Work Text:
i. ignition
Tori stared down at her phone with an overwhelming feeling of indecisiveness. Her app store was open, advertising the latest match-making app everyone was swearing actually worked. It was exclusively for women looking to meet other women; called Fireworks.
Their slogan was, Strike a match!
She had to admit, as far as the marketing went, it was all pretty clever. But she’d been down that road with dating apps in the past, and the end result was always the same. People struggling to maintain a conversation, uninterested in doing anything other than hooking up, or seeking some sort of experimentation experience (which was definitely not something Tori was interested in).
Tori’s predicament was that even though the thought of downloading yet another dating app made her feel exponentially hopeless in regards to her love life, it wasn’t like she was having much luck anywhere else. She’d tried the blind dating thing, the speed dating thing, hell, even the meet-cute thing.
Nothing ever worked.
So really, what choice was she left with? She could either continue suffering in her singledom, or she could download another stupid app, cross her fingers, and hope that things will be different this time around.
Her thumb tapped the download button before she could give it another thought. Really, what would be the harm in it anyway? It was a Sunday night, and she didn’t have anything better to do. At the very least, she’d sate her curiosity concerning this new app and confirm what she was already starting to come to terms with: she was doomed to be alone forever.
Setting up her profile was easy – it wasn’t like it was the first time. She had a folder on her phone of all her favorite photos of herself that she’d used on previous apps, images she felt encapsulated exactly the kind of person she was. Her bio was always a simple summary of what it was that she was looking for (a serious relationship), and she answered the given prompts with ease.
By the time she eventually reached the swiping stage, she would be lying if she said she wasn’t a tad bit excited. Not only was she an optimist, but at the end of the day, Tori was also a hopeless romantic. She wanted to meet that special someone and grow old with them more than anything.
There were plenty of familiar faces as she swiped. Either people she’d never interacted with but recalled seeing on other apps, people she recognized from queer spaces she frequented, or even just people she’d talked to or very casually dated in the past. Thankfully, there were plenty of new people she encountered piquing just enough interest from her to earn a swipe in the right direction.
She was almost ready to call it a night and put her phone to charge when she saw someone she recognized. And no, not from another dating app or some regular at her local coffee shop. A ghost from her past.
Jade. 27. Don’t waste my time.
Tori snorted. Only Jade could have a bio like that and presumably still have people lining up out the door for her attention. And even though they hadn’t spoken since high school, Tori felt that vaguely familiar side of herself rise to the surface. The kind that always came out around Jade, full of banter and teasing.
Stop, Tori thought to herself. This isn’t high school anymore. You don’t even know each other.
She swiped through Jade’s profile, trying to learn what she could from the images alone. Jade only had three pictures on there (the app’s minimum requirement), as opposed to Tori’s nine. There was her main profile image of her outside of what looked to be a theater dressed in a sleek green dress. Then there was a picture of her squinting into the back of a professional looking camera, her face completely obscured by the device. The third was of her on the beach at night, dressed down but still stunning, with stars reflected in her eyes.
Fireworks also required each user to answer a minimum of three prompts to better showcase the kind of person you were and what you were looking for, and of course, Jade had done the minimum once again. The first prompt went, Describe your perfect date.
To which Jade wrote, Good conversation. No weird vibes. Maybe a kiss at the end – but only if I initiate it.
Tori laughed under her breath, skipping ahead to the next prompt. It read, What is something you’re passionate about?
Jade answered, Horror movies. I see as many of them in theaters as possible. It’s important to support the arts.
That was at least one thing Tori knew hadn’t changed about Jade. Her love of horror movies had always been a key part of her personality. Tori could vaguely recall a couple of the shorts Jade had directed herself and got the chills.
The third prompt was the one Jade had written the most for. It read, A random fact I love is…
Jade answered, Rod Serling was a radio host before he became famous for creating The Twilight Zone. His wife, Carol, supported him through every project, the good and the bad. And even after his death, she worked to preserve his legacy. She never gave up on him. Look at what he became.
Tori felt oddly rattled by that response. Jade was saying so much, probably without even realizing it. But as a fellow creative, Tori knew how it felt to not quite reach the dreams you had in mind for yourself. She couldn’t say for certain what it was Jade did for a living or if she was happy with it, but she felt like she understood exactly what it was Jade was looking for in a partner based on the way she’d answered that prompt.
