadying her.

Kayla hesitated, but Dani held her there - not forcing, but not letting go either - until their eyes locked.

"Don't you dare tell me I don't mean it. You know me. And you still think I'd throw this away?" Her breath trembled, but her voice didn't waver. "I saw what that run-in at the grocery store did to you. Those women - your mom's friends - they're cruel, Kayla. And if I could go back, I swear to God, I'd punch them both in the face with the frozen peas."

That earned a wet laugh, a shaky little sniffle, but Dani wasn't finished.

"You're overwhelmed. I get it. You figured out you're queer and into your best friend all in the same week. A week before you're meant to leave the country. You haven't had time to even breathe, let alone figure out how to handle your homophobic family."

Her grip softened just slightly, thumbs brushing gently along Kayla's cheeks.

"But do not sit there and tell me I don't love you. That is the most offensive thing you've ever said to me."

Kayla was crying now, her hands coming up to press Dani's hands onto her face, like she was afraid if she let go, Dani might disappear. Dani leaned forward, forehead resting against hers.

"You don't have to say it back," Dani whispered. "Just... hear it. Feel it."

Then, gently, she climbed onto Kayla's lap, straddling her as if the closeness could somehow take the weight from both of them.

Kayla wrapped her arms around Dani's waist and tucked her tear-stained face into the curve of her neck.

"Dani... we've got thirty-six hours," she whispered into her shoulder, voice splintered. "That's not enough time."

Dani exhaled shakily, pressing her forehead against Kayla's temple.

"I know," she said. "It's not."

They stayed like that for a moment, both of them trembling, hearts loud in the silence. Then Dani pulled back just enough to look her in the eye.

"So we don't waste it," she said. "We take what we've got, and we make it enough."

She kissed her - soft at first, barely more than a brush of lips. But then Kayla's hand slid into Dani's hair, and something shifted. The kiss deepened and turned greedy.

Lips parted. Teeth grazed. A gasp caught between them.

Suddenly, they were crashing into each other, mouths open, urgent, desperate. Dani whimpered as Kayla pulled her closer, kissing her like she needed more more heat.

Dani's hands were already under Kayla's shirt, dragging it over her head and tossing it aside, barely breaking the kiss. Kayla's nails bit into Dani's hips, guiding her down, grinding up into her like she was starving for contact.

Dani moaned into her mouth, one hand threading into Kayla's hair, the other fumbling between them, tugging her own shirt off. She wanted skin - needed it. Every inch of her was reaching for Kayla, like she could crawl inside her and stay.

They kissed like it was the last time. Because maybe it was.

Kayla pulled Dani's bra aside, mouth latching onto her breast like it belonged there, and Dani gasped. Her fingers curled around Kayla's shoulders as she rocked into her, heat blooming between them with each rough drag of hips. There was nothing graceful about it.

"I need you," Kayla whispered hoarsely, breath hot against Dani's chest. "I need you now - please - "

Dani didn't answer with words. She rose onto her knees, still straddling. And then slid her hand down, beneath the waistband of Kayla's shorts, past the soft cotton of her underwear.

She groaned aloud when she felt her - hot, soaked, already throbbing around nothing.

"Oh my God," Dani breathed, eyes wide as her fingers slipped through the slick heat. "You're soaked."

"For you," Kayla said, voice trembling. "Only for you."

Dani didn't tease. She pressed her finger in- slow, deep - and Kayla's entire body shuddered. Her hips jerked forward to meet the pressure, legs falling further apart. And then Dani eased in a second finger, feeling the tight, pulsing resistance around it. She hadn't done this before, not with Kayla.

Kayla whimpered, burying her face in Dani's neck as her arms tightened around her. "Don't stop," she choked.

"I won't," Dani whispered, gave it to her--fingers curling, thrusting harder, her thumb sliding up to circle her clit. "I've got you. I've got you."

Kayla cried out, body rocking into every movement, every breath. Her shorts were shoved halfway down her thighs now, useless, twisted. Dani's palm was pressed tight against her, working her open, her wrist wet from the mess.

Dani locked her arm around Kayla's back, held her firmly as she moved faster, rougher, chasing the way Kayla's body was already trembling.

And then Kayla broke.

