Page 18

Mia stood in front of the mirror, wondering if the sundress really did say ‘carefree festival-goer.’ It danced around her mid thighs, showing off the last of her fake tan. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, already a little frizzy in the heat.

She groaned and ran her fingers through her hair. All of this was a bad idea. But every cell in her body was screaming with excitement at the thought of spending the afternoon with Luna. With a sigh, she slumped onto the bed.

“You’re acting like this is a date,”

she said to herself.

And it was a date. A fake one. Not a real one. That was a message she needed to send to her hormones.

Before she could spiral any further, there was a sharp knock at the door. Rachel poked her head in. “My, my, don’t you look a picture,”

she said. “Other than the fact that you look like you’re about to start hyperventilating, that is. Stop trying so hard to impress her. It’s going to be fine. Or…”

She sighed. “Or it’s going to be what it’s going to be. Whatever that is.”

“I’m not trying to impress her,”

Mia said quickly, the words tumbling out on reflex even though she was lying.

Rachel raised an eyebrow and came to perch on the edge of Mia’s bed, crossing her legs. “Mmm-hmm. It’s not like that. Right. Except you’re here agonizing over how you look, and I’ve seen the way you look at her. And, much to my surprise and be damned to all the gods, I’ve seen the way she’s started to look at you.”

“How does she look at me?”

Mia asked, curious.

“Like she’s trying to figure out how to set the world on fire just to make you smile.”

Rachel shook her head. “I didn’t think this was meant to be, I didn’t believe it at first. I still don’t believe the beginning. But something has changed, evolved, all of this has morphed into something out of control and neither of you can handle it.”

Mia’s cheeks burned. They’d finally persuaded Rachel that they weren’t lying and now… Now she felt guilty for lying. “This is quite the pep talk you’re giving me.”

Rachel waved her off. “I’m not here to give advice or to interfere. You’re an adult and all of this is your own business. I’m here if you want to talk and that’s it. What I am here for is to give you this.”

She handed over a slightly battered-looking mobile phone.

Mia took it, biting her lip, and gave Rachel a questioning look.

“It was in lost and found,”

Rachel said. “I got a cheap pay-as-you-go SIM to put in it. Thought you might need it since you’ve been off grid for so long. Someone like you needs a lifeline, even if you think you don’t. Emergencies happen.”

Turning the phone over in her hands, Mia hesitated. “I’m not sure…”

“You’re sure,”

Rachel said. “Take it. Just in case.”

Mia finally nodded, pocketing the phone as Rachel stood to leave. “Thank you.”

“Hey,”

Rachel said, looking down at her kindly. “Relax. It’s just a festival. You’re allowed to have fun, you know.”

She left and, ten minutes later, as Mia was still fidgeting with her hair, there was another knock. This time, it was Luna’s familiar voice.

“You ready in there? Or am I going to have to drag you out of here in your pajamas?”

Luna demanded. “Or, worse and far more interesting, your underwear?”

Mia opened the door, ready to fire off a retort, but the sight of Luna stopped her short. She was wearing the same ripped denim shorts, the same loose, flowing white shirt, the same silver rings on her fingers and in her ears, but the very sight of her made Mia’s legs feel weak.

How did the woman always look so effortlessly cool?

And why did just looking at her make Mia’s stomach feel so odd?

“What are you looking at?”

Luna asked.

“You,”

said Mia, before she could stop herself.

Luna grinned. “In that case, wow.”

She leaned against the doorframe, letting her eyes sweep over Mia’s dress. “You clean up nicely.”

Mia rolled her eyes. “Don’t push it,”

she muttered, grabbing her bag.

As they headed out, Luna glanced sideways at her. “Brace yourself, this festival is going to be a memorable one. Bet you.”

She winked.

And Mia’s stomach contracted and her heart beat too hard and her mouth went all dry. Which was completely ridiculous. But then everything about Luna was ridiculous, wasn’t it?

THE FESTIVAL WAS in full swing as they walked down to the high street. There was the smell of fried food and candy floss filling the air, the sounds of laughter and live music echoing through the streets. Little stalls and hundreds of tourists filled the pavements.

“What’s all this in aid of?”

she asked.

Luna shrugged. “Dunno. Started off as a church fête, I think, but it turned into this. We do it every year.”

The afternoon heat was stifling, and Mia found herself wishing that she’d worn something even lighter. Though, to be honest, that would probably have just meant walking around naked. She fanned herself with a pamphlet that she’d grabbed from one of the stalls, but the heat just kept getting more and more oppressive.

As they walked through the crowd, Luna’s hand kept brushing against hers. It was nothing deliberate, Mia was sure of it, just the natural result of walking close together in such a busy space. But every touch sent a jolt of electricity through her nerves. And made her core grow hotter.

