Page 32 of Back Up Plan

“So, Cass, how have you been?” Tommy asked.

Cass smiled, “I’m good. You know how much I love Pride.”

Tommy nodded, “Oh definitely. Have you guys settled on where you’re going tonight?”

Ari shrugged and said, “Probably the usual places. Hopefully we can do Ginger’s, Phoenix, and maybe something else?”

“We should meet at Ginger’s then,” Tommy said.

“My friend Gabby was thinking about heading to Ginger’s too, actually.”

Ari smiled, “So, maybe that's the move?”

Her eyes glanced down to Cass’s mouth. Cass felt like she could wilt under Ari’s intense eyes.

Cass leaned in once Tommy was distracted and lowered her voice, “Listen if you want to spend tonight elsewhere, I won’t be offended.”

Ari bounced between staring into Cass’s eyes and her mouth, “Well, thanks. But I think it’ll be fun.”

Cass nodded, feeling Ari’s reassurance deep in her bones. She could get used to being looked at like that.

The float got moving around 2 pm, and the sun was beating down on them. As they drifted down 5th Avenue, toward Gabby’s position on East 16th and 5th Avenue, Ari and Cass danced to Diana Ross’I’m Coming Out.

As they danced and sang, taking breaks to drink some water, Ari pulled out a sunscreen from her bag and passed it to Cass.

Cass smiled, “You’re prepared.”

“The sun is a deadly laser, and all that,” Ari said with a shrug.

Cass obliged, she was always forgetting to put on sunscreen. Ari watched her delicately apply the lotion to her face. She reached out and gently rubbed in a spot that Cass had missed.

“Thanks,” Cass said as she swallowed. Ari’s gentle touch sent a shiver down her spine, one surely the weather couldn’t have done.

It had been years since Cass had been cared for like this. She had forgotten how good it felt to trust someone else to care for her.

She feared she was in danger of complicating this entire arrangement.

As she searched for Gabby in the crowd and waved to her dear friend with excitement, Ari came behind her and wrapped her long arms around Cass’s stomach.

Ari whispered, “Which one’s Gabby?”

Cass pointed to her in the crowd and Ari enthusiastically waved in her direction and she swayed Cass back and forth to the upbeat music.

Cass could feel herself sink into Ari’s arms.

Maybe complicated wasn’t the worst thing.

11

ARI

The parade had beena blast and Cass had passed with flying colors. Sydney and Tommy raved about her the entire time they cleaned up the float, once Cass had departed to meet up with Gabby, eat some food, and take a rest before the big party tonight.

Ari couldn’t have been more pleased with her performance. She was professional and very good at following the appropriate boundaries. Something about the way Cass looked at Ari felt intimate and secure.

She knew it was all for show, but Cass was a damn good actor.

Ari headed back to her place to do the same as Cass: rest, eat, dress up.

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