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Esther worried her showers were getting suspiciously longer, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t work that need out of her.

And now they sat on the couch together, the lights low and nary a conscious chaperone in sight, and Esther wondered—despite knowing she really shouldn’t, that this was just how Ashley slept and not actual affection or even attraction—how would she make it through the rest of the night, let alone three more days, without throwing herself at Ashley and seeing where the chips landed.

“I have an idea.” Ashley picked up her phone and dialed a number.

Praise Jesus, a distraction. “Who are you calling at two in the morning?”

“Don’t worry.” Ashley switched to speakerphone. “He said to call whenever.”

Esther was skeptical but desperate enough for a distraction to allow it.

It rang a few times until, “Hello?” A groggy Uther answered the phone. “Ashley? I didn’t think I had your number.”

“Umm, that’s because you don’t.” Ashley checked her screen looking puzzled. “Are you at August’s place? At two in the morning?”

There was a pause. “It’s three over here.”

Ashley grabbed Esther’s arm and they both screamed.

“What the hell is all that noise?” A distant, yet grouchy August mumbled in the background.

“In case you haven’t figured it out by now.” Uther spoke over Esther and Ashley’s excited screaming. “We’re kind of a thing. Also, why has Ashley called my boyfriendtwicenow while I haveyetto receive a single call from my best friend?”

“Twice?” mouthed Esther.

Ashley shrugged and silently mouthed,Bored.

A muffled August in the background said something that sounded like “Boyfriend?” followed by a lot of shuffling and giggling.

“Witch,” Ashley yelled into the phone, “if you have sex while on the phone with me, I will drown you for real.”

“Listen.” August was on the phone now. “I’ve got to let you go. Something just came up.”

Another giggle in the background and more shuffling. Then Uther’s voice. “Call again on New Year’s. Toodles.”

The phone went dead.

“Did he just say toodles?” asked Esther.

Ashley

“Is this too much for a karaoke bar?” Esther stood in the doorway in a little, black dress with long sleeves and diamond side cutouts, paired with black tights and gorgeous black pumps.Her lips were such a deep shade of purple they were nearly black.

“You’re perfect,” Ashley said. “It’s perfect. Screw dress codes. Wear this always, please.”

It was New Year’s Eve, and Ashley’s parents had ditched them for the Millers’ annual euchre party. Which Ashley decided was fine, since she would much rather hang out with Esther in that dress at Peanut’s Pub than enter the new year with her parents’ friends and a stomach full of room temperature champagne and a dozen different kinds of pasta salad.

Esther pushed her hair behind her ear, providing a delicious view of the blush coloring her cheeks and?—

“Where’d your cross earrings go?” Ashley asked.

“Oh.” Esther flinched. “I umm… didn’t think they were right for tonight.”

“What’s going to keep me from attacking you now?” Ashley joked.

“I-I guess that’s just up to you now.”

Sweet baby Jesus. Good thing Ashley was designated driver. She’d need all her senses tonight to remember to not take advantage of that opening.