It hit her then, the weight of the fact that they hadn’t seen each other in almost a decade. Everyone went their separate ways after graduation. Losing touch was okay. It was normal, even. They all had their own lives to live, paths to pursue. Tori had never felt guilty about it before. But the sudden appearance of Jade West’s face on her phone sparked an array of emotions she hadn’t even begun to unpack.
An image of Beck’s cocky grin popped into her mind, a forceful reminder to Tori that the presence of Jade’s profile on this app meant things didn’t work out between her and Beck. Not that Tori had believed they would. The two of them could hardly go a week without breaking up. God, that had been exhausting to be around.
Foolishly, Tori understood for the first time another thing that coming across Jade’s dating profile meant: Jade was into women. Back in high school, Tori’d had her suspicions based on nothing other than Jade’s overall aesthetic and her fascination with final girls. Still, nothing seemed able to quite prepare her for the confirmation.
Although, Tori wasn’t exactly one to talk. She wasn’t out when they were in high school either, and as far as she knew, she hid it well enough for nobody else to ever really catch on. She supposed Jade would be just as taken aback to see her profile on here if it happened. If Jade even remembered her.
Tori shook her head at the ridiculousness of the thought. Of course Jade would remember her. And more than that, maybe Jade would even want to see her again. Catch up. That would be nice. She should swipe right on Jade and see if they’d match. Then that would indicate to her that Jade was also open to getting back in touch.
Well, if Tori wasn’t going to find love on here, reconnecting with an old friend made the time invested on Fireworks tonight more than worth it. So, she quickly swiped right, deciding to call it a night before exiting the app and putting her phone on her charger.
She reached for the book on her nightstand to help herself wind down, finding the page she’d left off on. It was a recommendation from her mom. Something sappy, sweet, and flying off the shelves at their local bookstore. It was also borderline inappropriate at times as far as mother-daughter book recommendations go. Truthfully, all it really did was make her feel more alone.
She put her book down right at the start of a steamy encounter between the two main characters, pulling her glasses off along with it. Her phone had made a buzzing noise about ten minutes ago, inclining her to lazily reach for it now to check her notifications.
Fireworks: You have a match!
A flash of excitement shot through her. Tori pulled her phone to her face so hard, it unplugged the charger from its socket. She fumbled with the cord, tossing it aside. She’d swiped on at least a dozen different people before she’d set her phone aside. This could be any one of them.
The app took its sweet time loading (probably a result of how fresh it was to the public), finally presenting itself with Tori’s match. And it was…
Jade?
Well, it wasn’t her grand romantic future knocking, but she wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. As a matter of fact, this was actually a good thing. No, it was a great thing. Because this was a sign that Jade was interested in connecting with her, too. Gone was the grudge she’d always held towards Tori back in high school. Possibly this time around, they could actually become friends.
Tori was smiling to herself at the idea of reconnecting with Jade. She imagined them going out for coffee together, shopping at the mall, getting manicures and facials. All things she could actually afford to do in her adulthood that she enjoyed doing with her other friends.
She sent her first message.
Tori
heyyy 😁
Tori wondered if she should have sent more, but a friendly greeting was always a great place to start. The conversation could only go up from there. Or in some rare cases, go way, way down.
She set her phone on the nightstand again, going into her bathroom to get started on her nighttime routine. It required a good face wash, brushing her teeth with her electric toothbrush, and at the recommendation of her hygienist, using a Waterpik.
When all was done, Tori got back into bed, feeling refreshed and ready for sleep. She turned off the lamp on her nightstand, casting her room in darkness. The night light in the corner of her room switched on automatically.
She reached for her phone one last time, wanting to make sure her alarm was set for the morning. Instead, she was met with a new message from Jade.
Jade
hi tori
ii. propulsion
Tori sat at her desk, hitting send on an important email confirming red carpet arrangements for one of her clients. Being in the PR business wasn’t exactly the career she’d always dreamed of, but it paid well and she still had several connections to the entertainment industry.