She came with a sob, thighs quivering around Dani's hand, her whole body clinging to her. And even as she shook, Dani didn't let up - fucked her through it, kissed her like they were going down with the ship.

Eventually Kayla stilled. But not fully.

Dazed and wild-eyed, she suddenly shoved Dani back - hard. Not cruel, just urgent.

"Lie down," she said, breath ragged.

Dani barely had time to blink before Kayla climbed on top of her, straddling her hips, pinning her wrists to the mattress.

Her pupils were blown wide, her hair falling around her face, lips parted, flushed everywhere. Dani had never seen her like this.

"Kayla - "

"Shut up," Kayla breathed. She kissed her - hard and feral - and Dani whimpered beneath her.

She'd been so focused on guiding Kayla through the newness but now Kayla was taking her, and something in Dani shattered. She didn't resist. She couldn't. All she could do was surrender, stunned, knowing that Kayla wanted her this much. She tore Dani's shorts down, dragging her underwear with them, her hands fumbling in her urgency.

"Fuck," Kayla gasped as she looked down. "I can't believe I didn't let myself have this for so long."

Dani opened her mouth to reply, but Kayla was already between her legs, diving in like she couldn't breathe without it.

It wasn't gentle. It was desperate.

She licked her like she was trying to memorize every sound Dani made. Her hands held Dani's thighs down, and Dani writhed against her, hips jerking, breath punched out of her in broken moans.

"Kayla - oh, my God - Kayla - fuck -"

Dani came like she'd been lit on fire, her whole body curling off the bed, shaking violently. But Kayla didn't stop. She licked her through it, fingers joining her mouth, fucking her until Dani was gasping her name again.

"Too much," Dani begged, voice wrecked. "Please - I can't -"

Kayla finally pulled back, face flushed, eyes glassy.

They collapsed into the sheets, skin still warm, limbs tangled and heavy with exhaustion. Kayla curled behind Dani, her arm slung over her waist, their breaths slowing.

Just for a little while, the world quieted. They dozed like that for a while, limbs tangled, breath synced. But it didn't last.

At some blurry hour - Dani wasn't sure when - Kayla stirred behind her, pressing kisses along her shoulder. Then her hand slid down, knowing exactly what to do. Dani whimpered, already pliant, already aching again. She rolled onto her back without a word.

They lost themselves in each other all over again.

Sleep came in fragments - an hour here, a few minutes there - only for Kayla to shift in the dark, mouth on Dani's neck, thigh slotting between hers. Dani would gasp awake, clutching at her, already wet, already begging. Sometimes Kayla was quiet, coaxing Dani apart with only her fingers and breath. Sometimes she was rougher, hungrier, pinning her down and biting back moans.

By the time Dani's phone alarm finally buzzed, harsh and unwelcome in the dim light, they were both wrecked. Dani groaned and slapped it quiet. Her body ached, her thighs trembling, her voice nothing but a rasp.

Kayla lay sprawled beside her. "Don't go," she mumbled, eyes still closed.

Dani turned her head, breath catching at the sight of her. "I have to."

Kayla reached out lazily, palm dragging down Dani's belly. "You could call in."

Dani laughed, her voice raspy. "Celina will know. She's been good to me."

Kayla grinned without opening her eyes. "She'd understand."

"Maybe. But I owe her. She's given me tomorrow off. And I want to stay in her good graces."

Dani leaned in, kissed her slow and deep, and forced herself to rise.

Just barely.

She went to work like any other Monday. She answered emails, spoke to clients and customers, and even bantered with them. But everything felt a little off. Her colleagues noticed she wasn't herself.

"You okay?" Randall asked at morning tea.

Dani nodded. "Yeah. Just tired."

Which was true.

Later that evening, Dani let herself into the townhouse just five. The lights were low, the living room warm with the quiet hum of the TV. Kayla was on the couch in sweatpants, a blanket draped over her legs, an empty mug balanced on the armrest.

She looked up as Dani stepped in, gave her a small, tired smile. "Hey."

"Hey," Dani said, putting her lunch container in the dishwasher. "Long day?"

Kayla shrugged. "Not really. Just... last things. I saw my brothers. Picked up snacks for the flight."

"Did you get motion sickness tablets?"

Kayla looked irritated. "No... I forgot."

