Tuesday, 23rd of July, 2019
"Are you sure about this?" Clarke asked from the passenger seat as she was putting on the seat belt and looked at Raven who was behind the wheel, starting the car.
"Absolutely," Raven smiled at her as she pressed the gas pedal.
"Okay, then..." she nodded. "What did you tell your boss, by the way?"
"Family emergency... I have a lot of vacation days left anyway, so she was cool about it. Plus, it's almost August, and you know how Spain's practically asleep the whole month," she smiled again while driving, focused on the road ahead.
"True that..." Clarke agreed and then bit her lip, feeling nervous about the next subject she was about to open. "Did you... Have you spoken to Octavia?"
Raven clenched her jaw before answering, feeling a sudden sensation of heat in her chest.
"No," she responded as she was losing the debate inside her head about whether she should ask Clarke about Octavia. "Did you see her today?"
"I did, yes..." Clarke answered and saw how her friend swallowed hard. "But, only before the morning meeting, we didn't get a chance to talk or anything..."
"Clarke, I know you're always trying to fix everything, but don't forget you promised me not to talk to her about this..."
"I don't even know what THIS is, Ray..." she said, feeling a little annoyed. "I understand that it's hard for you, but I really wish you could tell me... You know, talking about it might actually help you."
"There's nothing to tell, Clarke..." Raven sighed and glanced at her friend who was clearly disappointed, and then turned her eyes back on the road. "Look... you know I trust you, right?" Clarke nodded and Raven exhaled before speaking. "She was at the gym with Ricky..."
Clarke turned her head and looked at Raven, surprised at the information, but she didn't say anything, waiting for her friend to continue.
"We had a lot of fun, actually, the three of us..." a sad smile found its way on Raven's lips. "And Oct... she was even flirting with me... at least that's what I thought, I don't know... And then I got out of the shower and she was there, in the locker room, already dressed and then I saw that Ontari was also there... Suddenly everything felt so awkward and tense when Ontari starting hitting on me, well on both of us, actually, and then Octavia..." she paused due to the sting she felt the moment her name left her lips. "She left... she said that she had to decline Ontari's offer and that the two of us should finish what we had started on Friday..."
"Wait..." Clarke interrupted. "How did she know about what happened on Friday?"
"Ontari mentioned it when she was inviting me to take a shower together..." Raven explained. "Anyway, she left the locker room and next thing I know I'm running after her like a fool, wearing nothing but a fucking towel... I made it all the way to the reception and there they were... kissing."
"Ray..." Clarke felt her friend's pain with every word she said and she knew that she was too blinded by it to see the real reason behind Octavia's behaviour. "She was jealous!"
Raven laughed out loud sarcastically.
"Come on, Clarke... we're adults and this is not some soap opera," she said. "It didn't look like it was their first kiss either... They're dating, I just didn't want to accept it."
"No, they're not!" Clarke raised her voice and then realized what she had just said when she locked eyes with Raven. "I think she's just using him to make you jealous, Ray... Why would she kiss you otherwise? And flirt with you all the time? She ran out of the locker room because she was jealous of Ontari, why can't you see that?"
"Stop it, Clarke! You're seeing things that aren't there because you're all lovey-dovey right now and excited about seeing Lexa and all... but this is just not one of those stories with a happy ending, ok?" Raven's tone was a bit more harsh than at the beginning of the conversation. "I am aware that there's some chemistry between us and she's flirting with me and kissing me because she knows she can and it's fun for her. If I didn't have feelings for her and if she wasn't dating Ricky I would probably go along with it... but I DO have feelings for her and she IS dating him, so... I'm not interested in being her toy, Clarke... and Ricky is actually an awesome guy and he doesn't deserve this."
"Fine! I won't insist on it, even though I disagree, but whatever..." Clarke decided to go back to the role of an observer, at least until the dust settled.
The rest of the ride to the airport was mostly silent, they were not mad at each other, it was just difficult to talk about trivia when there was something lingering in the air that was to be avoided at all cost.
They said their goodbyes at the Departure terminal and Clarke left after a long hug, promising to take good care of Raven's car.