Her office overlooked the expanse of downtown Los Angeles. The city had always felt like home, even when she’d been away at college across the country. It was nice to feel so established in her adult life, to be thriving in the only place she could ever want to be.
Her phone buzzed from its place on her desk, and she gingerly reached for it. Her body let out an involuntary sigh of exhaustion, already bracing for another fire she would need to put out.
Jade
ghosted already, huh? that was fast
Tori frowned in confusion before understanding what it was Jade was implying. She’d never replied to her message last night. It wasn’t on purpose. It was late and she was tired and she swore to herself she would get back to Jade first thing in the morning.
The clock on her phone showed it was already well past 3:00 p.m. Tori winced, feeling the full brunt of that guilt as she typed back.
Tori
sorry!! i got busy with work. definitely not trying to ghost you! 😅
What a bad start they were off to. And entirely of Tori's own doing. If she was going to put off texting Jade back, the least she could have done was not open the message to alert Jade that she’d seen it. Tori was going to be better about it from now on. She promised herself she would be.
Jade
i’m only teasing you. so what’s up?
Tori
nothing much. i’m stuck here for another couple hours ugh 🙄
what are you up to?
Jade
just got done with a shoot. i’m headed downtown to grab a bite to eat
A shoot? Tori wondered what that meant, specifically. Her mind went straight back to Jade’s profile prompt about Rod Serling and the curiosity she felt concerning Jade’s career. She knew that if they kept talking, she was likely to find out for herself eventually.
Tori glanced out her window, as though she’d be able to spot Jade somewhere down there in the sea of tiny moving people. There was something unnerving about now knowing how close her and Jade were to each other. How often they were probably near one another without even realizing it.
Or maybe unnerving wasn’t the right word. Tori considered the word thrilling in its place, but that seemed wrong, too. Regardless, her face flushed with a heat she couldn’t even begin to explain.
Tori
hey! i work downtown!
when did you move back to la?
Jade
i never left
She didn’t know why she’d assumed Jade had left the state at some point. Probably because everyone else did. But of course, Jade had talked about sticking back, hadn’t she? Honestly, Tori’s memory wasn’t what it used to be. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed that they hadn’t reconnected sooner. She thought of all the years gone to waste that they could have been spent back in each other’s lives.
Well, there was no point in dwelling on it now. They were both in the same city and had finally found each other again, however unconventional it might have been. All they could do now was move forward. Preferably in person, and not through a dating app.
Tori
not that i don’t enjoy messaging you…
There was more that Tori wanted to say that would hopefully lead them into a more productive direction, but then she saw that Jade was already typing something back and decided to let her have her moment. It seemed like they were reaching a nice flow in their conversation, and she didn’t want to lose it.
Jade
sick of me already?
Tori
😂 jade!
Jade
no, it’s ok. i get it
but this usually happens after the date, not before
Tori rolled her eyes at Jade’s playfulness. It was a side of her Tori had rarely ever seen growing up. However, Jade was really committed to the bit here, to even imply at all that they were having any sort of romantic exchange in these messages. Her mention of a date was comical when it came to the two of them.
Tori
stop that
all i was trying to say is that i would love it if we could meet up in person instead
Jade
oh
why didn’t you just say so
Tori
well maybe if you gave me more than five seconds to type out what i want to say… 😝
Jade
sorry, guess i’m just eager
it’s been a while
Tori didn’t exactly know how to take that. She supposed there was a friendly connotation there, but that didn’t feel right. Still, the thought of Jade possibly… flirting? With her? Tori’s heart was racing and she had to set her phone down for a moment.
There was just no way Jade West would ever be flirting with her. The very idea of it should be an indicator that she was losing her mind. On the other hand, she supposed stranger things had happened to her.
Like that time she found $20 taped to her apartment door with no explanation. Or the time she’d realized the song playing constantly on the radio that had gotten stuck in her head for an entire week was produced by Andre, who she hadn’t spoken to in years. Or even the time Trina somehow beat Emma Roberts out of a role in some indie movie that was never released.
(Her older sister’s failed acting career was never to be discussed in her vicinity.)
Tori
so would you want to grab dinner friday? 🙂
downtown maybe? seems like a convenient location for both of us
Jade
works for me. how’s 6:30?
