Page 53 of Shifting Gears

Nora hardly did any work—Dani did most of it herself and managed to almost take Nora with her in the mind-melting hotness of the process, but Nora still soaks the praise up.

She hardly gives Dani a moment to recuperate before she’s climbing up her body for a messy kiss, her face still slick as she straddles Dani’s lap and presses down into her.

“Eager, eh?” Dani grins as she sits up to meet her, her hands already gripping soft handfuls of Nora’s hips.

“Oh, shut up,” Nora retorts breathlessly, pulling Dani’s hand to where it’s needed.

The talking is minimal after that.

* * *

From the moment she wakes up, Nora notices the differences to her usual morning routine.

The curtains that she usually draws before bed have been left open, and the morning sunlight is streaming in, lighting up the yellow walls and warming Nora’s face. She can already smell coffee drifting up from the kitchen, and there’s a soft noise coming from the same direction—singing, maybe. Quiet and soothing. Nora’s mouth tastes like she forgot to brush her teeth last night, and there’s a distinct soreness in almost every part of her body.

And, most noticeably, she is very naked.

When she stretches out over the soft sheets, shaking the last of the sleep from her limbs, Nora is made very aware of the remnant slipperiness between her legs. It’s a pleasant reminder of the night’s events which flicker through her mind like a slide show, and rather than being worried about what happens next, Nora just lets the warmth diffuse to her whole body.

She slips downstairs to a beautiful sight.

Dani is in Nora’s kitchen in her boxers and bra, her hair full and loose and sleep-messy as she flips what looks like an omelette in a frying pan and turns off the burner. She reaches over for one of Nora’s mugs, taking a sip of coffee, and continues humming a song Nora doesn’t recognize.

Behind Dani—and crystal clear through the floor-to-ceiling windows—the sun shines off the water and filters through the leaves, making the morning light dance across Dani’s skin. There’s a full French press on the counter and a second mug waiting, a cutting board full of chopped vegetables on the kitchen island, and a sizable hickey on Dani’s neck.

Nora feels like an interloper in the scene, catching a glimpse of a Dani she’s never seen before. One that’s not often shown to the world. Everything seems irrevocably changed now, their relationship made infinitely more complicated, and soon enough Dani turns around to grab a pinch of Parmesan cheese and sees Nora in the doorway.

“Good morning!” Dani says, her grin wide and genuine. She sprinkles the Parmesan and some chives on top of an omelette before handing it over. “I had to guess what you’d like. You like mushrooms, right?”

Nora nods mutely, taking the warm plate Dani hands her. Nora isn’t sure whether to eat or just stare at Dani, now busying herself with the second frying pan. Dani plates her own omelettejust a moment later, this one with green peppers and tomatoes, and promptly upends a bottle of ketchup on top of it.

Nora finally breaks out of her trance, shaking her head with a chuckle.

Dani is still Dani.

“That’s disgusting,” Nora remarks, finally bringing her own first delicious bite of egg, mushroom, and spinach up to her mouth.

Dani laughs, digging her fork into the ketchupy monstrosity. “Ketchup and eggs belong together.”

“Ketchup belongs on hamburgers and fries. Nothing else.”

“How terribly uncreative of you,” Dani says, her fork pointed in Nora’s direction, and Nora relaxes into her chair. It’s just a regular meal with Dani. Nothing has changed besides the fact that Dani is in her underwear and that Nora is naked under her robe.

And maybe that everything Nora has been strategically not saying about her life and her purpose here is a more pressing issue than before.

If there were ever a time to reveal the truth, it’s probably now. It actually would have been much better to do it before she lost control of the situation and slept with Dani, but Nora can’t turn back time.

When they finish the food, Nora gathers the dishes and organizes them in the dishwasher, all the time trying to formulate the right words. The right way to say, let’s slow down for a second.Or, even worse, I really like you, but…

“Nora? You okay?”

Dani’s voice startles Nora out of her thoughts. She realizes that she’s been staring into the dishwasher for at least thirty seconds and Dani is looking at her with concern.

With a deep breath, Nora dives in headfirst. “Okay. So last night was great.Reallygreat. It was kind of staggeringly great,actually, but I think there’s something we should talk about before things go any further.”

Something flickers across Dani’s face. It’s barely noticeable, but it strikes Nora as very similar to what she’s feeling right now.

“I know you can’t do anything serious,” Dani says quickly.

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