_________________
Lexa was finally in her own apartment in L.A., slowly waking up and stretching her body in her king size bed.
A little after 9:30 pm she was on her way to the bathroom when she heard the door bell and smiled, knowing that it was her friend Maia, as they had agreed to have breakfast together. It was something they were both anxious to do since the moment Lexa texted her from Paris that there was something important she needed to tell her and the only information that Maia was able to pull out off her friend was that it was about a girl.
After buzzing her in, Lexa unlocked the door and went to the bathroom. She was brushing her teeth when she heard Maia come in and close the door behind her.
"Lexa?" she shouted.
"In here!" she shouted back after spitting out the water mixed with toothpaste.
Maia left the bags containing their breakfast in the kitchen and went to the bathroom where she figured Lexa's voice was coming from.
Her friend was wiping the water off her face with a towel and she rushed to give her a strong hug from behind, wrapping her arms around Lexa's waist.
"I missed you so much, you big dork!" Maia shrieked, startling her friend.
"I missed you too," Lexa laughed and left the towel on the sink. "You're squeezing me!" she complained.
"Deal with it," Maia laughed, her arms still tight around her friends waist, leaning her head on her back.
Lexa laughed out loud at her friend's silliness and a few moments later they were on their way to the kitchen, where she took out plates for the bagels Maia brought.
"I got your favourite bagels and tea," Maia said as she took the content out of the bag.
"Thank you, I'm starving..." Lexa said and put the plates on the kitchen island.
She started eating immediately, not fully aware of the curious look her friend was giving her while taking a sip of her coffee.
Maia finally got Lexa's attention when she cleared her throat intentionally and she looked at her, her mouth full of food.
"So..." Maia was becoming impatient.
Lexa swallowed the food down her throat and took a sip of her tea.
"What?" she was pretending she didn't know what her friend's look meant.
"Lexa! Talk!"
"Alright, alright..." Lexa laughed. "I met someone in Paris."
"I already know that! Details, Lexa, details!" Maia couldn't help but laugh as well.
"God, calm down... I'm getting there," she stuck out her tongue before she continued. "She's... Her name's Clarke," she said and immediately felt the heat in her cheeks.
"Clarke? That's unique," Maia commented.
"She is, yes..." the redness on Lexa's cheeks spread to her entire face and became two tones darker, which didn't go unnoticed by Maia.
However, she decided not to comment on it... yet.
"How did you meet?" she asked.
"At the convention," Lexa replied. "I saw her first when we took a selfie together and then again with her friend at the photoshoot... And again at the autograph session."
"So she's a fan or she worked at the convention?"
"A fan..." she smiled. "She was gorgeous, Maia... The moment I laid eyes on her, I just knew she was special, you know?" Lexa said with a dreamy look in her eyes. "I just didn't know what to do and how to ask her out, I mean, it had never happened to me before... I thought it would be weird for her... she came to meet me as an actress, you know, and then I hit on her..."
"So, what did you do?" Maia was intrigued.
"Nothing... she left... and then I found a note from her on the table, asking me if I wanted to hang out after the convention and she had written down her phone number... Long story short, I texted her, picked her up at her hotel, we kissed in the car on the way to the restaurant, had drinks afterwards and... and we spent the night in my hotel room," by the time she finished she felt as if the temperature had risen dangerously and she stood up to take a glass of water.
"Oh my God!" Maia exclaimed. "You had a one night stand! How was it? Was she good? How many times did you do it?"
Lexa laughed at her friend's excitement, drank some water before answering and leaned on the kitchen island.
"It was the best sex of my life," she sighed. "I don't know exactly how many times we did it, more than five for sure, between five and ten I'd say... and I came like bizzilion times and it was super intense."
"Holy shit, Lexa! You fucked all night or what?"
"And morning..." her smile was getting bigger and bigger, feeling more relaxed as she talked about it.
"Wow! It looks like the French invented sex as well, not only the French kissing."
"She's Australian!" Lexa laughed when she saw Maia's eyes grow wider. "Half Slovenian actually," Lexa explained. "And Maia... I haven't told you the best part..."