Tori
perfect 👍
Tori bit down on her lower lip, unaware of the action until it started to hurt. Her palms were sweaty now. She knew she would never get through the week without obsessing over this unless she knew for certain what to expect. Even if Jade made fun of her for it later, she needed to know.
Tori
btw
don’t know if this is a silly question or not but
is this a date?
Jade
is this a dating app…?
Tori
yes?
Jade
so then yes
Tori
cool cool
Jade
yes, very cool
nerd
Okay then. It was settled. She had a date with Jade West this Friday. They were both adults now. This was no big deal. However, Jade calling her a nerd had sent a wave of butterflies through her stomach she was fighting hard not to acknowledge.
The candle on her desk burned out, catching her attention. It was Fourth of July scented (whatever that meant), something that had been a gift from her mom for her office. Tori had a whole supply of candles locked away in one of her cabinets that she selected at random to light.
Tori picked it up to examine it, certain something must have caused it to blow out considering it had only endured about a week or so of light use. But no, the wick had burned all the way down to the bottom, like the fuse to one of the bright red fireworks on the label.
Tori couldn’t help but take it as a sign.
iii. explosion
Fireworks: You have a match!
Tori swiped the notification away with a groan. It was the fifth one this week – not including the match she’d made with Jade – and now just the reminder of her date made her stomach hurt.
She hadn’t spoken with Jade since Monday, and Friday had approached them seemingly overnight. Tori found herself fussing over every little detail of their date. The restaurant they’d eat at, the outfit she’d wear, whether she should drive herself or just Uber there.
At this point in her life, she’d been on countless first dates. Some good, most bad. But she couldn’t remember ever feeling nervous like she was now. She didn’t know if it had to do with Jade herself, or just the idea that it had been so long since they’d last seen each other, and perhaps too much had changed for this to even remotely work.
Not that it would have worked in high school. No, Jade had been with Beck. On and off and on again, all throughout the years. And Tori had still been trying to make it work with boys. Plus, they couldn’t stand each other.
Wait… why had she agreed to this again?
And then it hit her, the thing she’d been pretending wasn’t there. It was the fact that she’d always been attracted to Jade. From that first day at Hollywood Arts, and even throughout every mean exchange of words or cruel prank. Her heart hammered in her chest, her blood running cold. For the first time, she understood the stakes of the evening.
She felt her phone buzz in her pocket and pulled it out.
Jade
hi, i hope you had a good week
we still on for 6:30? i was thinking we could go to this thai place i love
unless you had somewhere else in mind?
Tori
thai food sounds delicious
Jade responded with the address to the Thai restaurant and Tori made quick work of googling it to get an idea of the vibe. Tori skimmed through the pictures of their plates on the webpage, feeling her stomach grumble at just the sight. She glanced at the time and noticed she had about an hour before she needed to be dressed and on her way over.
The restaurant seemed very laid back, so Tori felt comfortable wearing something simple. She kept on her pair of jeans and added a flowy white top, accessorizing with some hoop earrings and a necklace with her birthstone attached. The Uber she’d decided on was just turning into her complex as she slid on her favorite wedges and hurried downstairs.
“All set?” the driver asked her, before taking off slowly down the road.
“Yup,” Tori confirmed. She hated making small talk with people she was never going to see again. Uber rides were almost unbearable most times. Especially when the driver was a man, like now.
It was a good thing she lived right outside of the downtown area. She probably could have walked to the restaurant but showing up sweaty and out of breath wasn’t exactly the impression she wanted to make after all these years. She pulled out her phone to message Jade.
Tori
on my way. be there in 10
Jade
just parked. i’ll go inside now and get us a table
Tori was surprised Jade had beat her there. She was still on track to get there five minutes before the time that they’d agreed upon. Had Jade always been so punctual? In the back of her mind, Tori knew she needed to stop comparing the person she once knew to the person she was today. It would only complicate things.
“Your perfume smells very nice,” the driver said, breaking Tori from her thoughts.
“Oh. Um, thank you,” she replied, hoping to convey just enough politeness to keep the ride cordial.
“So, are you on your way to a date?” he asked, clearly not picking up on her discomfort.
