Page 76 of Love Is…?

Jayde tugged out her phone, googled the number forThe Keysborough, and rang their front desk to explain that one of their guests would be arriving in the next ten to fifteen minutes, that the guest was quite drunk, that the guest probably didn’t know her own name let alone her room number, then followed that information with a request to have someone assist the guest to her room. That request was met with an, “Absolutely,” and, “The Keysboroughprides itself on its customer service”, both of which sounded reassuring.

She puffed her cheeks and pushed the air out through pursed lips. Embarrassment had to be the reason why Tessa had put the brakes on the beginnings of their night of guaranteed pleasure. It sounded like Olna had done a number on Tessa’s sexual self-worth, and perhaps Tessa went into any experience like lastnight with a feeling of inadequacy. The idea made Jayde grind her teeth.

“And she’d be feeling a tonne of anxiety,” Jayde mumbled. “I hope I didn’t cause it.”

Suddenly, she didn’t want to text Tessa. She wanted to be in Tessa’s space, hold her hand, touch her face gently as they told each other what they needed to hear, because embarrassment, anxiety, and low sexual self esteem were not discussions for emojis and interpretative punctuation.

She tapped her fingers together in thought, and mentally called up the map of Melbourne tram routes.

Even though itwas ten-thirty at night on a Sunday, she was counting on Tessa being awake to have the conversation that Jayde hoped they’d have.

She knocked on the door, and Angel’s voice carried from the apartment into the hallway.

“If you’re standing out there because you can’t find your key and you’ve forgotten your thermal undies for your trek into Wherever-The-Hell National Park, then it’s your own fault. I could have helped you pack, you know.”

The front door flew open, and Angel, dressed in a panda onesie, blinked at Jayde.

“Well, you’re not Tessa.”

“Sorry. I don’t mean—” Jayde cut herself off as she took in Angel’s words. “Oh, crap. Tessa’s got that school camp thing.”

“Uh huh.”

Then Angel seemed to take pity on Jayde, because she opened the door, and waved her inside. “Come on. You look like you need tea.”

Jayde walked over the threshold, then stopped.

Angel tipped her head quizzically.

“So, Jayde mate, why do you look like you’ve landed on Earth for the first time, and you’re a bit confused?” She raised her eyebrows, then walked into the kitchen with Jayde trailing after her.

“What?”

Angel circled her finger at Jayde’s face. “All wide eyes and freaked out.”

“I’m not?—”

“Yeah, you are. You’ve arrived looking for a woman who told you she’s out of range for forty-eight hours, but you seem to have forgotten that detail because something more important overrode your memory cells. Either you have secret information about the origin of crop circles or you’ve worked out Tessa Connor.”

Jayde sat heavily on the kitchen stool.

“The second one?” she replied, unsure if she’d discovered the answer to Tessa Connor at all.

Angel gave a singular nod. “Good.” She turned towards the electric jug. “Crop circles are weird and I’d have to ask you to leave because I don’t want to know about rotating hay.”

Mugs in hand, they wandered into the lounge and took up opposite ends of the sofa.

“So, the puzzle that is Tessa. Got it figured out yet?” Angel flicked back the onesie’s hood, then blew across the surface of her tea.

Jayde cradled her mug, appreciating its warmth. “I don’t—no, not at all.”

Angel laughed. “Of course you haven’t. What happened?”

Indecision sat uncomfortably in Jayde’s mouth. Last night really wasn’t the sort of thing to be discussing with anyoneexcept Tessa. But then again, Angel felt like a safe person to download on. The indecision must have been very evident.

Angel smiled. “Jayde, nothing shocks me. Absolutely nothing.”

“I really shouldn’t?—”

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