Page 59 of Party Favors
As soon as Wren was within arm’s length, Amanda kissed her swiftly. “Oh my God, you look amazing!”
Wren playfully preened. “My girlfriend gave me this jacket.” Wren loved that word—girlfriend.
“I knew it would be perfect for you.” Amanda walked a circle around Wren, taking in the outfit from all sides. Wren was wearing leather leggings, her favorite combat boots, and a bright yellow suit jacket from the ’80s with nothing underneath. She’d used double-sided tape to keep the jacket in place and prevent any wardrobe malfunctions.
Wren snatched Amanda to her as she finished her circuit and kissed her neck. She marveled at the fact that she could kiss Amanda whenever she wanted, hold her,seeher. Amanda had moved about seven months ago. Wren could have lasted longer doing the long-distance thing. She would have done it forever if it had meant being with Amanda over holiday weekends and vacations—that was love for you—but, man, was she thankful she got to see Amanda every day now.
They crossed the street hand in hand. The bouncer waved them in, which was a thrill in itself. Perks of knowing the owner, she supposed.
The crowd swept them in, so Wren gripped Amanda’s hand tighter. They came to Mount pretty often to dance, to see friends, or for a nightcap when they were spending the night at Amanda’s apartment, but tonight it was as rowdy as Wren had ever seen it.
Adrenaline zipped through her, ramping her up immediately. She spotted Benji and tugged Amanda in that direction. Benji threw his arms around Amanda and started chatting her ears off immediately. Wren watched them with a smile. They were thick as thieves. She greeted her other friends, who were posted up around the table. They had all accepted Amanda into their group like she was meant to be there, like she would have a place with them forever. And Wren hoped she did. Even if the worst happened and they didn’t work out, she wanted Amanda in her life. She wanted Amanda to have a family here.
Of course, if Wren had any say in the matter, she and Amanda would be together forever.
“Benji said the hot bartender is making cocktails with sparklers in them,” Amanda said excitedly in her ear. “Let’s go!”
“That cannot be safe.” Wren grinned. “Which I love. Lead the way.”
At the bar, there were big buckets of party favors, including Ring Pops with tags that said, “Ring in the New Year.” Amanda snagged one of the lollipops and stuck it on her own ring finger. They ordered the drink special for the night, called the Sparkly Midnight Kiss. The “hot bartender” lined up their Kisses on the edge of the bar and quickly lit the short sparkler garnish in both.
They were so fascinated by the sparklers that neither of them managed to snag their drink from the bar before the sparks had died off. It had only lasted about fifteen seconds.
Wren picked up her Sparkly Midnight Kiss with a laugh andtinked her glass against Amanda’s. “To the old year.”
Amanda smiled. “To the old year. And the new.”
“The new.”
Amanda took a sip of her drink, and her eyes scrunched shut. “Fuck, that’s sweet.”
Wren laughed, tried hers, and shuddered at the overwhelming sugariness. “Yep. Bottoms up.” She drank the rest in a few hearty swallows.
“Braver than me. I’m going to have to nurse this.” Amanda pulled her out onto the dancefloor. She alternated between sips of her Midnight Kiss and lavish sucks on her Ring Pop, which turned Wren on way more than it should have.
The crowd was raucous, but there was a joyfulness in the air. Just a bunch of queer people enjoying the safety of a gay bar on New Year’s Eve. Enjoying sugary drinks and dance music and the company of their friends.
They spent all night dancing. They danced with Benji and William, Rosie and Leo. Wren boogied down with Rosie and Benji’s other sister, Sasha, and her husband, Perry. They slow danced with Robin and did the YMCA with women from the roller derby team. It wasn’t Father Time Farm and Resort. It wasn’t fancy, but it was a wonderful night.
Hell, Wren would have been happy no matter where she was or what she was doing as long as it was with Amanda. It would have been an awesome New Year’s even if they had been at home in their pajamas. Either of their homes.
Not living together yet worked for them. Wren thought they were being very responsible about that. Not rushing. Not being too rash.
But damn, as she threw her arms over Amanda’s shoulders and brought her down for a kiss, she couldn’t help but wish she got to wake up next to Amanda every morning. She dreamed of sharing one bed, one refrigerator, one mailbox with her.
Maybe that would come in time, and if it didn’t, that was okay. But if she were being honest with herself—she wanted it. She just didn’t want to push it.
As the evening wore on, Amanda became more and more disheveled. She’d acquired a party hat from a random person and had it perched off-kilter on her head. Noisemakers had been passed out at some point, and she had a large kazoo stuffed through the strap of her bra for easy access. She’d discarded her Ring Pop, but it had painted her mouth bright red. Her hair was tangled around her shoulders, and her face was rosy from dancing.
She was hot as fuck.
There must have been something in Wren’s eyes that clued Amanda into her dirty thoughts because Amanda led Wren deeper into the writhing mass of people on the dancefloor where it was impossible to see where one person ended and another began. They were pressed close. It was incredibly public, but the crowd lent them anonymity and concealment.
Amanda kissed Wren hard. She tasted like fruity cocktails and a cherry sucker. The smell of sweat from other dancers wafted around them, but Wren was flooded with Amanda’s unique amber-and-cinnamon scent. Without warning, Amanda slipped her hand into Wren’s suit jacket and fingered her nipple piercing. Wren’s knees almost gave out. She wasn’t wearing a bra, so Amanda’s access was totally unencumbered.
Wren moaned into Amanda’s mouth and melted under her hands. She was wet, excited by the naughtiness of this and the pull and tug against her nipple.
She should have been worried that someone might see, but her jacket was covering her, so she didn’t give a fuck. It felt too good. Wild and impulsive and perfect.