“Yes, but I actually have some important emails to reply back to. I’m sorry,” she said, focusing on her phone for emphasis. Her conversation with Jade was the last thing she’d been open to before he started talking, so she decided to send her another message.
Tori
my uber driver just told me he likes my perfume 😬
Jade
uh… should i be worried?
Tori
no it’s fine. i think that was just his terrible attempt at small talk
i’m almost there
Her intent was not to worry Jade. She mostly just wanted a distraction from the awkward moment. Luckily, the rest of the drive was silent. The driver dropped her off right at the front of the restaurant, and she got out of his car without another word.
Now, standing in front of the bustling business in the glow of the string lights decorating the patio space, Tori felt her adrenaline spike. It took everything in her to reach for that door handle and walk inside.
“Hello, how can I help you?”
She was greeted by a woman with kind eyes. The smell in the air was delectable, and the ambiance was more than welcoming. Tori could feel her shoulders relaxing with each passing moment.
“Hi, I’m actually here to meet someone. She said she was going to grab us a table.”
“Oh, yes. Of course. Follow me,” the woman said, taking off towards the heart of the business without another word.
She supposed there weren’t many single women waiting for one more guest to meet them at their table here, so it made sense for the hostess to know exactly where to lead her. And of course, she was one hundred percent correct.
Tori paused right at the other end of a table, her breath catching at the sight of Jade West after almost ten years of not seeing one another. Of course Tori had been given an idea of what she looked like now from her Fireworks profile, but still, nothing could ever prepare her for the real thing.
Jade looked up at her with those dazzling eyes, locking her in place. She was almost sure the hostess said something else to her before walking away, but Tori hadn’t heard what it was. Feeling slightly unsteady, she managed to pull out her chair and take a seat across from Jade. Even if they had been meeting here tonight under the pretense of friends, it would have been hard for her to deny her attraction to the woman before her.
“Been a while,” Tori said, laughing to soften her flimsy attempt at a casual greeting.
Jade’s lips quirked up in a smile. “Yet somehow, you’re exactly the same.”
“Oh, really? And you were able to figure that out after being in my presence for a mere thirty seconds?”
“Also your texts,” Jade added, her eyes giving away just how much fun she was already having teasing Tori. “You still have a tendency to excessively use emojis.”
Tori’s mouth opened in exaggerated offense. “Not true. I think I use emojis an appropriate amount.”
The teasing came to a temporary halt as their server dropped by to take drink orders. Tori was planning on sticking with water, but after hearing Jade order a Thai iced coffee, she decided to join her. When in Rome and all that.
“So, you come here often?” Tori asked, her poor attempt at small talk.
It was a genuine question, but she could hear the flirty undertones of it once the words had left her mouth. She almost clapped a hand to her face in embarrassment. Thankfully, Jade didn’t give her a hard time for it.
“Yeah, maybe a couple times a month,” she answered. “It’s not too far from my job.”
Tori figured they would get to this topic later in the conversation, but now seemed as good a time as any to ask about what Jade was up to these days.
“Where do you work?”
“I run a photography studio. It’s a small space, but we get a lot of business.”
Tori thought back to that photo of Jade from her Fireworks profile. The one of her holding a camera up to her face, poised to take a photo of something or someone. A professional photographer was definitely nowhere near the ballpark of what Tori assumed Jade would be, but hearing her say it made complete sense to her somehow.
“That sounds really interesting. I don’t know the first thing about taking professional photos,” Tori replied, genuinely impressed. “Do you love it?”
Jade nodded. “I do.” There was a slight hesitancy to the way she answered that made Tori want to press further, but then their drinks were set down in front of them and the moment had passed. Jade took a sip before leaning back in to address Tori. “And what do you do for work?”
“I got involved in the PR business. Don’t ask me how,” Tori said with a laugh. It really wasn’t all that interesting of a story to begin with. “I work with a lot of high-end clients, and it keeps me close to the industry so…”
“You miss it?”
Tori’s eyes jumped to hers. “Miss what?”
Jade lifted a shoulder. “You know. Acting. Singing. You were very talented, from what I can remember.”
Tori felt herself blushing and glanced away, tucking her hair behind her ears. “You don’t have to say that. I was… It was never serious.”
