I’ll cover her too. Just tell me when.
Me
What, and scare her more?!
TESSIE
The movie draws to a close. Rae and I begin to feel the effect of the wine we’ve been sipping throughout the evening. The alcohol begins to take hold and we find ourselves caught up in the story unfolding on the screen. Rae’s words slur a bit and she comments on what a classic the movie is. Just then, Roxette’s unmistakable tune of Must Have Been Love fills the room, and I can’t help but agree with Rae’s assessment. I raise my glass of wine, swaying along to the song’s rhythm and feeling the warmth of the alcohol coursing through my body.
We rise from the plush sofa, the rhythm of the music takes hold of us, and we begin to sway in unison. I can’t help but confess, “You know, I’m a complete sucker for eighties music as well.”
The music plays slowly in the background and Rae asks me a question that catches me off guard. “Did you love them?” she inquires, her movements graceful and fluid. For a moment, I find myself lost in thought, my eyes darting from side to side as I try to come up with an answer. “Love is a powerful emotion, Rae,” I finally reply, my voice measured and thoughtful.
Did I love them? Yes…No…What the fuck am I thinking? I’m drunk.
“You know who I thought I loved?” Rae asks.
“Who?”
“Dan…I mean, it was platonic. However, we fucked drunk a couple of times.”
“Really?” I ask. Oh no, the subject of Dan.
“Yeah. I thought he was in love with you, though. He was always asking questions about you.”
“You know what he was like. Too nosey for his own good.” I reply, still swaying to the music.
“Why are you referring to him in past tense?” she questions.
FUCK! SHIT! Think of something quick!
“Am I? I’m drunk.” I giggle.
Rae laughs and sways to the music with me as we hold our glasses of wine.
I slowly open my eyes and I feel a sharp pain in my head. The room spins around me and I realize I must have had too much wine last night. Struggling to get up, I walk into the lounge where I find Rae sitting by the window, wearing dark sunglasses and holding a cigarette with her hair in a messy bun. Despite feeling groggy, I can’t help but chuckle at her. Rae seems to be in a similar state, muttering to herself as she picks up her coffee cup. The room is quiet except for the faint sound of the coffee pot brewing in the kitchen. The sun is shining bright outside, casting long shadows across the floor.
“I swear never to drink again,” I declare as I pour myself a refreshing glass of water. Rae mutters something, but I can’t quite make out what she said. I take a seat beside her by the window and she slides some painkillers towards me, whispering, “For your headache.” I gratefully accept them, washing them down with a gulp of water. Rae has the window open as she smokes, allowing a cool breeze to circulate the room. I inhale deeply, savoring the fresh air.
An unexpected movement catches my attention in the corner of my eye. Curious, I swivel my head to look outside. That’s when I see a fleeting shadow darting through the thick bushes. “Did you see that!” I exclaim, unable to contain my surprise.
Rae groans softly. “Babes, I love ya. However, you are shouting and I am hungover. It was just a fox. There are so many of them around here,” she replies before taking a long drag of her cigarette, seemingly unimpressed by the commotion.
Before I know it, a sleek fox emerges from the foliage and darts onto the street. Rae pulls down her sunglasses to the bridge of her nose and rolls her eyes in bemusement.
Rae takes a sip of her coffee and looks at me with a concerned expression. “Are you feeling nervous about tomorrow?” she asks.
“Yeah, just a little. But I’m trying not to think about it too much. I will just see him as my professor and nothing more.”
Rae nods in agreement and then mutters under her breath, “He better not be grumpy and take it out on the class.” She then turns to me and asks, “Oh, I have work this afternoon until late. Will you be okay here by yourself?”
“Yeah, I have to do some work on the laptop. I will watch a film after or something tonight.”
CAIN
The moonlight shines as I trudge through the muddy ground and finally spot Nate hidden behind a bush. He’s intently watching a window and I approach him quietly. “Boo,” I whisper, trying to lighten the mood. However, Nate’s expression remains serious as he turns to me. “You better not do anything stupid,” he warns me sternly, “like scare her.” I raise my eyebrows in disbelief and let out a frustrated sigh. “I mean it, Cain,” Nate continues, his voice heavy with emotion. “I miss her so much, she won’t reply to my texts. Now I have to watch her from a bloody bush.”
Nate rises from the ground and reaches for a pack of cigarettes in his pocket. He turns towards me and says, “Mike will take over halfway through the night.” Patting my back in assurance, I nod. He starts walking back to his truck.
I stare at her window and notice Tessie moving around inside the apartment. The curtains are wide open and I can’t help but wonder why she hasn’t closed them yet. It almost seems as if she wants me to observe her every move.
She is currently wearing one of Mike’s t-shirts that she stole from him. Although it is too large for her, she looks incredibly hot in it.
Tessie turns off all the lights in the front of the apartment and I watch her make her way to the bedroom. The soft glow from the streetlights outside illuminates her silhouette, casting long, delicate shadows across the room. For a moment, I am transfixed, unable to look away. But then I remember why I’m here. I glance around, checking to ensure no one else is around, before quietly slipping out of the bush and into the back of the building. The darkness envelops me like a cloak.
I peer through the window. I feel grateful that the apartment backs onto a dense thicket of shrubs.
Tessie is so dippy. I can see her lying on her bed in the room through a small opening in the curtains. It seems like she hasn’t closed the curtains completely, as there is a thin gap from where I can observe her movements.
My breaths come out in ragged gasps and I can’t help but fixate on her. She’s engrossed in her phone, scrolling through something intently. A notification of Nate’s text pops up on her phone. Of course, he has been texting her. He is smitten.
Suddenly, she pulls up a photo—a snapshot of the four of us taken outside the restaurant on her birthday night. That is kind of cute. Are you thinking about us, princess?
I notice that she gradually lowers her hand towards her panties. I stand there, surprised and taken aback.
She starts rubbing her hand over her panties as she looks at the photo of us four—such a naughty girl. I can hear her let out a whimper through the window.
