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“I still can’t believe this is happening,” she says. Charlie’s sitting up front chatting with the driver, Jordan, leaving Maeve and me in our own little world in the middle row.

I smile. “You look stunning.”

“You look like you’re actually supposed to be on TV tonight.”

I run my hand through my newly cut hair. It was stuck somewhere between an undercut and a bob, and my stylist opted for giving me a clean undercut that emphasizes the length on top. I like it; it leaves that gorgeous Grace Kelly bob style for Maeve.

“Are you nervous?” I ask.

She tries to give a blasé shrug, but her dress accentuates the fact that she’s shaking. “I’m still not sure what to do with all the cameras.”

I chew on my inner cheek; can’t wreck the lipstick. “Did you go to prom?”

“Yeah.”

I take her hand. “Then think of this like prom but with a bunch of rich theater kids.”

Maeve laughs, her breath gradually slowing down. “I’ll try.” Her hand drops back to her lap.

But it turns out the red carpet isn’t even the most stressful part of the night. That’s picking up Romy and Luna from their apartment. They’re both in suits, and it’s honestly adorable, but I really didn’t anticipate having a physical reaction to seeing Luna all dressed up. My chest tightens trying to figure out how to greet your ex appropriately with your new girlfriend sitting in the car. Luckily, makeup limits us to those air-cheek-kisses.

“Hey, thank you so much for this,” Luna says, gesturing to the tickets I got her, as we pull out of our hug. Romy’s already given me a courteous fist bump and climbed into the back row.

“No problem,” I say, flashing a more charming smile than I intended. I guess I haven’t gotten those out of my system with her.

Maeve looks back to chat with Romy as everyone puts their seat belts back on.

“So did you take over QuASA for Leland at SC?” Romy asks.

Maeve nods. “Yeah, I think like two years ago? Took long enough; the guy still thought queer was a slur.”

“Romy,” Luna says. “Enough with the inquisition. We haven’t even introduced ourselves.”

Romy laughs. “Maeve seems cool.” Romy holds their hand out, and she and Maeve shake. “I’m Romy, Luna’s partner and the only person in this car validating Val’s belief that Mothman is real.”

Maeve gives me a look. “Mothman?”

“Those kids saw Mothman twice,” is all I have to say about that.

“I’m Luna,” Luna says without offering Maeve her hand. “I’m Valeria—Val’s—”

She’s gonna try to just say friend. “Ex,” I say. Better to break the tension now. “Friend now.”

“Friend always,” Charlie says emphatically. “We gotta start feeding that narrative instead of the cradle robber one, Sully.”

“She was twenty-four!” I say at the same time as Luna says, “I was twenty-four!”

Maeve just watches, an amused smile on her face. “You two have strangely similar energy.”

Romy throws their hands up. “Exactly! A Libra and Gemini can’t function together!”

Okay, for all that this is becoming a roast, I’m relieved. Maeve doesn’t seem threatened by Luna. Good. Now I just need to let Charlie shine during our award presentation and this night will be a success—

“Okay, let’s just get it all out there,” Maeve says. “What’s the craziest thing you two have done?”

The car feels twenty degrees hotter, and I’m stuck to the seat. I don’t dare look back at Luna. “Uh…” Fuck, does her crying naked on my living room floor count? “I gave her a hand job in an Uber.”

As Jordan stiffens from the rearview mirror, Romy and Charlie laugh. Maeve stares at me, blinking. She’s clearly stunned. And now I’m suddenly not so sure she meant sex when she said “craziest thing.”