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Tori laughed. “No big deal. We lived together for years. I’m sure this isn’t anything you haven’t seen before.”
That was true. Tori was far from shy. She had changed in front of me multiple times throughout our friendship. The only difference was that this time, it was difficult for me to look away. And, in reality, that was a huge difference. Because why couldn’t I look away? Was it because I had gone so long without seeing another woman’s body? That was still no excuse for checking out my friend. Willow’s best friend, I reminded myself.
“I need a drink.”
I didn’t even realize I had said the words out loud until Tori stood right in the path of my gaze and gave me an incredulous look. “I realize I’ve let myself go a bit over these past few years, but surely, it can’t be so bad that you need a drink to forget about what you saw.”
I could feel my face turning red and was happy I had already put on my Sasquatch head so Tori didn’t notice. “Let yourself go? Really?” I asked. “Tori, your body is perfect. If anything, I need to drink to forget how much I’m lacking.” Not a complete lie.
Tori stepped into her Abominable Snowman costume and finally pulled it up over her body. Her eyes took in my costume from top to bottom. “Trust me, you are in no way lacking.”
I held my arms out to the side, because I was sure she was referring to my costume. “Oh yes, I know. The fur really does something for me.”
“You do pull off that costume really well, but that’s not what I was referring to.”
“Wh-what do you mean?” My throat went dry.
“Good god, Rosemary, are you really going to make me say it? You’re hot, okay? I’m scared Willow might strike me down for saying that, but it’s true.” Tori looked toward the ceiling and waved her hand. “Not trying to steal your girl, I promise.”
“Willow would probably tell you to go ahead and steal me.” It was supposed to be a joke about how laidback Willow always was, but as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I wondered what the hell I was thinking. I wanted to swallow them up in hopes that Tori somehow wouldn’t realize what I said. Really, I just wanted the floor to swallow me up at this point. Because why would I say that? Why would I make any sort of reference to Tori stealing me as if that was a possibility at all? Smooth, Rosemary. Real smooth.
Tori just stared at me. Her eyes didn’t blink. Her lips didn’t curl into a smile. She honestly looked like she would rather be anywhere else other than standing in front of me at that moment. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, as if she couldn’t possibly figure out what to say in response to my idiotic comment. And I honestly didn’t blame her.
“Let’s go drink!” she said before pulling the Abominable Snowman head over her own.
I followed her out of the room without saying another word. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
Three mixed drinks later, Tori and I were finally acting normal around each other again. The power of alcohol and good music.
“Dance with me,” Tori said as she took my hand.
As we made our way onto the dance floor, no one questioned who the Abominable Snowman and Sasquatch were. Tori took my hand and spun me around as we danced to Taylor Swift. I laughed as she attempted, and failed, to dip me, but luckily, she was at least able to hold me tight enough to make sure I didn’t land on the ground.
We threw our hands in the air as the song switched to something techno I’d never heard before.
“Jump!” Tori shouted as the beat hit, and I followed her lead. It didn’t matter that I could barely see as my Sasquatch mask bounced up and down. It didn’t matter that, just as I suspected, I was sweating to death under all this fur. All that mattered was me and Tori and this moment. I couldn’t remember the last time I had let myself enjoy a moment as fully as this one. If I was being honest, it was probably when Willow was still alive.
The music came to an abrupt stop as the DJ spoke over the microphone. “Since tonight is all about celebrating love, I’m going to end the night by slowing it down for all the couples out there.”
As soon as the slow music started, I turned to walk off of the dance floor. I had only taken one step when I was pulled back.
“Absolutely not,” Tori said as she wrapped her hand tighter around my arm and pulled me over to her. “We’re going to see this thing out to the end.”
Alarm bells went off in my head as I thought about the fact that the last person I had ever slow danced with was Willow. But that wasn’t the alarming part. The alarming part was how much I wanted to dance with Tori. I brushed it off as a combination of the alcohol and the fact that I felt comfortable with Tori. It would have been crazy to believe that with all of the years I (hopefully) had left on earth that I would never slow dance with anyone again. Who better to share this first dance with than Tori—the woman who understood everything I had been through?
I clasped my furry hands together behind her neck as her hands came to rest on my hips. Even with all of the fur between her hands and my skin, it felt like I was naked beneath her touch. Without thinking about what I was doing, I laid my head on Tori’s shoulder as if it was something I did all the time.
“This is the happiest I’ve been in a really long time,” I whispered against her neck. “Thanks for bringing me.”
“Thank you. I think this might be the best birthday I’ve ever had, and it’s not even my birthday yet.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I burrowed my head deeper into Tori’s neck. The whole room disappeared around me as we swayed to the music. The music eventually faded out, but I wasn’t ready to let go. Tori must have felt the same way because she kept holding on to me as well. I’m sure it was quite a sight—a Sasquatch and an Abominable Snowman dancing to no music. Luckily, the wedding guests seemed too drunk to think anything of it, and I was too drunk to overthink it too. Because what were we doing? Why were we clinging onto each other as if our lives depended on it? Was it because of the safety we found in each other’s arms or was it something more than that?
I quickly pulled away because obviously it wasn’t more than that. God, I drank way too much tonight. I put my hand on my head. “Sorry. The room is spinning.”
“Shit.” Tori looked all around the room as if she was searching for something. “Let’s go inside and get you some water and Tylenol, then I’ll help you get changed and get you settled on the couch. I don’t want you to be sick all day tomorrow while you’re trying to teach.”
I followed her into the house where she quickly helped me out of my costume and into the pajamas I had brought along. Then she grabbed two blankets and a pillow and set them down on the couch. “You make yourself comfortable, and I’ll get the water and medicine.”
