Lacey waited on the couch. She had one leg crossed over the other, her shoe dangling off her foot as she leaned to the side, reading from the textbook next to her.
It had been a promising semester. Even though the events of two months prior had to be kept secret, and the fact that they had saved the city, probably the world, would never be known, officials from Pankow ARL had given her assurances that there was a future for her there as an engineer.
It had been her dream job once, but even though it no longer appealed to her, she was more emboldened by her prospects than ever.
"I'm ready!" Dylan called.
"Ooh!" Lacey sat back, folded her hands on her lap.
Dylan came into the room and stood in front of Lacey. She was wearing a short-sleeved white blouse, black pants, and black flats. She had tidied her blonde curls, but refused to wear makeup. She never had before, and Lacey agreed she didn't need it. Her youthful visage was perfect without it.
Dylan was visibly nervous. Lacey smiled reassuringly at her.
"I feel like an idiot," Dylan said. "Like, I see people who are dressed like this and I think, wow, what a fucking idiot."
"You look fucking amazing!" Lacey said. She got up and held Dylan by her arms, feeling her and looking over her admiringly.
Dylan blushed. "I love when you swear."
After that night, which was still officially being investigated, Dylan had been fired from the Circle Z for leaving without permission. She hadn't fought it and didn't care, and had exploited the opportunity to search for something better.
Fortunately, plenty of entry-level positions had opened across the city, and she was hired by a media distribution company as a copy editor. The job wasn't completely unappealing, and now she was a professional working woman.
Dylan was intimidated by the prospect, but Lacey could tell it was the proudest she had felt in the entire time she had known her.
Lacey embraced Dylan, pressing herself to her, shamelessly caressing her rear in a way that she knew Dylan would enjoy.
"Oh, shit! I really want to go down on you! I don't care if I'm late."
"It's your first day," Lacey said.
"They'll understand," Dylan begged, squirming against her. "Fuck, just one look at you and I'll be the envy of everyone there."
Lacey smirked, tempted by the idea, and kissed Dylan. Dylan kissed back eagerly.
"Tonight. Definitely tonight," Lacey promised. "We're going to ball it up."
"Yes!" Dylan cheered.
Dylan pulled away, smoothing her blouse, and grabbed her keys. Lacey and her uncle, working together, had returned the forty-year-old Cutlass to working condition again.
"And try to calm down before you get there," Lacey said. "You're all kinds of showing." Lacey wiggled a digit at Dylan's chest.
Dylan scoffed as she put on her black jacket. "Why? I can take a bathroom break anytime I want."
Dylan gave Lacey a quick kiss on the cheek.
Lacey watched as Dylan stepped to the door, then stopped and turned, feigning like she had just remembered something.
"Oh, hey," Dylan said. And her warm, giddy smile widened. "Will you marry me?"
Lacey stilled, gaping in disbelief.
Dylan giggled. "You can tell me later, sexy," she said. "See ya!"
And with that, Dylan took off.
Lacey staggered back to the couch, still gaping, and sat.
And in that moment, she knew that whatever happened, wherever she found herself, everything would be okay, because she would be with the most awesome girl in the world. And that was all that she ever wanted.