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“No! I mean, maybe. I don’t know! Just answer the question!”

Naomi chuckled again.

“Sure, but where do I start? Do I start with how women are moody creatures or did you already figure that one out because, you know, you’re a woman? Or do I start with how some women are just as messy as men? And as inconsiderate as men? Or do I tell you about how women are emotional yo-yos that go up and down, up and down, or did you also already figure that one out because you’re, you know, a woman? I could go on and on…”

Morgan was laughing.

“So, basically, there are drawbacks,” she said.

“Women can be petty, catty, vindictive. But I’m sure you already knew that from high school. Some women aren’t above fat-shaming their girlfriends, believe it or not. And, oh, if you think cheating on your partner is only something straight people do, think again. Lesbians can be cheating bitches too. Straight women like to joke that we lesbians must have it easy because we’re dating the same gender and so, hey, it must be a breeze, right? But women—as much as I love them—are no walk in the park.”

Morgan actually liked hearing this and told Naomi so.

“It’ll keep me from having unrealistic expectations,” she said.

“So,” Naomi began, “are things getting serious?”

Morgan decided to fudge a little. She wasn’t quite ready to tell Naomi about all the other stuff she had been thinking about earlier. Not yet.

“Serious enough that I want her to meet my best friend,” she answered. “How about drinks on Friday?”

Chapter 35

“Wait, what if this is a trap?” Chloë asked on Friday as Morgan drove them to Oceanside to meet Naomi and Naomi’s new girlfriend.

Morgan rolled her eyes as Chloë dissolved into a fit of laughter in the passenger seat.

“I am never going to live that down, am I?” she asked.

“Nope!”

“And what kind of trap do you imagine Naomi would be setting for you?”

Chloë shrugged.

“Probably something to determine if I’m mature enough to be your girlfriend,” she said. “Like, if I giggle too much or if spend the whole conversation talking about Snapchat.”

Secretly, Chloë was stoked about this double-date, especially as it was happening on the heels of her and Morgan both being invited to Vanessa and Megan’s to celebrate going into business together. The meeting of close friends was a significant relationship milestone—at least it was in all the rom-coms—and all of this friend-meeting was metaphorically stamping their relationship as “Official.” Which meant that, from now on, whenever anyone in either of their circle of friends planned anything social, they would be forced to think of inviting Chloë and Morgan, Morgan and Chloë, and this thrilled Chloë to no end.

“You are a giggly person,” Morgan told her. “But I actually like that about you.”

“Seriously?” Chloë asked.

Morgan nodded.

“There’s something about the particular way you giggle that I find sexy.”

“Get out of here!”

“I know, it’s weird, isn’t it? Such a random thing to find sexy.”

“I think it’s cool,” Chloë assured her, tucking a stray lock of Morgan’s hair behind her ear. “And interesting. I mean, if you had told me that you find my boobs sexy, I’d be, like, ‘Duh! No kidding! I have fabulous boobs, of course you find them sexy!’”

“Your boobs are fabulously sexy,” Morgan said, laughing. “And you are driving me crazy in that dress you have on!”

Chloë smiled knowingly. She had on a cute black floral print dress, the hem of which ended just above her knees. But Chloë knew the part of the dress which Morgan liked was the shirred top section with spaghetti straps. The fabric of this part of the garment conformed perfectly to the shape of her unharnessed breasts, as if it had been tailor-made.

“You’re not wearing a bra, are you?” Morgan asked.