"We can stop on the way to the airport tomorrow. It's no big deal."

"Thanks."

Dani made herself something to eat, then held out a plate. "Want some?"

Kayla shook her head. "Not hungry."

Dani sat down beside her with food.

After a moment, Kayla's voice broke the silence. "I saw my mom today, too." She paused to swallow. "She said 'I raised you better than this.'"

Dani froze, fork hovering outside her mouth. She back her anger. "She really said that?" Although she wasn't surprised.

Kayla continued. "She was so angry at me. She said... she said she should've sent me to that camp in the mountains. You know... the one they talked about in church."

Dani grimaced. Gay conversion therapy. She put a hand on Kayla's forearm.

Kayla's voice trembled slightly as she added, "She said, 'Puerto Rico is God's timing to help you walk the path of righteousness again.'"

The words stung - and Dani was only hearing them second hand. She had feared this for Kayla.

Dani put down her food and pulled her into a tight hug, arms wrapping around her. Kayla didn't resist - she melted into her, and together, they sat curled on the couch, silent but shaking, tears slipping down both their faces.

"Have you spoken to your dad yet?" Kayla asked softly.

"No. There'll be time for that." Dani's voice was steady, but she meant after Kayla left.

She hadn't responded to her father's text about "needing to chat." But she wasn't afraid. Her parents would have questions, maybe even discomfort--but never rejection. They'd work through it, because they always had. Kayla's family, though... theirs was a god of fire and brimstone, and there was no safe return from that kind of exile.

Later that night in bed, they started kissing, but Kayla's mind was somewhere else - her eyes distant, her movements slower, distracted.

Dani pulled back gently and wrapped her arms around her, holding her close. She recounted tales to make her smile: the time she'd taken Pauline from finance's giant candy jar and turned it into a fish tank with real fish, the time in high school where Kayla had found a mannequin at the thrift store, and they dressed it up and glued it to their English teacher's chair. Slowly, Kayla's deep breaths turned to even breaths, her fingers relaxed against Dani's skin, and she grew too tired giggle.

The drive to the airport was just before the sun came up. Kayla's voice broke the silence. "Promise me something."

Dani glanced over. "Yes, I'll break into your church. Tape wet sponges under your pastor's chair. He won't see them - his legs will get soaked. Then I'll show up the next day pretending I want to repent or whatever, and say, 'Well, someone's happy to see me!"

Kayla looked at her, eyes glassy but a smile threatening. She tried to squelch the smile. "I was about to say something really serious."

Kayla took another moment. She cleared her throat. "Promise me you'll... fuck," Kayla said, her eyes fixed out the window. "After I'm gone. Don't count on me coming back."

Dani swallowed. "You're scared I will forget you and you're trying to get one step ahead. I can't promise that."

Kayla was no-nonsense. "You can and you should."

Dani winced. "Does my hand count?"

"No, and neither does your vibrator."

"What about my pillow?"

"Nope."

"What about your pillow?"

"Knew I should have hidden those."

Dani paused. "Okay, but promise me something. If you get the opportunity to be with someone else, you'll give it a chance?"

Kayla looked back. "No one's gonna do that."

Dani looked over at her. "You sure about that?"

"Yeah. I'll be working mainly with dudes."

"... isnt the director a woman?" Dani asked.

"Yeah... but shes like, older than me."

"How much older?"

Kayla frowned, thinking. "I don't know. Like... older. But just because she's another woman at camp doesn't mean she'll look at me like that." She rolled her eyes a little, playful. "That's like saying I'll find a needle in a haystack."

Dani gave her a slow, knowing look. "Well, if it turns out that's not the case, give yourself a chance. You can call me to talk about it if you need. I won't be upset. I'll keep your pillow close. To miss you with."

The airport felt like a dream she couldn't quite wake from. Dani sat with Kayla in a too-bright terminal that smelled like coffee and cleaner, willing time to slow down. But the boarding call came anyway.

Dani stood, but her legs didn't feel steady. She fell into Kayla's arms, and the tears hit before she could stop them. All the jokes in the world hadn't prepared her for this.

They kissed without shame, without caring who saw, like they were sealing something they couldn't take with them.

"That was probably the best week of my life." Kayla whispered.

And then she was gone.