Page 96 of When I Picture You

“Maybe I want to watch you get dressed.”

The bathrobe swallowed Lola’s frame, and her hair hung loose and wet. Renee held out her hand. When Lola came closer, Renee pulled at the robe’s belt. It fell open, revealing a strip of her still-damp body. Renee slid a hand inside the robe and cupped the jut of her hip. “Get back in bed with me?”

Lola wetted her lips as the robe slipped from her shoulders. “Just for a minute.”

Renee held up the duvet for Lola to slip in. She nestled into Renee’s arms. Water bled from the dark ropes of Lola’s hair into the pillowcase. Renee sighed with deep satisfaction. Lola kissed her, slow and sensual, a long good morning. The kind of enveloping kiss Renee wanted to spend the whole morning getting lost in, just the two of them under the blankets in the half-dark room and the taste of mint lingering on Lola’s lips.

“I don’t have time for—for more,” Lola said. Renee loved that Lola still hesitated to refer directly to fucking.

“I know. I just wanted to hold you. I’m going to miss you today.”

Renee traced a line of kisses along her jaw, up to her ear, thenstopped. They both knew what would happen if she kept going. “Maybe I can come meet you, for the shopping stuff?”

“I’d love that, but it’s your day off.”

“I know. But you do rely on my fashion advice.”

SOMEHOW, RENEE HADimagined strolling with Lola from store to store, where she’d sit patiently like the world’s best boyfriend, telling Lola she looked smoking hot in everything she tried on. In reality, she’d signed on to a multi-hour, tightly managed affair. They waited in the black SUV while the showroom was cleared, or they were ushered to a private room, where the stylists’ or brand’s pulls were waiting. Lola deferred to their recommendations almost every time.

While they waited for the next set of picks, Renee browsed a rack of women’s suiting in a rainbow of jewel tones. She thumbed the sleeve of a rust-colored set.

“Why don’t you wear something like this, Lo?” Renee said.

“It’s not really my style. But these are gorgeous.”

Renee hadn’t moved past the rust-red suit. “They are.”

“Why don’t you try it?” Lola said.

“It doesn’t come in black,” Renee said. She did like that wearing black made her look tough, but it was also practical, cheap, and, most of all, safe—even if it could be a little boring.

“You seem to like the red.”

Renee turned away from the rack and shoved a hand through her hair. “It’s nice, I guess, but it wouldn’t fit anyway.”

Cassidy lurked up beside them, phone in hand. “Lola, Chloe confirmed for dinner tomorrow.”

“What dinner?” Renee asked. “I thought we were free tomorrow.”

“Remember Saint Satin? It’s hard being new in the business, so I reached out to her. More established artists did that for me, when Iwas starting out, and it really meant a lot to me. I like to pay it forward.”

“You’re only saying that because Chloe’s a massive Lo-Lite.”

Lola bumped her shoulder against Renee. “I’ve already got a fangirl following me around everywhere.”

Renee’s heart swelled happily at Lola’s teasing. “I don’t want to be replaced! Am I invited?”

“Not this time. Why don’t you get dinner with a friend?”

Renee chewed her lip for a moment. “Actually, tomorrow night there’s this annual party that my MFA program throws. The Fall Reception. All the faculty and students go, and a bunch of industry people and alumni come.”

“You never mentioned that.”

“I can’t go anyway. I didn’t RSVP,” Renee said.

“At least come up with an excuse that makes sense,” Lola said flatly.

“Fine. I can’t go because I don’t want to.”