“I wouldn’t say it if it weren’t true. You know I’ve never given you any free compliments. Just because we’re on a date doesn’t mean I’m about to start now.”
And so there it was. The first acknowledgment of what it was they were both doing at a Thai restaurant in downtown LA on a Friday night. Now that one of them had said it, it felt real again, the same way it had felt when Tori had first stepped out of the Uber.
“What?” Jade asked. “You look uncomfortable that I called this a date. Is that not what this is?”
“No, it is,” Tori quickly assured her. “I’m just not used to thinking about you in that way. Or, well, thinking about you at all, really. I mean, not since high school.”
“Hey, you swiped on me,” Jade said, suddenly defensive.
“And you swiped back,” Tori reminded her, easily matching her energy. Just like old times. “How do you think we matched in the first place?”
“Yeah, well, you messaged me first.”
“Just to say hi,” Tori shot back. “I didn’t think it would turn into-” She gestured wildly, “-all of this.”
Their server returned at that moment to take their food orders. Jade’s eyes were still locked on hers, as intense as a rolling wave in a hurricane. Tori had gone over the menu in the awkward silence of her Uber and had already decided on what she wanted.
“I’ll have an order of your pineapple fried rice,” Tori told the server, handing over her menu.
Jade sighed, defeated. “That’s my favorite.” Frowning, she handed over her menu next. “Make that two.”
With the server gone, the tension between them continued to build. Slow and steady, just like all the years leading up to this moment. Tori supposed that even though this hadn’t been her original intention when she’d messaged Jade on the app, she was very much so open to the idea of seeing where it could go. If there was any chance of them salvaging the date, she needed to clear the air.
“The truth is, I swiped on you because I thought it could lead to us reconnecting and becoming friends again,” Tori admitted. “I never would have considered you being attracted to me in that way if you hadn’t made that clear first.”
“Why not?”
Tori picked at her napkin, nervous. “I don’t know. You hated me in high school.”
“I hated everything. I was stupid then.” Jade crossed her arms over her chest. “When I saw your profile, my first thought was that I could see myself with someone like you. Or even… just you. And so I told myself that if we matched, it was a sign that I needed to pursue this.” Jade shook her head. “It sounds stupid. Especially now that I know you swiped for platonic reasons only.”
“No,” Tori blurted, reaching for her. But Jade was too far away to touch, so her hand landed on the table between them, empty. “It’s not stupid. Ever since you told me this was a date, I’ve been thinking about it a lot, too. I agree with you that this could be… something.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Jade’s hand came down to rest on Tori’s, and it felt like confirmation that they had come to an agreement on what they wanted out of tonight. The feeling of Jade’s skin on hers sparked something within Tori. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Truth be told, I was nervous about joining a dating app and seeing someone I know on there. Ironically, the one person I see that I know, I actually pursue,” Jade admitted with a huff of laughter.
Tori smiled, tucking away her own embarrassment at having tried multiple dating apps regardless of whether or not she would see people she knew. “Fireworks is your first dating app?”
“Oh, yeah,” Jade confirmed. “I detested the idea of them. Meeting organically was always important to me – something about fate I decided on a long time ago. But I just wasn’t meeting people. Not the right kind of people, anyway. It felt inevitable.”
“Well, technically we did meet organically. The dating app just reconnected us,” Tori pointed out.
Jade grinned. “Touché.”
The two of them made more small talk for the rest of the date. They discussed where the years had taken them since they last saw one another and agreed that it was perfectly normal they had all lost touch. Still, Tori was left with a determination to track down the rest of their crew and see what everyone else was up to.
The food arrived promptly and to no surprise, it was absolutely delicious. She understood why it was a place Jade frequented and planned to come back again some time – hopefully with Jade.
As the night went on, the restaurant started to fill up even more than before. Tori knew the staff was trying their hardest to shuffle people in and out, and felt guilty about having finished her plate and still lingering there. A server brought the check over, and she didn’t hesitate to reach for it.
Jade somehow got to it first.
“Hey! I was going to get that,” Tori protested.
Jade smirked to herself, slipping her card into the slot at the opening of the check book. “Gotta be faster than that, Vega.”
