Chapter Text
Lucy shows up to Lake’s house for their first date in a leather jacket and an extremely tight pair of jeans. Her dark hair is framing her face in sleek, artfully messy strands, and there’s only the barest hint of make up around her eyes. Underneath the jacket she’s wearing a form-fitting white tank top that leaves a sliver of flawless pale skin visible between the hemline and the waist of her pants, with hints of a dark red bra underneath. If Lake had any remaining doubts about her bisexuality they’ve just taken a running leap out the nearest window because this girl might actually be the hottest thing she’s ever seen. And yes, Lake is including that time she walked in on Victor and Benji making out and finally got to see what Benji looks like with his shirt off (it had been even better than she’d ever imagined).
The hotness factor increases tenfold when Lake catches sight of the cherry red muscle car parked on the street in front of her house. It’s almost the exact same color as Lake’s lipstick and it’s doing things to her that she doesn’t think are really appropriate for an inanimate object.
Lucy catches her staring and her mouth quirks up a little in pride. “Like it? It’s a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T.” More modestly she adds, “It’s my dad’s actually, not mine. He’s a mechanic and fixing up classic cars is basically the one activity we can bond over.”
Lake’s pretty sure she’s about five seconds away from swooning like a consumptive damsel in a Gothic horror novel. God, her English teacher would be over the moon if she was aware Lake was making literary references like that. Why is she thinking about Ms. Jenkins at a time like this? Pull it together, girl.
“You like fixing up old cars?”
“I know, it kind of makes me sound like an old man, right? But it’s pretty fun,” Lucy responds, with a self-deprecating eye roll.
“Uh, no, that’s, like, super cool,” Lake rushes to say, and feels her cheeks heat up a little in embarrassment. This date has barely even started yet and she’s already feeling head over heels. “I know basically nothing when it comes to cars. Honestly I’m still in shock that someone thought it was a good idea to give me a license.”
“Well, maybe I can teach you a thing or two,” Lucy says in a tone of voice that sends a shiver straight down Lake’s spine. She’s getting the feeling that they might not be talking about cars anymore.
Lake bites her bottom lip, equal parts shy and coy. “I’d really like that.”
“You ready to hit the town?”
Lucy holds her elbow out slightly in invitation, like the leading man in an old movie. Lake kind of just stands there and blinks at her in surprise for a second before she finally catches a clue and links her arm through the other girl’s.
They walk down the driveway like that and then Lucy guides her around the hood of the truly stunning car to the passenger side. She opens the door and holds it as Lake climbs in, shutting it for her once she’s seated inside. Felix used to do stuff like that sometimes, too, stuff like holding doors or pushing in her chair when they went out to a nice restaurant.
She’d always had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it was really nice. Lake will be the first to admit that she’s a bit of a princess (okay, maybe more than just a bit) and the truth is that she really enjoys being pampered. She likes feeling special, like she’s worth someone’s full care and attention. On the other hand, with Felix she’d always been a little reluctant to let it go too far. She’s an independent young woman, fully capable of taking care of herself, and doesn’t want to be that girl that just lets her boyfriend do everything for her.
But this is already different. Lucy’s not her boyfriend. Lucy’s not a boy at all.
The engine starts with a rumble like the purr of a big cat, and then Lucy pulls out into the road. She has her phone connected to one of those cigarette lighter aux ports and a song comes on over the speakers, something indie and chill, the artist’s voice silky smooth.
“I love this,” Lake says. “Who is it?”
“This is Syd. She just released this song like a week ago and I’ve pretty much had it on repeat ever since,” Lucy says, and then launches into a detailed description of the musician and her work. It’s clear after just a minute or two what brought Lucy and Benji together as best friends. Lake bets that ninety percent of their friendship is based on a mutual obsession with music (the other ten percent must be either fashion or queer stuff or maybe just the two of them sitting around exchanging tips on how to be so effortlessly cool all the time).
“Sorry,” Lucy pauses mid-rant to say, “I hope I’m not boring you. When I’m really into something, I can just keep going forever.”
Lake quirks a brow playfully. “Oh really? I gotta admit, I like the sound of that…”
The heavy-handed flirting prompts Lucy to let out a surprised burst of laughter. “Wow. Um. Not one for subtlety, are you?”
“Uh, yeah, sorry about that. I know I can be a bit much sometimes…”
“Hey. Don’t apologize. I definitely wasn’t complaining.” Lucy’s gaze leaves the road for a moment, maybe just a fraction longer than is technically safe, but Lake would be the biggest hypocrite in the world for calling her out on it. She’s too busy getting lost in those blue-gray eyes, anyway. “I actually really like that about you. That you never seem to hold back. It’s like you’re not afraid to put yourself out there and just let the whole world see you for who you are.” Lucy’s smile turns wistful as she says, “I wish I could be more like that.”
