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Cass stopped walking and put a soft hand on Ari’s bicep. Her long, strong fingers were firm on Ari’s arm.

“Look, I just think we could help each other out. You help me cover with Elle, and I’ll come to your work party to woo all your bosses with my indie, alternative charm,” Cass smirked.

Ari shook her head, “That’s ridiculous. How would that even work?”

As they spoke, Ari could feel the entire office’s eyes on their conversation, but it was clear that Cass wasn’t leaving without her help. “Look, why don’t we meet up for drinks later and we’ll talk,” Ari offered. Everything was a negotiation, and she might just be able to make this deal work for her.

Cass pumped her fist by her torso with a “yes” under her breath.

Ari rolled her eyes,what a weirdo.

Cass reached into Ari’s trouser pocket and plucked her phone from inside. She held the lock screen to Ari’s face to unlock it and opened the Messages app.

“What the fuck…” Ari said, giving up on fighting her on it.

Cass typed in her number and shot herself a text, “So we can coordinate.”

She handed Ari her phone back and wiggled her eyebrows before turning toward the elevator bank and cooing just a little too loudly, “Bye, honey.”

Ari shook her head, watching Cass as she exited the office. Her thrifted pants may have been loose, but they didn’t obscure how stunning Cass’s body looked underneath them.

Maybe it wouldn’t be a terrible idea…

4

CASS

By the timeCass made it back home, she only had an hour before she had to turn around and head back into Manhattan.

Her trek to Astoria was long, but she hadn’t ever regretted moving there.

She popped open the front door of her apartment and was immediately greeted by the clattering of her roommate, Gabby, who was fumbling around in the kitchen.

“Cass?” Gabby called.

“Hey, Gabs!” Cass yelled back as she placed her keys on the hook by the door, the scent of cooked garlic floating in the air.

Her stomach growled as she smelled what Gabby was cooking, “Oh my god, that smells amazing,” she said as she made her way into the small, galley kitchen.

Gabby’s face lit up at the compliment, “Really? You’re totally welcome to as much as you want.”

“Thanks,” Cass gave her a side hug as she took a look at the bruschetta on the counter. She and Gabby had met in college, fallen for the same girl, and ended up becoming the best of friends. They had moved in together soon after graduating and never quite wanted it to end.

Cass wandered toward the living room, the same blue couch from nearly five years ago centered in the room. Their decor was an eclectic collection of stooped and thrifted art, indoor plants, and cat furniture.

As she slumped onto the couch and pulled out her phone, she looked up the bar she was meeting Ari at. When she woke up that morning, she’d hardly believed that Ari was as beautiful as she remembered. But seeing Ari Graves again quickly proved her wrong.

Something about her tight bun, draping clothes, and powerful stare made Cass feel like she could dive into a lifetime of steamy nights with her.

But that’s not what Cass was looking for. She needed to spend time on her own. Elle had wrecked her sense of self and made it nearly impossible for Cass to feel like she could trust herself, nevermind her ability to pick a good partner.

Cass shook off memories of Elle snooping through her phone as Gabby presented a plate of bruschetta on pan-toasted bread.

“Ta-dah,” She said, an adorable smile plastered on her face.

Cass ducked her head — Gabby was never able to stop herself from offering people food.

“Are you sure?” Cass asked as Gabby set the plate on the walnut coffee table.