Tori felt 17 again, hearing Jade call her by her last name. She felt the slight flush of pink on her cheeks, hoping Jade was too distracted handing the check over to a passing server to notice.
“Well, thank you,” Tori said.
“Eh,” Jade waved her off. “You can get the next one.”
The promise of a next time brought the flush back to her cheeks in full force, something Jade certainly seemed to catch this time. However, she drew no attention to it other than a soft smile. Jade’s card was returned to her, and then the two of them stood and swiftly left the restaurant.
“Would you like a ride home?” Jade offered, guiding them in the direction of her car.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Oh, so you’d rather take your chances with another creepy Uber driver than accept a ride from me?” Jade questioned, teasing lilt back in her voice as she unlocked her car.
Tori rolled her eyes, following close behind her. “Well when you put it like that.”
Jade’s car was newer, painted a sleek black, and very clean inside. Jade turned it on and began messing with the touchscreen until she’d pulled up the navigation page.
“Put in your address,” she told Tori.
Tori did as she said, hitting start so that they could be on their way. Not a far drive at all, and she was happy to spend any extra time with Jade that she could. Their date had gone better than any other date she could remember going on in the past.
Once they were on the road, Jade started the conversation back up again. “So, I lied back there.” She glanced at Tori, but Tori remained silent, waiting for her to elaborate. “Back when I told you I was happy with just being a photographer.”
“Oh,” Tori murmured, understanding now.
“Yeah.” Jade winced. “Um, it’s more of a part time thing for me. I have a few people who take care of things when I’m not there. And when I’m not there, I help out on film sets. You know what a still photographer is?”
“They take photos for the movie, right? Like, promo shots and stuff?”
Jade nodded. “Exactly. It still isn’t what I want to be doing, but it’s like you said about being in PR. It keeps you close to the industry. I’m getting to work with some huge names right now. And if I just stick with it, I could eventually get connected to the right person and get a shot of doing some real work on a movie.”
“I believe you’ll get there,” Tori said, meaning every word of it.
Jade looked at her with a vulnerability that made Tori feel like her chest had cracked open. “Yeah?”
“Yes, of course. You’re not the only one who remembers our Hollywood Arts days. Your screenplays were the best that ever crossed through that school. And you were a fantastic director. The right person just needs to see that, and they will. I’m sure of it.”
“Thank you, Tori. That means a lot coming from you." Jade's thumbs nervously tapped the steering wheel as she continued. "The majority of the business my photography studio sees is headshots. And that can be so depressing, you know? Just a constant reminder of the dream I haven’t accomplished yet. So, when you mentioned staying close to this industry with your job, I thought there was a good chance you would know exactly what I’m feeling.”
Tori paused before answering. “Well, I do miss singing. That, I can’t deny. But I like my job. It feels like enough for me. If I ever sang again, it would just be for fun. No expectations.” They pulled off the main road and started making their way down the quiet side streets leading to Tori’s apartment. “But I had a feeling you might want more than you first admitted.”
“Really? What gave it away?”
“Your Fireworks profile,” Tori answered, chuckling at the look of confusion Jade wore. “It was the answer you gave in your third prompt. About Rod Serling. Well, more specifically about his wife. How she supported him until he accomplished his goals. ‘Look at what he became.’”
Jade lips twisted into a smile. “Wow, I suck at being subtle.”
“I felt like I understood you when I read that. More than anything else on your profile could have told me.”
“Yeah?”
Tori nodded. “You want someone to believe in you. Someone who will be by your side before, during, and after all of your dreams come true,” Tori said, noticing the way Jade’s breath caught.
“Do you think that’s too much to expect from another person?” Jade asked, sounding nervous while simultaneously confirming Tori’s interpretation of her answer.
Tori shook her head. “Not if it’s the right person.”
Jade pulled into Tori’s complex, following Tori’s verbal directions until they were parked in front of her building. Jade put her car into park, the soft hum of the engine still running filling the silence. They shifted to look at each other, and Tori felt completely allured by Jade.
“You know, there was one other thing on your profile I was curious about,” Tori murmured, her gaze dropping to Jade’s lips.
“I’m starting to feel bad I didn’t memorize your profile,” Jade replied, back to the lighthearted teasing Tori had been growing accustomed to.