The fact that someone like Lucy – someone who seems to have confidence oozing out of their perfect pores – is saying that to her, of all people, is enough to shock Lake into silence.
“But I hold back so much,” she thinks. “All the flaws and the extra pounds and the bags under the eyes, the blemishes and the insecurities. What you see isn’t exactly what you get with me.”
But it’s too soon to tell Lucy something like that. She has to ease her into it, reveal what’s underneath all the make up and carefully fitted clothes and snappy jokes gradually, so she doesn’t accidentally scare her off. With Felix Lake felt like she had the coolness upper hand; with Lucy, the tables have been turned.
So she puts on a flirty smile and says, “Well, hang around me long enough and some of the perfection just might rub off on you.”
Lucy grins. “That’s what I’m hoping.”
A few minutes later they pull into the parking lot of an old-fashioned diner. It’s all white and chrome on the outside with a big sign reading “Ruby’s” in glowing lights. Once again Lucy holds the door for her as they enter the building, and the moment they do they’re greeted by the sound of a jukebox playing. Inside the restaurant is decked out in red vinyl seating and white tables, with 1950’s nostalgia art all over the walls.
“Whoah, did you just Marty McFly us backward in time?” she jokes as a woman in a retro service uniform heads toward them.
“To be honest, I can think of better places to go on my first date with a girl than the actual fifties,” Lucy answers.
“Good point.”
“Welcome to Ruby’s,” the server says. “Table for two?”
They’re led over to a spot near the jukebox and handed a couple of menus.
“I hope you’re not a vegetarian,” Lucy says.
Lake takes a quick look at the burger dominated list of entrees and laughs. “Fortunately not. What do you usually get here?”
“The bacon cheeseburger is really tasty.”
“Oof, I bet it’s, like, a zillion calories, though.”
“Uh, yeah, it probably is,” Lucy agrees. “I bet it doesn’t help that I usually wash it down with a milkshake, too.”
How on earth does Lucy look the way she does and eat like that? Lake’s mom would have an actual heart attack if she ever discovered Lake putting away bacon cheeseburgers. Just being in this diner would probably give her hives.
“That sounds delish, but I think I’m gonna just stick with a salad.”
There’s a flash of something in Lucy’s features that’s there and gone again so quick it’s impossible to read. “Well, you have to try the shakes at least. The chocolate malt one is insanely good.”
She can see a couple sharing one a few tables away, and they do look pretty tempting. She bites her lip and tries not to think about what her mother would say. “Maybe we could split one?”
Splitting it ends up being an excellent choice, not only because it cuts calories but also because they’re given one tall glass and two straws. Leaning in close over the table, watching Lucy’s soft-looking lips part around the red plastic, her eyes glancing up at Lake through thick black lashes… Lake must have somehow hit the dating jackpot. This absolutely stunning girl picked her?
It’s hard not to feel like there’s been some kind of mistake. Like maybe Lucy will say at the end of the night, “Oh, you thought this was a date?”
But Lucy had called it a date just a few minutes ago, as well as on the day that she’d asked Lake out in the first place. It’s all really happening somehow, as unbelievable as it is.
She hopes the jumpsuit she’s wearing looks trendy and not just frumpy. It’s a very dark navy, almost black, which should be slimming, but now she can’t help worrying that it just makes her look chubby. For a second the ice cream turns to chalk in her mouth.
“Shut up,” she tells the voice in the back of her head making her worry about all of that bullshit. “Just shut up and let me enjoy this.”
“So,” she says, to get her mind off of things, “have you come out to very many people yet?”
“Yeah, pretty much everyone knows now. I haven’t told the whole school yet but I don’t really care who finds out.” She smirks. “I haven’t really felt the need to make a big announcement in the hallway or anything, though.”
Lake laughs. “I don’t think I’ll be doing that anytime soon, either.”
“Who have you told so far?”
“Just Mia. This is all pretty new to me still. I guess I knew deep down for a long time, but I wasn’t ready to put a label on it until recently.” She hesitates for a second, and then admits, “Until you asked me out, actually.”
“Oh.” Lucy’s eyes go a little wide, and a pleased smile spreads across her lips. “Really?”
She nods. “How’d you know, anyway? When you asked me?”
“I didn’t really know. I just decided to take the chance.” Their gazes meet over the shared glass, Lucy’s ocean-colored eyes dragging Lake in like a riptide. She’s more than happy to let herself drown in them. “You seemed like you’d be worth it.”
This girl just might be too perfect for her. Lake’s heart is pounding faster than the beat of the song streaming out of the jukebox.