“Why would you need an excuse?” I ask, tentatively.
I continue to be surprised when their elbow juts out and nudges my arm. “Because you shut down our conversations more often than I take hot showers.”
“I didn’t…” My mouth opens to say more, but I don’t know what words to use.
“It’s okay,” they nudge me again, gentler this time. “I get it. You’re a busy woman. Your inbox must be overflowing all day, every day. The last thing you needed was some queer topless porn star bugging you.”
“Well, if it makes you feel better, you are theonlyqueer topless porn star in my inbox.”
They turn to me with their hands on their chest. “What an honor. I’m going to put that in my MyFans bio.”
“Don’t you dare!” I point a finger at them before dropping it as I become aware of a small crowd gathered in front of us.
That’s when I hear the music. Orchestra music with sweeping strings that is slightly distorted because of the speakers it’s playing through. It’s dramatic and even though I don’t recognise the song and the hum of the crowd continues, I am grabbed by it.
“You want to stop and look?” Loncey asks and I realise then that there is more to the music.
“At what?”
“We’re at the Bellagio,” they say with a nod over the top of the crowd’s heads and I realise they’re talking about one of the hotels, one I have heard of before.
“And?”
“The water fountains. It’s a whole thing,” they say with a leading smile.
“Okay.” I smirk. “Show me thiswhole thingthen.”
And they do. They take my hand and meander through the crowd until we’re through the thickest part of the throng and I’m staring at the vast water feature in front of the elegantly grand-looking Bellagio hotel.
There are jets spurting out water left, right and centre. The water moves up and down, and often diagonally, and always in time with the music. It’s both impressive and utterly ridiculous and I find myself smiling as I watch.
“Is this like a Vegas rite of passage?” I lean closer to Loncey to ask.
“I mean, I guess… although it’s quite a tame one. Of course the shotgun wedding at Elvis Chapel is a few levels up.”
I scoff. “Well, I don’t think I’ll be doing that.”
“Never say never,” they tease gently.
“Oh, I have said never,” I say assertively, arms folded. “I am never getting married.”
Silence follows my statement and I turn to Loncey to see what they make of it. Much to my surprise, they have a thoughtfulexpression on their face, like they’re thinking about the right thing to say.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get married either,” they finally say.
“On account of you being poly and aro and – have I missed one of the hundreds of abbreviated labels in your bio?”
“Oh, Maeve,” they feign being flattered. “You remembered my bio. But yeah, I guess those two things are good reasons why it’s not going to be in my cards.”
There’s a note of sadness in their voice, or maybe it’s just my mood as the music changes and the melancholy chords of a song I do recognise begin.Time to Say Goodbye.
“Hmm, your cards,” I muse, still leaning close enough to touch their arm and I don’t know why but I don’t hate how they don’t move or pull away. “But what about the stars?”
I feel their body shake a little with some light laughter.
“My stars have taken care of me so far. I figure whatever they have in store for me, it can’t be that bad.”
I can’t help but chew on those words, or rather the comfort, the peace that is audible in their voice. I may think astrology is absolute bollocks, but that doesn’t mean I don’t envy that sense of wellbeing they clearly get from it.