Tori laughed. “Unlike my extensively detailed profile, you did the bare minimum with yours. It wasn’t hard for me to remember.”
“Hey, the bare minimum seemed to work out just fine for me,” she pointed out.
Right, Jade had her there. Maybe that was something Tori had an issue with concerning her past dating profiles. Tori said way too much about herself. Jade’s profile was just informative enough to leave you wanting more. Then again, it had been enough to get her here, to this moment.
And for that, she wouldn’t change a thing.
“What’s your question?” Jade asked, her voice taking on a low rasp.
Tori shifted closer, making her intentions clear. “Your prompt about what makes a perfect date. You said good conversation, no weird vibes, and–”
Jade pulled her in for a kiss before Tori could finish the rest of her sentence. She felt the jolt of that physical spark between them shoot throughout the rest of her body. A soaring feeling enveloped her as their lips moved in sync, finding a rhythm that worked for them, something equally eager and careful. And then finally, the explosive sensation of Jade’s tongue pressing into her mouth, bright lights dancing behind her eyes in an assortment of colors as Tori pressed forward, desperate for more.
“Does that answer it for you?” Jade asked, putting only a couple inches of space between them.
She was just far away enough for Tori to look into her darkened eyes. “Yes,” Tori answered, still breathless.
Jade smirked at her, leaning in for one more quick kiss before retreating back to her side of the car. “You do smell good,” she remarked.
Tori still felt like she wasn’t completely there. “What?”
Jade only laughed, hitting the unlock button on her car door. “Have a good night, Vega.”
Tori knew that was her cue to leave, but no part of her actually wanted to exit the car and walk away from Jade. However, she knew what would happen if she invited Jade inside. And Jade probably knew that, too. Maybe that was precisely why she was not-so-subtly asking her to go.
“Um, let me know when you get home,” Tori finally said, opening the car door.
Jade dipped her head in acknowledgement. “I will.”
When Tori got back upstairs, she reflected on their evening together. Everything about it had been different from other dates she’d been on in the past, which probably explained the prickle of excitement that wouldn’t leave her body.
She opened up Fireworks, once again ignoring the message requests from other people she’d matched with prior to her date with Jade. As she pulled up their chat, she couldn’t help but grin as she typed out a message.
Tori
here’s my number
just text me from now on so i can clear up some extra storage space on my phone 😉
Jade would still be on her way home, so Tori set her phone to charge and started her night routine. She knew she was being presumptuous, assuming Jade had had such an amazing time on their date tonight that the idea of Tori committing to deleting her dating app would be mutual. But even if Jade did decide to keep hers for now, Tori would be okay with that. She felt confident that something big was in store for them.
About twenty minutes later, she checked her notifications and saw exactly what she was hoping for: a text message from an unsaved number she knew had to be Jade. She made quick work of saving the contact information into her phone before responding to the message.
Jade
very smooth, vega
i’m impressed
you didn’t always used to be this way, you know
in fact, i remember you being more of a dork
Tori
you sure seem to remember a lot about me
are you sure you didn’t have a thing for me back then?
Jade
whoa whoa whoa
enough with the crazy talk
Tori
fine 😂
but… you like me now, right?
In response, Jade sent her a screenshot. Her Fireworks app was open to a page that was asking if she was sure she wanted to delete her account. Tori felt those butterflies erupt in her stomach again like the fireworks on her Fourth of July scented candle. Perhaps the app had been aptly named after all.
Jade
thank you for tonight. it was a lot of fun
unfortunately, i have an early morning ahead of me…
Although Tori was disappointed that they wouldn’t be able to continue chatting away into the night like she wanted to, she understood just how important sleep was before a busy morning. Both of their jobs had unreliable schedules. This would just be something they would need to factor in as they continued dating one another.
God, just thinking about the fact that her and Jade West were dating sent her into a fit of giddiness that had become almost foreign to her as an adult. Her fingers found her phone again as she typed out a response.
Tori
yeah, you should get some rest
Jade
goodnight, tori 😴
Tori
hey!! you used an emoji!! 😃
Jade
🙄
😏
😘
Tori
goodnight, jade 😚
🎆🎆🎆
Jade
♥️🎆