"What could be better than a bizzilion orgasms, dude?"
"Remember my first crush? In Australia?"
"The singer on that talent show?" Lexa nodded. "What about her?"
"It's her!" Lexa said with a huge smile on her face and Maia's jaw dropped. "I know, I couldn't believe it either... She's so smart, Maia... she's beautiful and kind and... she makes me feel so... I don't know, like... home. It was like nothing else mattered and it was just us and it was enough, we didn't need anything else..."
"Wow, Lexa... I've never seen you like this before," Maia was surprised to see her friend in that state.
"It's because I've never felt like this before... I know it's crazy, I mean, I barely know her, right?" Lexa paused. "But, it feels so right, Maia... I can't stop thinking about her."
"Have you been in contact since then?"
"All the time... I feel like a teenager with the phone in my hands all the time, checking for messages," she chuckled.
"And you don't even like texting!"
"I know, right?" Lexa laughed. "We do video calls as well..." she said and then Maia moved her eyebrows suggestively. "Not THAT kind of video calls," she laughed again. "We just... talk."
"Wow... I don't know what to say... This is just... wow..." Maia was at loss for words. "Where does she live, then?"
"In Spain," Lexa said and saw Maia frown, looking confused. "She's a doctor and she's doing her medical residency there," Lexa said proudly. "And you should see the way she draws! And her voice is so sexy... and she speaks like 100 languages..." she sighed. "She's perfect."
"Damn... she sounds unreal... Are you sure she isn't a fruit of your imagination due to the lack of sex?" Maia joked.
"Shut up," Lexa laughed. "She's as real as the marks she left on my back," she stuck out her tongue at her friend.
"Ohhhhh someone likes it rough," Maia teased her. "Let me see her, show me this perfect woman of yours."
Lexa took her phone and showed Maia some of the photos Clarke had sent her and she also went to her Instagram page and scrolled through her photos.
"Wow! She's beautiful, Lexie..." Maia expressed her admiration and then stopped at one of Clarke's photos where she could see her whole body and then she zoomed in on her cleavage. "Damn, it's a good thing you have big hands... Those knockers are huge! Nice!"
Lexa couldn't help but laugh while taking the phone away from her friend.
"For a straight woman you sound a lot like a guy," she said, laughing. "And I'll have you know that I've discovered that I'm a boob person. Hers are sooo soft... and firm at the same time, and they fit perfectly in my hands and I just want to touch them all the time."
"Lexa... I don't want to be the killer of romance here, but... there's literally an ocean between the two of you," Maia said with concern in her big brown eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I love seeing you all smitten and excited, but... where is this going? Does she feel the same? How much do you really know about this girl?"
"I'm..." Lexa tilted her head down and paused before answering in a soft voice. "I'm going to Spain."
"What? When?" Maia's eyes were wide open.
"In a week," Lexa answered and finally lifted her head up to face her friend.
"Weren't you supposed to go to Australia to visit your family?"
"I'm still going... my flight's on the 13th of August, from Málaga..." she explained. "Look, Maia... I know that it's a bit intense and all, but... I can't help it. I think about her all the time and she feels the same," Lexa blushed. "She wrote me a song for my birthday."
"Oh wow... that's..." Maia was pleasantly surprised. "I guess you guys found each other, or what? And in Paris, of all places!" she smiled gently at her friend and stood up to give her a hug. "I'm so glad for you, Lexa..." she said and her friend looked at her, narrowing her eyes, waiting for that 'but' she knew was coming. "Don't look at me like that!" Maia laughed. "I just don't want you to get hurt, ok?"
"I know... but don't worry, ok? She's one of the good ones, I know it..." Lexa tried to reassure her friend.
"Is she a natural blonde, by the way?" Maia suddenly asked, confusing Lexa.
"Um... I think so... I'm not sure. I mean, I didn't ask. Why?"
"What colour was her hair... you know... down there?" Maia looked down at her groin.
"She..." Lexa blushed, remembering Clarke's naked body. "She didn't have any."
"Hm... What about the hair on her forearms?"
"She barely had any... Probably blonde... but that could also be from the sun."
