Chapter 1 - Jay
Sunlight crept its way into the room, gently prying open Jay’s eyes. Jay reluctantly opened them, yearning for a continuation of the dream already forgotten. They tossed the blanket back and shuffled to the kitchen. There, they plucked a banana out of the fruit basket and quickly downed it with a glass of water. Leaving the bed unmade, Jay stepped into the bathroom and set to work.
The shower took a minute to heat up and this was time utilized to undress. The warm water embraced their skin as they stepped in. An off-day from shampoo, Jay only applied a small amount of conditioner to the ends of their hair before scrubbing their face, and following up with a wash. Repeating the process for the body was the last step before coating the legs with shaving cream. They refused to allow one hair to remain anywhere, but the head.
Thoughts of Talia slithered their way in as the preparations were made. Flashes of moments danced across their mind, akin to the accelerated passage of time whenever she was near. The romanticization of the memory casted her in a glittering light, and Jay’s muscles started to tense as they imagined Talia's long, curly hair brushing over their body, just before her lips brushed over their chest.
After rinsing off all the hair and shaving cream, Jay stepped out of the shower and toweled off. Allowing time to air dry, Jay clipped and filed their nails, moisturized their face, and brushed their long brown hair. Applying a lavender and chamomile moisturizer was the final check in confirming that all their limbs were sufficiently smooth. Once that dried, the morning rituals would be complete. Jay slipped on an oversized black t-shirt and shorts, a functional outfit for gathering tonight’s supplies, and set out.
Jay dipped into their black car, tucked the left side of their hair behind their ear with only partial success, and slid the key into the ignition. They started their small sedan and selected a playlist. “After Hours” seemed like a good choice and they pulled onto the road.
Focusing on the road was a fierce battle as the anticipation crawled along Jay's skin. Would Talia accept or refuse? All this work had the potential to be for nothing, but Jay knew she would accept, they couldn’t bear the thought of her refusal. Jay believed they saw it in her eyes, she was waiting for her opportunity and Jay was going to give it to her.
Jay had a bit of time to browse the aisles at the supermarket and made sure not to grab any cold items first. They knew that they wanted unscented candles, so as to not have anything clash with the perfume they were planning on wearing. Jay delighted in looking at the various artistic designs on the wine bottles. Truthfully, Jay had no idea which wine would taste the best or what even makes a wine taste good, but it was imperative to gather a bottle that would fit into the theme of the night. Tonight, the atmosphere was everything.
Jay’s eyes landed on a bottle depicting a woman in a long flowing dress painted in only black and white while the writing on the bottle was a bright red. This resonated well and Jay placed it in the cart, hoping that it would add the intended effect.
Last Friday night, Jay invited Talia to go out to a restaurant they loved along the market strip. Outdoor seating with heating and string LED bulb lights produced an atmosphere that Jay hoped they both found intoxicating. But, if that wasn't intoxicating enough, the IPA's they were downing surely were. One week apart left too much catching up to do; words spilled out of them like a waterfall. They both found something so cathartic in sharing the objectively mundane with each other. A simple story from work magically evolved into the thread binding them together. The thread that stitched the softest blanket surrounding them, shutting out the rest of the world and absorbing them into their sanctuary.
“Cash or card?” the cashier inquired, ripping Jay from their daydream.
“Uh, card.” Jay managed to reply.
On the drive home, Jay was riding the high of anticipation as they blared the carefully curated playlist they've heard countless times before.
