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“Everything is beautiful,” she said as her eyes traveled up the staircase to the balcony above.

I walked her to the stairs, and we began going up. Each step came slower than the one before, and when Jourdanne squeezed my arm just enough for me to notice, I could tell she was nervous about what would happen.

“I like you, Jourdanne,” I told her.

“You do?” she turned to me with an innocent look on her face.

“Yes.” I smiled. “And because of that, I won’t do anything unless you want to.”

Jourdanne’s eyes slipped from mine as she traced the remaining stairs with an apprehensive gaze. She then faced me with a nod, followed by a smile.

We continued up the stairs until we reached the balcony. There, we looked down over the entryway.

“It’s all so grand.”

“It is.”

“How many rooms are there?”

“Four bedrooms, complete with private baths.”

“Wow,” she said in the sweetest of ways. She tucked back her hair and I noticed a small pearl earring hidden from sight.

“They’re all up here,” I said as I turned and looked around. Jourdanne turned too, and then she started to twist her hands around together in that nervous way she had moments ago. I wanted to ease her, to make her feel more at home, but I barely knew her. What could I say that wouldn’t upset her or make her want to leave like before?

“Do you have any pets here?”

“No. Leandro—my boyfriend—is allergic to most animals.”

“I see.” She grinned, then she paced around a little until her eyes found the stairs again. This clearly wasn’t what she expected, I felt awful for asking her over without telling her about Leandro. Even when I said his name, her eyes brightened in both fear and curiosity. She wasn’t about to be a homewrecker, that much was obvious.

“Leandro and I have been a couple for a few years now. He owns a charity company and travels to Europe a lot. Well, he travels everywhere,” I laughed. Jourdanne indulged me with a kind smile. “Lately, I’ve been feeling… Well, I’ve been lonely.” The least I could do was be honest with her. Her eyes lifted to mine, and in that moment, I realized she could already tell that I was feeling isolated. “Leandro’s family doesn’t approve of him being bisexual, much less him being with a man.”

“That’s why you stay home?” she more-or-less assumed. I gave her a nod, then I leaned against the banister and crossed my arms.

“It’s a nice life, the one we’ve created. But I’d be lying if I said I was truly happy. I want to be there to support him while he’s working. I want to do more.”

“I know the feeling. I mean, I want to help my dad out more, but I just can’t yet. That’s why I’m trying to get a good education.”

“I admire that. It can’t be easy.”

“No.” She laughed a little, and when her body moved, it felt like I was making the first true connection with someone in far too long. “I’m still waiting to hear back if I even got into Yale. If not, I guess I’ll try something else.”

“Optimistic. I like that too.”

Jourdanne was a good person, a kind and lovely young woman to say the least. She deserved a good start to her life.

“I want you to be my… sugar baby.” I grinned. She mimicked my smile and then we both had a quick laugh. “But let’s keep it friendly for now. I love Leandro, and I know he’s only trying to keep me happy, but I’m not sure how far I can go without feeling like I’m cheating on him.”

“Of course.” She nodded.

“And I’ll pay you so you can attend Yale in the fall.”

“If they accept me,” she corrected me. Her hands had settled at her sides and her eyes were bashfully looking up at me. It had been a while since I felt so drawn to a woman, but there I was, nearing her again with the intent of holding her hand in mine. And she, so delicate and agreeable, let me without a word.

We walked together down the stairs and toward the door.

“Are you okay to drive yourself? I could call someone.”

“No, really.” She tucked back her hair like before, but now, I caught the rosiness of her cheeks. “I’m fine. It wasn’t even a full drink.”

“Okay,” I agreed. I released her hand, even though I wasn’t ready to, and then opened the door for her to leave. “Will you call me once you’ve decided? Or do you want me to call you?”

She turned around on the porch to face me, and as she did, her soft rose perfume danced over the air between us. It was intoxicating, and I almost forgot what I was saying.

“I’ll call. Or you can call me,” she giggled. “It doesn’t matter.”

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