“Beer?”

Luna asked, stopping at a stall.

“Yeah,”

said Mia, grateful for anything to cool her down. Grateful to have something to do with her hands that didn’t involve touching Luna, either accidentally or… deliberately. She gave a small hiccup of breath.

“Here we go.”

Luna handed her one of the ice-cold cups and she took it, taking a large swig immediately and almost choking. “Steady on,”

Luna said.

“Sorry,”

gasped Mia, getting her breath back. “Swallowed the wrong way.”

Luna reached out, her thumb brushing against Mia’s top lip in a way that made every single hair on Mia’s body stand on end.

“Beer mustache,”

she said in explanation, her voice light but her eyes lingering on Mia’s.

Mia’s breath hitched. “Um, thanks.”

Her heart was beating too hard again. She had a sudden vision of the woman in the changing room laughing in her new bikini, and her hand was already reaching out, already going to touch Luna. To what end, she had no idea. She just craved the touch, the feel of her.

And then the phone in her pocket rang. She broke off, fumbling to pull the phone out of her pocket and glancing at the screen. Unknown number, obviously. This wasn’t her phone.

Luna looked at her in confusion and Mia shrugged, stepping out of the crowd to answer the phone.

“Mia?”

“Yes.”

She could barely hear who it was.

“It’s Mikey.”

“Who?”

“Mikey!”

he shouted down the phone line.

“Mikey? How…”

She stopped herself. He must have called the hotel and Rachel must have given him the number.

“Mia, I need…”

The rest of his sentence was lost in the noise of a band striking up.

“Mikey?” she said.

“Mia?”

Cymbals crashed, and she looked down at the phone in her hand. Screw it. She was allowed to have fun, wasn’t she? That’s what Rachel said. She wasn’t going to let her real life spoil things. Not today. She put the phone back to her ear. “I can’t hear you,”

she shouted down the line. “I’m… out. I’ll ring you later.”

Then she hung up before he could respond, her chest tight.

Luna appeared at her side, brow furrowed with concern. “Everything alright? Where’d you get a phone from?”

“Lost and found,”

Mia said. “Rachel gave it to me. And everything’s fine.”

“Fine?”

Luna’s eyes searched her face.

“It was just Mikey, that’s all,”

Mia said finally.

The moment was gone, past. She didn’t reach out to touch Luna, and now she wasn’t going to. She didn’t know if she was disappointed or relieved.

Luna studied her for a moment before grinning. “Come on, I know just the thing to cheer you up.”

She dragged Mia toward a game involving water balloons and targets. Mia pulled back, but Luna insisted. And five minutes later, they were drenched and laughing, their earlier tension eased by the silliness of it all.

AS THE SUN dipped below the horizon, the festival transformed the little town. Sparkling lights illuminated the streets, and the warm glow of the lanterns gave the town an almost magical quality. The brass bands disappeared, making way for lighter music, more melodic tunes that soon had people gathering on the makeshift dance floor opposite the coffee shop.

Mia watched happily until she felt Luna reach for her hand.

For an instant, the whole world lit up.

“Care to dance?”

Luna asked nonchalantly.

Mia hesitated. “I don’t—”

“Don’t worry,”

said Luna, squeezing her hand. “I’ll lead.”

She pulled Mia out onto the dance floor, ignoring all her protests. At first, their movements were exaggerated and silly, Luna spinning Mia dramatically and dipping her with over-the-top flourishes that had her laughing and nearly in hysterics.

Their laughter drew attention and Mia could feel the eyes on them, could feel people watching.

But as the music slowed down, their dancing became less playful, less ostentatious. Until Luna’s hands were rested on Mia’s waist, and Mia found herself putting her hands on Luna’s shoulders, feeling the warmth of her skin through her shirt.

“You’re not bad at this,”

Luna murmured, her voice low.

“I could say the same for you,”

said Mia, feeling her cheeks flush, something that had nothing to do with the heat of the evening.

The air between them shifted, getting somehow heavier.

And then, suddenly, their faces were so close that Mia could see the glow of the lights on Luna’s skin, could smell the mint of her breath. She didn’t know who had moved first. She just knew that Luna had stopped, Luna was hesitating, like she was giving Mia a chance to move away.

And Mia considered it. She really did.

Until she didn’t anymore, and she was leaning in instead, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest.

As their lips met, the world seemed to tilt on its axis, the noise of the festival fading into nothingness. Mia parted her lips, tilted her head, and Luna pressed her closer until finally, heart throbbing now, Mia pulled back.

Luna rested her forehead against Mia, breathless. “Well,”

she said, voice shaky. “That was… unexpected.”

But Mia couldn’t bring herself to reply. She just stared at Luna, the weight of the moment settling over her.