"Ask her," Maia suggested.
"What? No!"
"Oh, come on... If she's so perfect as you say she is, she won't mind," Maia insisted.
"She's taking her friend to the airport today... what time is it?"
"It's almost 10 am," Maia answered, looking at her phone. "What's time is it there?"
"7 pm," Lexa replied hastily. "I'll text her to see if she's back," she said and started typing.
Text message
Lexa:
"Hi, Clarke 😊 Are you back from the airport?"
Couple of minutes later, she received a reply from the blonde.
Clarke:
"Hey you 😊 I just arrived, actually... I was parking Raven's car when I got your message. Did you sleep well?"
"Call her!" Maia interrupted before Lexa was able to write back.
"No way," Lexa shook her head and sat on the couch, Maia following her.
"Come on, I want to hear her speak," she begged. "Please?" she blinked repeatedly, looking at her friend.
"Arghhhh... fine, I'll ask her..." Lexa caved to the pressure.
Text message
Lexa:
"Could we maybe have a video chat? I'm with Maia and she wants to meet you... It's totally fine if you say no, really... she made me ask you 🙄"
Instead of a reply, Lexa was surprised to see an incoming video call from Clarke on the screen. She felt nervous and looked at Maia who was laughing at her, feeling satisfied with herself.
"Behave!" Lexa threatened, pointing her finger at her friend before answering the call.
Video call
Lexa:
"Hi," she smiled when she saw Clarke on the screen.
The blonde was wearing a black sleeveless t-shirt with an illustration of an eagle on the front and the word TOPANGA written in white thick letters above it. Her hair was was wavy, in a casual sexy way, which Lexa noticed before she got lost in Clarke's big blue eyes that seemed to have become even more intensly blue due to the contrast with the perfectly applied eyeliner.
Clarke:
"Hi, Lexa..." she smiled at the camera.
Lexa:
"Hi," Lexa was so nervous that she repeated herself which made Maia laugh out loud.
Maia:
"You already said that, you dork..." she teased her and received a punch in the shoulder from Lexa. "Auch!" she complained and Clarke laughed on the other side of the phone.
Lexa:
"I'm sorry," she said and felt the heat rise in her cheeks. "Um... that was Maia..." she turned the camera toward her. "Maia, this is Clarke."
Clarke:
"Nice to meet you, Maia!"
Maia:
"Likewise! I've heard A LOT about you," she said and saw Lexa rolling her eyes.
Clarke:
"Good things, I hope..." Clarke smiled at her.
Maia:
"Oh, yeah... The BEST ever, right Lexa?" she said and looked at her friend who opened her mouth in shock and quickly turned the camera back to herself, hoping Clarke couldn't see all the shades of red all over her face.
Lexa:
"I'm so sorry, Clarke... Don't mind her, ok? She's just trying to embarrass me," she said and then saw that Clarke was clearly amused by the whole situation, which made her relax a little bit.
Clarke:
"It's fine," she laughed. "That's exactly what Raven's been doing to me..."
Lexa:
"Say goodbye, Maia..." she turned the camera again and her friend waved at Clarke, while Lexa was walking in the direction of her bedroom.
Maia:
"Alright, I got the message... I'll wait here, then... by myself..." she complained.
Lexa:
"I'll be right back, just scroll on Instagram or something," she said before she entered the bedroom, sat on the bed and looked at the screen where a smiling Clarke was looking back at her. "Hey..." she smiled.
Clarke:
"That was fun," Clarke smiled back.
Lexa:
"Uh huh..." she rolled her eyes. "Do you miss Raven already?"
Clarke:
"Strangely, yes! But at the same time I think it's a good thing she left... she needs to figure some things out," she said and Lexa looked at her, cofused. "I'll explain some other time."
Lexa:
"Sure, we can talk about it next week if you'd like... in person," she gave her a timid smile.
Clarke:
"Oh... Something tells me we'll be doing a lot more than just talking, Lexa..." she lifted her eyebrow with a smirk on her face.
Lexa felt a wave of an electric feeling through her entire body and knew that waiting for her flight to Spain was going to be the most excruciating week of her life.